In this enlightening guest post, New York-based designer Jackie Warehime delves into the transformative power of fashion in empowering women of all shapes, ages, and backgrounds.
If there’s an industry that we should all feel included in, it’s the one we all participate in: fashion. Even if you don’t consider yourself a fashionista, if you wear clothing, this industry affects you.
Unfortunately, the fashion industry has long felt like an exclusive club where few belong. It’s an industry that has made money by making us feel bad – like we don’t have the right body shape, we’re too old, or from the wrong background.
As an industry that largely focuses on women, the fashion industry should be one that uplifts and empowers. In recent years, strides have been made to make this true.
But are those efforts enough, or simply a shallow coverup? And do we as consumers have any power to help make this change?
The fashion industry influences women’s empowerment through body image, age, and cultural representation. Read on to discover what the industry could do to improve empowerment, and the role we as individuals and consumers can play.
What even is Empowerment, Anyway?
We hear the word “empowerment” thrown around, but what does it actually mean?
Empowerment is the process of feeling confident and in control of your own life.
Though embracing your unique identity is something that comes from within, external factors play a big role in helping or hindering us to do this.
The fashion industry plays a huge role in empowering women. Fashion and clothing is more than just fabric – it says a lot about who we are and what we stand for. When the fashion industry promotes exclusivity, it tells women they need to conform to that standard and fosters insecurity in anything that lies outside of it. Instead of embracing their true selves, women feel pressured to conform to narrow ideals dictated by this industry.
However, a fashion industry that supports diversity by embracing women of all shapes, ages and backgrounds can lead to women feeling seen, valued, and liberated to be their authentic selves.
A fashion industry that not only acknowledges but celebrates this diversity could become a true source of empowerment for women, where individuality is celebrated, paving the way for a more inclusive future.
The Fashion Industry Today: Empowerment in Progress
The fashion and beauty industry has the potential to empower women; though the industry has often been judgemental of women, there are positive signs that it’s changing in the right direction.
Body Diversity: Shifting Standards in Fashion
In the world of fashion, there’s always been this idea about the “perfect” body type, which often makes women feel like they need to change themselves to fit in.
From old-fashioned corsets that literally squeezed a woman’s figure to change her shape, to today’s advertising that prioritizes a certain body type, the industry has had a lot to say about who does – and doesn’t – fit in.
Yet, social media is sparking change. While not without its faults, it gives a platform for individuals who might have been overlooked by the larger industry. These influencers and models are challenging body norms and advocating for diversity.
The body positivity conversation and representation on social media isn’t just changing things for individuals—it’s influencing larger brands to do the same, too. More and more, we’re seeing big names including different body types in their ads and on the runway.
Though there has been progress, there’s still work to be done in empowering women. For example, luxury brands and fashion shows often lack representation of diverse body types, leaving many women feeling excluded.
Age: Embracing Natural Beauty at Every Stage
Flip through the latest copy of Vogue and you’ll notice the models have something else in common apart from their extravagant clothing: their age.
The fashion industry often promotes the idea that youth equals beauty, leaving little room to celebrate aging. Young models dominate campaigns and runways. Older women are often featured only in age-specific campaigns, making them feel excluded from the mainstream beauty narrative. And often, these campaigns are to sell products aimed at making older women look younger.
Now, trends are changing towards embracing natural beauty and age. Trends are valuing skincare over heavy makeup to care for and embrace natural beauty.
At Paris Fashion Week of 2023, Pamela Anderson decided to embrace her natural beauty and age and went makeup-free. The response was overwhelmingly positive, praising Pamela for being a voice of embracing natural beauty and age rather than trying to cover it up.
This response shows a strong desire from women to see more diversity within aging represented. However, the fashion industry has strides to make in order for this to come true.
Cultural Identities: Supporting a Global Perspective
When you think of top fashion brands, labels like Coco Chanel, Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein might come to mind.
These all have something in common – their Western influence. Historically, the fashion industry has focused on European and American designers and ignored other cultural identities.
Today, we live in a more globally connected world, and fashion is an important tool that can help us embrace and see the beauty in different cultural groups.
