Proper fashion is back in style. Gone are the “rebel fashion” days where combat boots and a short skirt were a sign of high fashion, or at least a rebellion from fashion that was somehow fashionable. Now, we’re seeing a surge in Tom Ford sunglasses, a traditional and prim look that suits nearly all feminine face shapes.
We’re also seeing a surge in more proper, less revealing clothing for women and less ostentatious designs for men. Fashion from an idealized youth is being reconstituted to form acceptable adult fashion trends, like the little Madeline school jacket in the image here coupled with a teddy-style dress and decent heels. The look is chic, fashionable and modern but has a throw-back element to it that is somehow reminiscent of youth and a better era.
Being prim and proper doesn’t mean what it used to in terms of being prudish. Now, proper fashion is sexy and organized, and comes across much better than it did in say, the Victorian era when there were very few women rebelling. Now, so many women use fashion to rebel that it has become the norm, and traditionalism has become the rebellion. Just look at how Katy Perry and Zoie Dashnell use proper fashion to look cute, modern and sophisticated, the exact opposite of what those styles once meant. Perhaps this was spurred by the power and lure of the wardrobes in Mad Men, or by the idea that simply too many people had adopted the rebel’s uniform, making it no longer rebellious. Either way, the look has died and been replaced by chic and fashionable women with a more proper and prim series of dresses, shoes, accessories and flare.
