It appears that we are accustomed, to dress according to how we feel and our plans. The items we dawn ourselves in, align with what is on our to-do list, whose faces we will be seeing, what activities we will be taking part in and so forth. Projecting a small insight into who you are, that lacy frock, crop top, miniskirt, or shirt reflects your personality and your vibe.
I can most certainly agree with that.
The days when I feel like slipping into jogging bottoms and a sweatshirt are the days, I feel the worst… to no surprise. The days I decide to dress up, even if it is just a simple outfit, I feel good about myself, more confident, and more uplifted to seize the day. A feel-good outfit is like the saying: tidy room, tidy mind. Of course, this is not a says-all-fits-all kind of mindset.
But what we don’t consciously consider is the question: who are we dressing for? Of course, the immediate answer should be, I’m dressing for myself and myself only! However, traditionally in the fluttering eyes of the male patriarchy, the answer pushed upon women is what is known as ‘the male gaze.’
*eyeroll*
Introduced by Laura Mulvey, the term reflects how women are so often portrayed as objects of male desire and overly sexualised in Western media. Unfortunately for women, the male gaze festers almost everywhere in society; such as advertising in popular media and clothing brands. Women's bodies are believed to be objects to be looked at, as a consequence of heterosexual male desire. Women become passive as men become active. Consequently, this form of subliminal conditioning makes for an easy trap to fall into in which your decision of what to wear may become based on the subject of the male eye… even if you don’t realise it.
However, this is not to say that our choices are for the male gaze. Shock horror - women do dress for themselves! This idea that women are dressing to align with the male gaze is damaging and very backward. Women should be allowed to wear whatever they choose without the disgraceful allegations that a woman is ‘asking for it’ based on what she was wearing. A prime example of a male-gaze mindset.
But upon consideration, I question whether as a female myself, I dress for not only myself but for my own kind. When I’m perusing the high street, I can’t help but admire other girls’ outfits. It makes me feel proud to be a woman when I see an exceptional, colourful put-together dawning the greyscale mood of what is the underground…
I heard somebody once say “I don’t dress for men, I dress for women” and that made me realise, I think I do in fact dress for women. I enjoy the exchange between two women admiring and complimenting each other’s outfits whilst sharing the little details as to where they got it from. It’s so special to encounter women supporting women.
This entire experience might just be connected to the ‘female gaze.’ Everything the male gaze does not stand for, this term is relatively new on the market.
Popularised by Gen Z on social media, female gaze discourse is thrown around everywhere. But what exactly is it? For a new term like this one, there is no definite denotation.
After some scouring, something I found that I think is an understandable explanation states that the female gaze is:
“the subversion of the male gaze, which means it actively avoids objectifying and simplifying male characters in film. There’s a lot more onus on emotions and feelings and atmosphere rather than just action and sexuality” - @safe_space on TikTok
The female gaze rather explores how women or men are represented by women, viewed by women, appreciated by women and removed from the patriarchal sexualisation that is found within the male gaze. Seeing people for who they are and not what they are, the female gaze focuses on how something makes them feel versus how something looks at face value.
So, back to the female gaze discourse on social media. A popular trend I have discovered shows videos titled: ‘dressing for the female gaze.’ Women are sharing the contrast of what is believed to be a male gaze-inspired outfit in comparison to a female gaze-inspired outfit. It seems that an outfit influenced by the male gaze reveals more skin, cleavage, and emphasises the figure. In contrast, an outfit inspired by the female gaze is bolder, more creative, and colourful.
So regarding fashion and the female gaze, it is an act of dressing to reject the male gaze and remove restrictions and limits on your fashion choices when dressing on your own accord. Dressing for the female gaze implies removing the man in your head who chooses the outfits for you and instead dressing for yourself.
As Vogue puts it, dressing for the female gaze equates to “dressing in styles and garments that women in general will consider stylish—read avant-garde and often times eccentric—but will stereotypically have men scratching their heads.”
As this trend grows stronger we can see an influence of female gaze flare in the oversized and baggy style that is becoming more current in women’s fashion choices.
Take singer-songwriter Billie Eilish for example. Billie Eilish said her reason for wearing baggy clothing is so that: “nobody can have an opinion because they haven't seen what’s underneath. Nobody can be like, ‘she’s slim-thick,’ ‘she’s not slim-thick,’ ‘she’s got a flat ass,’ ‘she's got a fat ass.’ No one can say any of that because they don't know.”
These comments regarding Billie’s body are clear examples of objectification and sexualisation in the male gaze. From this, Billie has turned to choosing oversized-fitting clothes. Of course, this is her own choice. But it does make me question: why should women feel they have to change the way they dress to avoid indecent comments? What does that say about the world we live in?
The female gaze concept seems to be creating a new form of empowerment for many women allowing them to move away from narrow and confined standards pushed by the patriarchy. But don’t forget, it's crucial to dress for yourself, as that is when you're most liberated from restrictions, boundaries, and pressures. Deciding what to wear shouldn't be a challenge. Ultimately, life is about living. So, the next time you're pondering your wardrobe, ensure you're making that choice for you!
This was such an insightful read! I remember when Billie Eilish got backlash over her vogue cover because people thought she wasn’t fighting against the standard anymore, as if she wasn’t capable of having her own input into her own styling and dressing for yourself can’t mean feeling feminine. Dressing for the female gaze/for yourself feels so much more empowering!