The year 2024 has seen the emergence of various cultural phenomena, with one of the most notable being the surge of tradwife content across social media platforms. This trend, short for “traditional wife,” showcases women who embrace conservative gender roles within the domestic sphere. Clad in vintage-inspired attire, often adorned with frilly house dresses and aprons, these tradwives engage in traditional homemaking activities like cooking, cleaning, and baking, echoing the aesthetic of the 1950s.
Simultaneously, a contrasting trend is unfolding in the realm of beauty and fashion. While experts anticipated a resurgence of grunge-inspired indie-sleaze aesthetics, a different movement has gained momentum. Aesthetic styles like coquette beauty, angel-eyes, and Barbiecore celebrate hyperfemininity, emphasizing pink hues, bows, and glitter, evoking a maximalist and girlish charm.
Despite their apparent differences, both trends reflect responses to the ongoing challenges facing women’s rights, particularly in the United States. The rise of traditional femininity and modern hyperfemininity represents distinct yet interconnected expressions of identity and resistance in the face of societal pressures.
Connecting Traditional and Modern Femininity
At the core of these aesthetic movements lies performance—a deliberate choice to communicate specific messages through appearance. Tradwives evoke nostalgia for a bygone era, symbolizing adherence to conservative values and societal norms. In contrast, proponents of hyperfemininity reclaim girlish aesthetics as acts of empowerment and self-expression, challenging traditional notions of femininity.
Psychologist Carolyn Mair, PhD, explains that aesthetic choices often reflect broader social and political shifts. Tradwives, with their vintage hairstyles and full glam, signal a return to traditional gender roles amid threats to women’s autonomy. Conversely, advocates of hyperfemininity defy stereotypes by embracing exaggerated feminine traits as symbols of defiance and confidence.
Understanding the Masculine Gaze
The concept of the “masculine gaze,” popularized by film theorist Laura Mulvey, underscores the gendered dynamics of visual perception. Shaped by patriarchal norms, the gaze constructs women as objects of desire, reinforcing traditional power dynamics.
Beauty aesthetics, from innocent bows to bold lipstick, are deeply influenced by the masculine gaze, perpetuating gendered expectations and stereotypes. By conforming to or challenging these norms, individuals assert their agency and reshape societal narratives surrounding femininity.
Beauty and Politics: A Historical Perspective
Throughout history, beauty trends have mirrored broader sociopolitical movements, serving as expressions of identity and resistance. From the “lipstick effect” during the Great Depression to the “Black is beautiful” movement of the 1960s, aesthetic choices have carried political significance.
Beauty practices, whether conformist or rebellious, reflect underlying beliefs and ideologies, offering avenues for individual and collective expression. By embracing or subverting traditional beauty standards, individuals navigate the complexities of patriarchal systems and assert their agency within them.
Concluding Thoughts
As we navigate the complexities of beauty trends and gender politics, it becomes evident that aesthetics are more than mere expressions of personal style—they are reflections of societal values and power dynamics. Whether embracing tradition or challenging norms, individuals negotiate their identities within patriarchal systems, reshaping narratives of femininity and resistance.