Breaking Barriers: The Decline Of Fashion Stereotypes

For many years, fashion stereotypes have existed within society. However, at the turn of the new decade, perceptions surrounding many pre-existing opinions have changed. While, of course, social alterations have played a pivotal role in modernizing outdated views, a greater emphasis on self-perception and personal happiness has been the catalyst in allowing women around the world to break free from fashion stereotypes. So, let’s take a look at how several traditional perceptions no longer have a place within modern-day society.

The Emergence of Color and Style Fluidity 

Perhaps one of the oldest stereotypes surrounds color. Although it isn’t limited to fashion, the ideology that blue is associated with men and pink with women has been rife since the 1950s, according to a report at Forbes. In seeking to challenge 70-year-old social constructs, leading fashion designers have used their platforms to highlight the fluidity of color. As per Medium, John Galliano used tailoring techniques to demonstrate that there’s no correlation between fashion and gender-specific characteristics. This aimed to rid fashion of gender limitations.

Much like color, style is another stereotype that stems from the 1900s. During the 1940s, women typically wore dresses to achieve an hourglass figure. Even formally, the era dictated that women had to dress in blouses, jackets, and skirts. Although this was normal for the time, the perception that females should wear dresses has only recently been challenged. Now, there’s less pressure to dress in long, sweeping fashion pieces. For office-based working women, traditional suits have become a must-have outfit, while jeans, for example, are a common choice, as highlighted by the fact that 25 percent of American women own at least ten pairs of jeans.

Uncool Accessories are a Thing of the Past 

Away from gender stereotypes, general fashion perceptions have also drastically changed during the 21st century. Glasses, for example, have long had connotations of being worn by smart, less attractive people as opposed to being a health necessity. However, after world-renowned brands broke into the market, such stereotypes began to become less common.

The products at GlassesUSA reflect this stylistic development. Along with the likes of Gucci, Prada, and Versace, the American-based organization has a wide range of Ray Ban sunglasses for women. With numerous colors, frames, and shapes to choose from, glasses have become a fashionable extension of a person’s personality. Moreover, with various materials also available, stylishly breaking barriers is now more plausible than ever before.

Although not typically uncool, the perceptions around jewelry have also changed during the past few decades. Unlike in years gone by, accessorizing isn’t viewed as an attempt to show off wealth or material possessions. Instead, it’s more commonly used to complete an outfit. Furthermore, gender stereotypes in this field have also lessened as women now prefer more masculine textures, such as matte finishes

Stepping in the Right Direction 

Despite the fact that some outdated perceptions are still prevalent within modern-day society, the progress made in recent times is a positive reflection on those seeking to break away from traditional norms and values. As such, individuality has moved to the forefront regarding outfit selections, and that’s the way that it should be.

Photo by Tamara Bellis on Unsplash