Wearing Resistance: Fashion, Feminism, and Cultural Identity

in Britain

Fashion has long been a powerful tool for self-expression, identity, and cultural

communication, especially for women. Women's fashion choices in the UK reflect

broader social, political, and economic ideals. This paper investigates how women's

rights and feminism have influenced fashion, exploring cultural identity and comparing

women's fashion in the United Kingdom and the world, as well as traditional British

styles like leather, cashmere, and tailored suits.

Women are influenced by social media like TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and

fashion influencers across a blend of heritage, culture and global style. TikTok and Instagram have transformed how British individuals engage Women with fashion, providing opportunities for new pressures that impact well-being,

fashion is a personal identity rooted in classic garments and tradition; however, as we

move towards women's rights, functional items in female wardrobes highlight a

balance between style and convenience. In the UK, sustainability (Carey et al., 2021) is tied to culture in

both black British fashion and traditional British fashion cultures. In the postwar,

resourceful designers created trench coats, knitwear and tweed designed for

durability, symbolising a cultural form of sustainability, unlike fast fashion brands

wearing pieces that reflect value, longevity and practicality for historical

craftsmanship.

Sustainability has become a considerable concern worldwide in women's fashion, a

shift in values surrounding environmental awareness and ethical responsibility. The

rise of Second-hand platforms like Deepop and Vastier in 2011 and Vinted made 2008

gained popularity. They were promoted by Gen Z influencers, creating shopping hauls

that have made showcasing slow fashion and sustainability more desirable. Style in Britain is linked to class and accessibility, which impacts how different women are viewed in culture and engage with fashion. Youthful or working-class women often rely on fast fashion or second-hand clothing to stay current with the main.

fashion is tide to class or success in the UK which deeply impacts how different people engage with style, according to (EntwistleEntwistle 2000)

fashion sense not only reflects economic status but shapes how individuals navigate social and public spaces. FashionFashion influencers display how " fashionable " women feel in society. The rise of Depop and thrift culture has allowed women to style more affordably while still sticking to trends. Fashion feminists support the reduction of economic gatekeeping in fashion culture. Creating a more inclusive space where women in fashion can use clothing to express their identity instead of income.

Women are shaping a more inclusive culturally diverse style for the feminine gaze.

Sustainable fashion values conscious consumption and reduces the exploitation of

garment workers, many of whom are women advocating longevity. Furthermore, black British are

embracing luxury, expensive, rebellious, sustainable fashion in the African Caribbean

communities, often upcycling and second-hand as creative expression and styling

customisation.

In the UK, fashion played a significant role in cultural expression through feminism,

particularly among women typically excluded from mainstream fashion and beauty

standards. For example, working-class and black British women's clothing became a

political way to celebrate culture and form new definitions of embodiment throughout

society. Traditional feminism is beyond middle-class white ideals, embracing

intersectionality.

Any background challenges the narratives surrounding narrow beauty standards and

engages with sustainability in their ways and styles, expressing culture for future generations.

Black British blends Afro-Caribbean influences with street culture through costume

looks, hairstyles and repurposed garments, creating a space of visibility and cultural

pride. Females use fashion to celebrate forms of protest, and the identity approach to

styling is feminist because of the values of visibility, voice, and autonomy. The idea is

that fashion must follow the norms of the industry and instead place creative control

back on individuals. In this way, fashion amplifies and enriches culture and offers

intersectional feminist values of inclusion, empowerment and respect.

Fashion has had a significant impact on womens body image, mental health and equality values for decades the industry promoted narrow standards contributing to mental health issues among women (Tiggemann & slater, 2014). Modest protests have challenged this. While social media can promote

Diverse representations and labels offer more sizes inclusively and use models from all backgrounds. Campaigns such as Dove Real Beauty and savage x Fenty's inclusive catwalks re-defined the public's perception of normalised self-acceptance and beauty (Carey et al 2021). A report in 20219 by the Mental Health Foundation revealed that 35% of young individuals aged 13-19 said their body image caused worry or shame, highlighting the impact of social media and fashion on the youth, creating opportunities for self-expression and new pressures

Furthermore, conversations have recently emerged about the paid opportunities for thin, with plus-sized models reporting a decline in bookings, suggesting backlash against positivity movements (The Guardian 2025) which can lead to anxiety and perfectionism.

Exposure to idealised image and lowered self-esteem in young women.

TikTok has empowered users through inclusive content, sustainable styling community-driven trends and body nomination. [perloff 2014]

Additionally, ladies' choice of clothing was consistently influenced by gender norms and a push for equality in the 1960s, the influx of mini skirts to symbolise liberation, and questioning (Wilson, 1985). In the 1980s, power dressing emerged, with women adopting tailored suits to assert authority in male-dominated workplaces (Buckley & Fawcett, 2002)

Conservative ideals and allowing women to take back ownership of their bodies. In the

In the 1980s, power dressing began with padded suits in shoulder pads and bold silhouettes

as women entered the corporate work environment. Madonna's approach to fashion

aligned with body authority and dressing for oneself, achieving immense popularity as

women started to find their independence, using fashion to assert confidence. In

the 90s, the punk girl movements inspired DIY clothing with jackets and slashed tights,

A rebellious aesthetic that bonded women together for rights campaigns. In the early (McRobbie, 2009)

200s, YK2's hyperfeminine style once criticised as superficial, turned into a way for

young women to reclaim their sexuality. Today, UK fashion influences feminism through

body-inclusive, gender-neutral brands. Throughout generations, women have used

style to reclaim feminity. UK history reveals every shape, silhouette, hemline, and fabric

has reflected more profound thoughts about power and how women want to be seen.

