I have been craving a kitten heel. This fall, I’m finding a deep appeal in shapes that are crisp and angular. Items that strictly maintain their boundaries. Particularly, I’m seeing a re-emergence of clothing being utilized to sharpen the boundaries of the body. Many kinds of power can be conveyed through what we wear, and I’d reason that we opt for these different shapes and forms at different moments, depending on a variety of external factors.
When I was looking at the shapes on the runway and emerging in the fashion landscape, I was reminded of something in particular: 80s office fashion, namely, the “power suit” as adopted by women in traditionally masculinized professions. When we think of 80s fashion, a few conventional aesthetics come to mind: full denim fits, jackets with neutered sleeves, over-the-top prom dresses and teased hair (think Madonna, Cyndi Lauper), and of course, the professional — often begrudgingly drab — office uniform.
These aesthetic boundaries are, of course, an oversimplification of the complex trends that develop across any decade, but I think it’s important not to discount these stereotypes, specifically the way they cement our cultural understanding of a time period as it emerges in retrospect. There is a deep contrast between the chaotic, insistently playful prom queen, and the reserved, nearly-chic but bluntly professional office aesthetic. These opposing aesthetics reflected shifts in cultural conventions around youth, power, and gendered domains. As women took on roles in settings previously dominated by men, the power suit was adopted as a tool, albeit one that ultimately reinforced gendered boundaries. For instance, author Ashawnta Jackson writes “The Dress for Success uniform required a skirted suit and blouse, echoing men’s corporate dress code but, importantly, not replicating it.” Although the power suit became a way for women to assimilate into these spaces, it was not a form of dress that subverted expectations about what exactly power was supposed to look like.
Returning to today, it’s fascinating to see which elements of the 80s power suit are being adapted for a contemporary audience, one that has tended to be — until recently — oversaturated with youth culture. Fashion trends of the last few years have largely centered on the moodboard of the teen/early 20-something, from the obsession with Y2K, Juicy Couture, and Clueless, to the adoption of schoolgirl uniforms into high fashion and streetwear.
It seems that, in 2023 and 2024, we are seeing this youth-oriented aesthetic age in real time. Here are some of the looks from a few different Spring 2024 designer runway shows that make nods to the 80s power suit.
Some of the looks stick to the structural “rules” of the power suit by creating a proportional illusion: the traditional, broad shoulder to slender waist ratio. Other looks add an interpolation, such as a flash of silver or pop of red plaid. The silver streamer look feels like the ghost of another 80s trend breaking through. A nod to the decor that might have accompanied the pink polyester tulle dress to prom night. A similar nod — this time to the denim-clad mall rat — appears here.
Across the different runway looks, the focus repeatedly centers on structure. The outfits are sharp — not just in the way a well-fitted suit might be called “sharp” — but angular. Much like the kitten heel, these outfits assert the boundaries of the body in physically defensive ways. The power suit — in its heyday — could also be said to have operated on the defensive, acting as a protective shell in the workplace. This shift seems to imply that — after a few years of youthful indulgence — it’s time to grow up.
There are, however, clear moments of play on the runway as well — stacking belts, silver and red fringe — that subvert the expectations set forth by the power suit.
When we think about what it means for the power suit to return to prominence, we have to think about the circumstances that brought it into existence. Although there are instances of chic-ness, the power suit is one of those garments that represents ‘function over form’ in the collective imagination. It is a uniform intended to ease the wearer through physical space (hence, broad shoulders and sharp angles, which operate like armor, or again, a shell.) The practical intention of the power suit — to blend and assimilate into an existing representation of power — feels like a disappointing conclusion to reach when considering its re-emergence. Nevertheless, approaching this aesthetic separately from its original intention opens up the boundaries to exploration. Adopting the power suit outside of the workplace may be exactly what it needs to move beyond its prior connotations. Using elements of other aesthetics (in this case, ones that also have their roots in the 80s) reframes the “power” of the power suit around what can be undone while still retaining the shapes, textures, and overall angularity that makes the form physically striking. Essentially, the power in re-adopting this aesthetic lies in breaking its rules.
Sources:
Jackson, Ashawnta. "The History of the Power Suit for Women." JSTOR Daily (April 9, 2021). https://daily.jstor.org/the-history-of-the-power-suit-for-women/.