The Demise of "Power-Dressing"

 By Meg Pirie – Stylist and Slow-fashion Activist 

In my lounge hung next to the fireplace, there is a framed photograph of Helmut Newton’s iconic ‘Le Smoking’, which was shot for French Vogue back in 1975. The story features an androgynous-looking Vibeke Knudsen boldly wearing Yves Saint Laurent’s infamous black tuxedo – her hair is slicked back, and she is smoking. Next to her, almost touching, is another woman dressed only in black stilettos. 

For me, this marks a distinct shift in the attitude towards gender differentiation and imbues not only sexuality but also total empowerment. The collection was first designed for YSL’s Autumn/Winter 1966 -1967 haute couture runway and was highly controversial, challenging the perception of sexuality and offering with it both power and liberation. Over the years, YSL has continuously re-invented the tuxedo with many celebrities cementing its timelessness – from ultimate icon Bianca Jagger’s wedding look back in 1971 through to the ever-chic Jane Birkin at the age of 69. 

Over the last decade, fashion has become increasingly casual, and power dressing has seen a significant lean towards more of a street-style focus – where trainers are the footwear of choice and denim pairs back with almost anything. While I’m particularly guilty of running after my three-year-old in just this, I have definitely been far more conscious of this shift in my wardrobe during lockdown. As I’ve dressed more and more casually and almost forgotten the art of dressing some days completely, I’ve found a restlessness creeping over me, which left me rifling through my wardrobe in an attempt to not only re-find my sense of style but myself too. 

And I’m not alone, with many predicting luxe loungewear could lead the way post-lockdown with luxury consignment store Net-A-Porter revealing that tracksuit bottoms are currently up 1,303 per cent in comparison to this time last year. Last October, high-street suiting giant M&S revealed that it was intending to reduce its range of suiting due to a 14% decline in sales of formalwear and set to increase its leisurewear offering. And with more of us working from home than ever before, this is set to drop again. While understandable given the time we’re in, I’m dubious that loungewear will become the epitome of female empowerment in the way the tuxedo offered. This realisation left me yearning for a time when tailoring ruled. 

Due to globalisation and off-shore manufacturing bespoke tailoring has also seen a very sharp decline in quality. Over the years, we have lost touch with the real value of what things actually cost. A quick search on Google revealed that I could purchase a women’s suit from the high street for under £50 from ASOS which in no way could represent the cost of the materials, manufacturing or time for the workers to produce the garment. And although I’m not suggesting that we all have the finances for bespoke tailoring, particularly in the light of our current economic situation, there is definitely a case for buying better and buying less. 

The prevailing fashion system is a structure of power that values profit above all else, rather than our innate desire as consumers to actually dress in fast-fashion. As long as the key players on the high street continue to capitalise on this, other systems won’t get a look in. My point here is that a little like the way I began rifling through my clothes during lockdown, you too may have items in your wardrobe that can be re-styled or re-purposed and I think this is something that we need to fall in love with again. New isn’t always the solution, and this is definitely something we should revisit and challenge. Influencers have such an impact on consumers and the promotion of wearing an item once - an unfair marketing tool and thankfully one that is being replaced by the likes of #woreitagain on Instagram, where items are re-styled again and again to create new looks. 

And although this piece started with the demise in power dressing, the point to all this is that fashion should continue to exist as the ultimate form of expression, empowerment and storytelling. Designers now have a lot to unpick and will have to work hard to push through the new normal, with protection and optimism in mind. According to Vogue Business, we should see masks incorporated into looks and the need for the utmost sensitivity offering “protection, comfort or cheeriness.” They’ll also need to navigate a decentralised fashion calendar and use creativity not only in terms of design but also in terms of the abolishment of how things have always been done. There’s a feeling that consumers have also changed massively during lockdown and will be far more interested in supporting brands that embrace a more sustainable fashion future. 

The reason I have the ‘Le Smoking’ image hung in my living room is not just for its conversation-starting abilities, but also to remind me that fashion can empower, shake dated expectations and rival deeply-rooted issues for a more inclusive system. And perhaps the new form of empowerment comes by realising the injustices within our current system and liberating ourselves through our actions. Tailoring optional.