How Women Are Empowered In Films By Looking Over Their Outfit?
Clothes have long become not only functional but a way to express one’s personality and characteristics, especially women’s apparels. The big screen and tv shows have become popular sources for ‘fashion hunters’, and outfits in signature movies in some way evoke the latest fashion trends. Let’s see how actresses present vivid characters with various clothes and how they show off women power and personalities.
Ms. Coco Chanel, who has revolutionized women’s fashion, turning the redundant dresses into stylish trousers and jackets for women, is a familiar history to all. Thanks to her, instead of layers of under-garments and panniers, we will not be socially condemned to wear all kinds of modified versions of blouses and blazers. If that reform was mainly because of the concerns of the functionalities of clothing for women who joined work, nowadays things have changed even more.
( Coco Before Chanel )
Emily in Paris has made a hit in the world of fashion in 2020. The characters show how ‘fashion’ is ‘a popular aesthetic expression’. They show how there are now more choices on types of clothing for women to choose and less restrictions on what to wear on certain occasions. Like Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu in the drama, who is a serious but elegant business woman in charge who wears an elegant square-necked dress with a wide belt for a hint of masculinity to a daily meeting.
( Emily in Paris )
On the contrary, Lily Collins who plays a young and outgoing American girl likes to test with various bright colors and create interesting layering. One of her favorite elements is the plaid pattern. Plaid, as an all-time classic, shows its charm once again.
( Emily in Paris )
Different from those in Emily in Paris that are young and colorful, the minimal coats with clean cuts and simple colors help to shape characters as older, wiser and more capable. Like how Sandra Bullock in Ocean's Eight (2018) and Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde (2017) went on missions in timeless long coats with heels.
( Ocean's Eight & Atomic Blonde )
While there are only obscure boundaries between business attire and casual wear, blazers and shirts are also. no longer the preserve of working people but can be worn by anybody anytime. For instance, Blake Lively in A Simple Favor, wears a full set of suit, wide-leg suit pants, and a pair of high heels to mitigate the look, just to pick up the kid at school. Being a cool and stylish mom is also an important job.
(A Simple Favor)
It is also fine to wear a shirt at home, no matter if it’s for convenience, for sexiness, or for working from home, oversized shirts as loungewear have even become a trend, like how Angelina Julie demonstrated in Mr.& Mrs. Smith.
(Mr.& Mrs. Smith)
Or, a fancy black dress is not for parties only, and a pretty woman in a gown might not be the same as how her appearance demonstrates. Emily VanCamp in Revenge, hid her revenge plan and her nature under various formal dresses.
All the films and series being mentioned above are female-centered that women are portrayed as main protagonists. No matter what their career is, or if they even have a career, they enjoy their lives and demonstrate strong and powerful characters. The fact that women are provided with millions of choices on apparels now is beyond reproach, but these increased numbers do not mean women can comfortably wear them without being judged. Thus, the concept we are trying to convey here is that ‘Women only dress to please themselves’ -- not for anybody else, not for occasions, but solely for themselves. As long as they feel comfortable and beautiful, then it’s the right pick for them regardless of what others say.