Being hyper-feminine in your clothing choices is not something to be ashamed of

We speak to the female founders of five labels to understand how claiming hyper-femininity in fashion might be a way to channel power

Little did Karen Smith know that she was setting a global movement in motion when she said, “On Wednesdays we wear pink.” The character on Mean Girls, essayed by Amanda Seyfried, belonged to clique known as The Plastics, whose  diktat catapulted into somewhat of a phenomenon and to date, girls across generations frequently cite the film in conversation. The early aughts were rooted in femininity–movies, music and art were all governed by a particular shade of ‘Bubblegum pink’–one that became synonymous with being a ‘girly girl’.

The years that followed saw the rise of ‘Millennial pink’, a muted, toned down, rather lacklustre shade of salmon. Almost instantly, being someone that revelled in their femininity became something to be ashamed of. By definition, ‘hyper-femininity’ means an ‘exaggerated adherence to a feminine gender.’ A simple Google search for the term reveals the words “passive, naive, soft, flirtatious, graceful, nurturing, and accepting.” All seven descriptors come with a submissive connotation, hint at a rather dated idea of women, and propagate archaic gender roles. We speak to the female founders of five brands to understand how, slowly but steadily, women across the globe are claiming hyper-femininity in fashion as a way to channel power.

Breaking stereotypes 

When asked what hyper-femininity means to her, Rhea Bhattacharya, founder and creative director of the brand Drawn, mentions the “unabashed celebration of all things feminine.” Amalie Othilia Brandi Mikkelsen of the label Malie says for her, the term brings to mind details “that highlight the feminine silhouette,” acknowledging that this in itself is stereotypical, since “far from all women have the same body type.” Specific to fashion, one can think of hyper-femininity as the resurgence of love for feminine silhouettes, colours, patterns and prints.

Recently, TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms have seen the rise of the ‘divine feminine’, something that Lavanya Aneja, founder of Lea Clothing Co., says has contributed to how femininity is being perceived by younger audiences. While previously women were ridiculed for embracing typically feminine fashion, Aneja notes that there’s been a shift, with more and more young girls opting for “pastel shades, curve-accentuating silhouettes, skirts, corset styles, slip dresses and lace detailing.” She explains how she had convinced herself she didn’t like pink as a teenager because she thought it earned her brownie points with her male friends. Delving deeper into this common occurrence, she mentions Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Amy Dunne from the novel was enamoured by the idea of being the ‘cool girl’ who wasn’t ‘like other girls’. A lot of women reject hyper-feminine fashion despite not wanting to, in a bid to be different and feel accepted.

“Being a woman is power enough”

It’s only recently that women are once again ‘taking back the power’, claiming girly-core as a way to showcase strength. Sagrika Grover, creative director and founder at Essgee, says that “power-dressing dates back to the 1970s” when women were just beginning their fight for rights. It was then that the power suit came into play, and with its typically masculine silhouette, became a way for women to be taken more seriously. Grover notes that in the 21st century, “being a woman is power enough” and that this sense of confidence that previously came from an androgynous garment can now come from body language and mentality. 

Today, women can radiate authority in the most feminine set of clothes. In the current fashion landscape, women are “taking ownership and are claiming power through feminine attributes”, says Mikkelsen. She mentions how because historically women didn’t have the same rights as men, they weren’t viewed as competent enough. Hence the idea of dressing a certain way to be taken seriously is a generational mindset, rooted in the way women were treated in male-dominated environments early-on. Similarly, Meghna Goyal, founder of Summer Somewhere, mentions that while initially power dressing was correlated with structured silhouettes, that isn’t the case any more. She tells us she’s seen “women challenge these notions by bringing in more femininity in their fashion and also by acknowledging that it's not the outfit that defines their power.” 

Goyal goes on to tell us that power dressing is now a tool for women to express their confident, comfortable selves, unshackled by stereotypes. Bhattacharya cites a similar thought process, elaborating that over the years, the concept of using clothes to channel power has become more personal and less fueled by “cookie-cutter templates”. For some, like Grover, hyper-feminine power-dressing can mean “shimmer, ruffles, body-con silhouettes, with a dash of attitude”, while for others like Aneja, the very same translates to “subtle pearl or rhinestone embellishments on traditional masculine silhouettes.” 

With Valentino’s PP Pink taking over runways, Pantone’s Viva Magenta dominating trends across categories, and Margot Robbie’s live-action Barbie movie being the talk of the town of late, it’s safe to say that simply being feminine is finding itself back in vogue. 

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