For example, Lagos, Nigeria, has become an important part of the global fashion scene, with Lagos Fashion Week drawing the attention and support of world-renowned fashion leaders. Indigenous Fashion Week shows are rising in both Santa Fe and Canada.
Representation of diverse cultural identities is hugely important in uplifting a person’s cultural identity; the wider fashion industry has progress to make in supporting these voices at a larger scale.
A Path Towards Embracing Diversity of Bodies, Ages, and Cultures
The fashion industry plays a big role in empowering women to embrace their beauty and identity. Though recent progress is headed in the right direction, there is still room for the fashion industry to improve.
Empowered to Embrace our Bodies
Though we’ve started to see more body sizes represented in fashion, more progress is needed.
The fashion industry should more actively collaborate with diverse models and influencers, featuring them in campaigns and runway shows.
Additionally, involving diverse models in the design process and offering a wider range of sizes and styles would ensure that every woman can feel confident and beautiful.
By celebrating the diversity of women’s bodies and involving them in the design process, fashion can transform from an exclusive club into a powerful force for empowerment, where every woman feels seen, valued, and celebrated.
Empowered to Celebrate Age
We aspire to see older models included in fashion and beauty industry campaigns and runway shows alongside younger models, sending a powerful message of empowerment and celebrating natural beauty at every stage of life.
The fashion industry could improve by featuring older women prominently in all aspects of fashion, not just in campaigns targeted at their age group, and show them embracing their natural beauty.
By doing this, fashion could change from an industry that perpetuates ageism to one that empowers women of all ages to embrace their natural beauty with confidence and pride.
Empowered to Uplift Cultural Identity
The fashion industry can improve by amplifying other cultural identities outside of the usual white, Western sphere and celebrating diverse cultural influences. Large brands with bigger audiences can influence the global culture by collaborating with up-and-coming designers from underrepresented regions and backgrounds, providing them with platforms to showcase their work on an international stage.
Additionally, fashion brands and media outlets can collaborate with diverse cultural influencers and models to ensure authentic representation and storytelling.
With these changes, the fashion industry can evolve into one that celebrates the beauty of cultural diversity.
3 Ways We Can Lead The Change towards Personal Empowerment
While progress in the fashion industry is exciting, it can also leave us feeling powerless, knowing that there is still much work to be done. However, there are ways we can contribute and help bring about change.
- Curate a Diverse Social Media
First, we can intentionally curate our social media feeds by following diverse accounts that showcase different body types, ages, and cultural backgrounds. Not only are we expanding our own view, but also sending a message to the larger industry that this is what we want to see.
- Shop with Purpose:
Supporting brands with inclusive practices is crucial. By choosing to shop from companies that prioritize diversity and inclusivity in their advertising, sizing, and hiring practices, we can use our purchasing power to influence the industry towards greater inclusivity. You can also support small and artisanal brands who are often more inclusive in their practices.
- Engage with Diverse Fashion Events:
Paying attention to major fashion events and shows, such as Nigeria Fashion Week and initiatives like Indigenous Fashion Week, allows us to uplift the voices of underrepresented communities and support designers who celebrate diverse cultural identities.
Together, these actions allow us to help shape the future of fashion and create a more inclusive and empowering industry for all.
Wrapping up
The fashion industry is gradually transitioning from exclusivity to inclusivity, but there’s still progress to be made. By championing diversity, celebrating natural beauty, and embracing cultural identities, we can create a fashion world that truly supports empowerment for women.
About today’s writer
Jackie Warehime is a New York-based designer and sustainability advocate with a background in product design. She writes about sustainable design at www.jackiewarehime.com, with the goal of exploring and expanding the ethical and sustainable approaches to crafting the world we live in. — Photo of Jackie used with her permission.
Have you felt excluded or misrepresented by the fashion industry’s standards of beauty and identity? How do you envision these standards evolving in the future? Feel free to comment below.
Top photo credit: Antoni Shkraba from Pexels.
Love this post. A reality long waiting in the shadows.
From Twiggy to Cheryl Tiegs to Beyonce; woman want what they are made to feel they should want, in terms of body image and how to wear fashion.
Outta my way! I’m dressing ME!
And we’re dressing for ourselves, first and foremost! Sending much LOVE to you!!