Introduction

There has always been a strong link between fashion and prevailing trends in society as a whole.

To take a few examples;

In the 1960’s fashion became an expression of women’s liberation and was used to challenge traditional expectations of society at the time.

This was expressed through several trends;

The miniskirt, popularised by Mary Quant, was a direct challenge to the conservative women’s dress of previous decades and symbolised a desire for freedom and self-expression of women.
Bright colours and patterns, both in men’s and women’s clothing were seen as a shift away from the more conservative dress of previous times and were an expression of the energy of youth culture.
Women also started to wear pants and have short haircuts, which was a further challenge to societal expectations of how femininity was supposed to be expressed.

There was a significant societal change in the 1970s with the women’s liberation movement pushing for equality and challenging existing gender roles. This then translated into fashion, with comfortable clothing and a statement of individual values, whether in the workplace or personal life.

The lines of traditional menswear and womenswear got blurred with flared pants, and casual skirts whilst still embracing the bright expressive colours first seen in 1960s fashion.

Of course, the 1970s was also the time of the disco with artists like Donna Summer and the movie Saturday Night Fever, which set trends not only in music but also in fashion by embracing a wide range of styles.

The self-expression and freedom expressed by women through clothing in the 1960s and 1970s continued in the further decades with clothing that could fulfil many purposes from the formal, even sexy dresses and power suits with or without high heels to the more casual clothing with freedom of movements as a symbol of women’s freedom of expression and empowerment as women became to be seen as equal partners to their male counterparts, with both parties taking roles in the workplace to a much larger extent than the traditional gender roles seen in the 1950s.

In this respect, it might be beneficial to look at Feminism as a concept

The International Women’s Development Agency has a succinct definition of Feminism.

It’s about respecting diverse women’s experiences, identities, knowledge and strengths, and striving to empower all women to realise their full rights.

It’s about levelling the playing field between genders, and ensuring that diverse women and girls have the same opportunities in life available to boys and men.

There are, of course also many other definitions of feminism out there, for example, the one in the Cambridge Dictionary, which states “the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achievethis state”

The above definitions highlight the need for equality in all aspects, as well as respecting individual strengths and abilities, while also allowing every individual to express herself in a way that she feels comfortable and empowered to do.

This then puts to fashion trends outlined at the beginning of this essay into context. Fashion and clothing are very visible ways of expressing feminism as it is there to be seen. Somehow it helps amplify the message that here is a woman with a strong identity and empowerment, who is aware of this and able to express it.

When researching the article, I came across this recent blog in the new Feminist, titled;

“Can you love fashion and still be a feminist?”

The article contrasts the radical view of shunning fashion altogether as a feminist statement versus embracing fashion and still being a feminist. It highlights the trend in most movements to dictate “what is right and how you should behave”, which is a way of conformity.

If we look at this perspective, it appears that the very freedom of expression that women sought through fashion in the earlier decades is challenged by a perspective of what is “right” or “wrong” when maybe the whole point is that feminism and indeed freedom of expression is to wear what is right for the occasion, and maybe also breaking a few norms along the way, such as wearing a corset with jeans and high heels, because it looks good and feels right for a particular occasion.

There is of course a challenge in the fact that men still very much influence fashion overall as highlighted by the fact that although 85% of majors from top fashion schools are female, only 14% of the top 50 major fashion brands are run by women.

There is some hope from US statistics, dated 2022, stating that 85.9% of Fashion designers were women. The date is based in the US but is assumed to be similar in the UK.

The contrast between who runs the fashion industry (men) and who designs the clothes (women) is stark. However, it does give hope that women’s perspectives on what enables self-expression and empowerment can translate through what they design, and therefore what ends up on the High Street.

Feminism in Britain has long served as a canvas for femisit expression and cultural identity. my finding has shown that clothing choices imprint a deeper narrative of personal freedom , empowerment and protest . for navigating social amd political systems from the rise of mini skirts in the 1960's to hyper feminine styles of gender roles and femisit discourse . Equally the emergence of inclusive sustainability and representation in clothing highlighted themes of critical mental health equity and access. women of britian particularly from communities continue to use fashion a way to reclaim identity digital platforms like tiktok and second hand fashion have amplified, suggesting a new avenues for creativity.

moreover the intersection of culture feminism class has underscored how style oprates as both a personal and political tool. Inclusivity and sustainability, in fashion not only reflects society but can reshape it. As the industry begins to embrace all women and move towards ethical reform. the topic of fashion and feminism is long from over and english women remiain as powerful for resilience , idenity and cultural pride

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