The Rise of the Traditional Woman

And the impossible (yet seductive) task of predicting the future.

They say every decade has its own special style, a certain fashion reflecting the time and zeitgeist of that particular period. The 60’s with its space race and futuristic fashion. The environmentalism of the 70’s and its natural flower power ideal. The yuppie era of the 80’s with its masculine-coded power garments finding their way into women’s wardrobes. The grunge scene of the 90’s and its casual, minimalistic fashion. And, finally, the 00’s with its digital revolution and celebrity-influenced Y2K-style. All of them are representative of their times. 

The 20’s is still in its cradle, however, tendencies to how this new decade will unfold have already started to show (and speculating about the future never hurt anyone, right?). So, let’s take some time to reflect.

I guess it’s an understatement to say that we’ve had a rough start to this decade. A global pandemic, isolation, war, and a plausible recession, all that alongside a raging environmental disaster. We know from history that when times are uncertain, we tend to turn to well-proven setups and traditional ideals to find comfort. You can already see it in the conservative values and politics gaining strength across the world. Fashion has followed.

For some time now, a rather conservative female ideal has been growing. The perfectly put-together (working) mother. The socially skilled (and completely stunning) hostess and home cook. A modern stay-at-home wife, just like in the 50’s, but this time with a rocking career, a perfectly Pilates-sculpted body, flawless skin, and a runway-only wardrobe.

I guess it’s also a symptom of the first major influencers reaching the age of having kids. It’s natural: We have lustfully scrolled through their jet set years of traveling the world dressed in the latest resort collections and glamourous fashion week events. Now, we’re inspired by their romantic weddings with customized designer wedding gowns (because obv they’re friends with the designer), their gorg husbands, cute kids, and perfect family homes.

With these new – rather traditional – ideals, classic female symbols like the pearl and tennis necklace have come back into fashion, the most coveted being the modernized versions from brilliant Danish jewelry designer Sophie Bille Brahe. 

Two other stereotypical examples are the ballerina shoe, brought back into fashion by brands like Miu Miu and The Row, and delicate fabric florals, preferably on dresses from Magda Butrym.

The latest trend pointing in this direction is the appearance of the bow on the SS23 runways. It’s been seen as details on shoes and gloves on the Chanel runway, as decoration on fluid dresses at Loewe, and on street style-caught influencers running between shows.