Rise of Power Dressing: The Female Apparel in the 1980s

In women's dress in the 1980s, one phenomenon eventually emerges from the noise: power dressing. Far from a fad, it was more a cultural movement to signify growing female muscles within the corporate world. At the same time as women continued to enter the workforce and attain higher ranks within organization hierarchies, their apparel changed to reflect this momentous shift. Power dressing was not about looking good - it was a statement, saying women were reclaiming space that was previously solely male. 

At the heart of this revolution was the power suit. Sharp lines, tailored fits, and bold, exaggerated shoulders became the definition of ambition and confidence. To seal power dressing, the role played by designers was therefore crucial, among which were power dressing's key players: Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan. Their designs are masculine in parts and feminine flair, blending into pieces commanding as well as elegant - a reflection of women's increasing position in the professional and public arena. Talking about such a design, Joanne Entwistle in The Fashioned Body mentioned how structured lines of power suit make a woman look authoritatively feminine. 

The Bold Silhouette: Big Shoulders, Bigger Presence 

One of the most defining features of the power dressing of the 1980s was its movement toward bold, structured shoulders. Shoulder pads became the icons of the 1980s, and this made women more substantial as well as commanding. These had nothing to do with some sort of conformity to the fashion fad; they were in fact statements of power themselves. During the 1980s, when women were just getting through the door and gaining respect in the working world, the broad-shouldered blazers in their light jacket gave them a visual edge against their peers, exuding confidence and power. 

The silhouettes of the 1980s were quite a sharp contrast to earlier years, more relaxed, gentle, and subtle. Those boxy angular shapes quickly defined an image: strength and capability. In fact, Elizabeth Wilson's book Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity describes how in the 1980s fashion helped women in assuming a much bolder position within the social order. She interprets that with enormous proportions, the power suit was an effort to meet the growing demand to dominate spaces from which women had been excluded throughout history. 

To me, the magic of power dressing lies in its versatility. There's something undeniably empowering about putting on a structured blazer, its sharp lines giving you a sense of authority. One is geared to conquer when sartorially attired in such a shape. Even today, I find myself attracted to that concept of shape and feel in an oversized blazer. It has that instant confidence boost. 

Breaking Down the Lines of Gender in Fashion 

One of the most revolutionary things about fashion in the 1980s is the way in which power dressing broke apart the boundaries between masculine and feminine style. While women were fighting for equality in the workplace, it was at this point when they started cannibalizing the man's wardrobe: the tailoring of blazers, double-breasted jackets, and straight-legged pants re-shaped to fit their purposes. Mixing and remolding different lines of masculinity and femininity made all the more telling statements. This was not about showing women as men but to prove that they could, in fact, be every bit as dominate and strong as men while remaining feminine. 

The blending of gender norms is found in Valerie Steele in her book The Berg Companion to Fashion, where she underlines points from designers like Armani and Karan who mixed powerful masculine designs with a touch of femininity. The result has been a balanced wardrobe that allows a woman to rise in professionalism as well as maintain her feminine sense. 

Elements of men's fashions adopted made their visual declaration that women are part of the corporate world and looking up at leadership. As economic and social opportunities were heightening and upward movement was becoming more possible, the power suit translated to more than just an outfit; instead it became armor, a badge of ambition, independence and professionalism. 

Icons in Popular Culture

Power dressing, however, was born in the office and spread into pop culture. The trend was further popularized with feminine figures such as Dynasty and Dallas where women paraded around in the sharp, severe silhouettes of the decade. Thanks to the soap opera Dynasty, Alexis Carrington played by Joan Collins became an emblem of power dressing where blazers with extra-wide shoulders and luxurious fabrics represented glamorous, high-powered women of the era. 

Neither was power dressing strictly a creature of the office. Rock stars, like Madonna, adopted its structured, flashy excess, wearing it on stage almost as well as off. Crosscultural practices helped seal power dressing's place in the fashion of the 1980s-the promise of females that were both fashionable and powerful, glamorous and authoritative. 

I find it absolutely fascinating how the ideal of power dressing encourages individuality. Even in the structured lines and cuts of the blazer, women began to express personal identities through bold colors, quirky accessories, or individual expressions in styling and dress. The marriage of personal expression and professional strength is something to which I've become drawn and continued to carry forward.

Evolution of Power Dressing Over Time

The 1980s may feel like a century away, but it is at the same time relevant to the present, power dressing phenomenon. So many aspects of the style have filtered their way back into today's fashion. It is common to see oversized blazers, sharp tailoring, and structured silhouettes finding their way into wardrobes all around the world. Specificities of the style have evolved; however, the essence of power dressing remains—the confidence, strength, and independence. 

Today, we can see it on a designer's runway of high fashion and in street style as well: either on designers who have gone back to these bold, structured looks of the '80s or on those women who have even more freedom today than ever to be able to choose how they want to project their strength. 

What is new, though, is that today women have freedom like never before to decide how they want to express their strength. Whilst the power suit in the 80's left only one avenue through which to say authority, today, modern women can find their expression in tailored jumpsuits or chic dresses with every variety imaginable-designed to represent that confidence which once lay within the manifestation of the power suit. As Elizabeth Wilson pointed out in Adorned in Dreams, with the years that have passed, power dressing has indeed softened some of its edges, but its message that one is to see and hear women everywhere remains still just as true today as it was back in the 1980s. 

Conclusion: The Legacy of Power Dressing of the 1980s 

Changing the face of women's fashions for good was power dressing during the 1980s. With women leading their places in society as working professionals, the fashion reflected their expanding role in it, and that's how the power suit and such an expression of strength, authority, and independence came about. Innovated by designers such as Armani and Karan, clothes that would redelineate women's fashions were now created which empowered women to take control of their image. 

For instance, works such as The Fashioned Body by Joanne Entwistle and Adorned in Dreams by Elizabeth Wilson form books that enlightened the world how power dressing could have impacted both the world of fashion and society at large to change the way women dressed so as to challenge traditional gender norms in professional life. 

The great spirit of power dressing in the 1980s and beyond, for me, is represented in a way that no one wears oversized blazers with heavily-padded shoulders today, but the confidence they represent has been timeless. In every sharp line and structured silhouette, I find reminders of women who paved the way and strength that fashion brings. 

Cited References:

1. Joanne Entwistle, The Fashioned Body: Fashion, Dress and Modern Social Theory, Polity, 2015. 

2. Elizabeth Wilson, Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity, I.B. Tauris, 2003. 

3. Valerie Steele, The Berg Companion to Fashion, Oxford, 2010.