Such hyperfeminine atavisms represent a minor act of subversion. Many fans of this look believe that dressing in girly, coquette-like outfits – pastels, ribbons, corsets – is a way to regain independence. After all, for a long time it was common sense to get ahead in a manly suit with frills and tulle. Dress as a girl was seen as the antithesis of being a serious person.
I think the appeal of the girly coquette style lies in its timeless charm and playful femininity.There's a palpable thirst for nostalgia and whimsy in today's fashion world
Dr Selina Dyer, a fashion historian and professor at De Montfort University, recently told the BBC: 'This is partly about women's agency over their bodies, and how they can choose what they want. It expresses how you want to be seen.” She said, “It may be a sexual gaze, but it's not necessarily a heterosexual gaze.''
Nostalgia for the innocence and hope of girlhood makes sense in an increasingly hostile and challenging world. “I'm attached to something that I can never really go back to,” Sandy Liang, a designer whose ribbon-filled collections have amassed a cult following, recently told The New York Times. Anna Sui, another designer whose dirty babydoll dresses have long conjured up girly metaphors, once said: “My clothes are about nostalgia and memories of my own childhood.”
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Alexandra Carello, who recently collaborated with Italian head accessories brand Marzoline, knows that too.
“Bows have influenced the coquette trend in the sense that they resemble decorations and remind us of childhood. Thanks to TikTok, Tumblr, and Pinterest, nostalgic, girly touches have emerged as a major trend. ” she says.
Calero says part of the appeal is that the look is much twier. “At Marzoline, we have focused on creating this elegant and elevated oversized silhouette for drama… black velvet, sheer organza, Beautiful woman Silk with polka dots. It gives the design a little more oomph through structure and rich color,” she says.
The escapism offered by ribbons and girly dressing resonates with Philippa Thackeray, founder of brand Paper London.
“I think the appeal of the girly coquette style lies in its timeless charm and playful femininity. There is a clear thirst for nostalgia and whimsy in today's fashion world, and the girly coquette style It embodies the emotion perfectly,” she says.
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The Paper London collection includes tie and ribbon details on pieces such as the Emily dress and Florentine swimwear, giving classic femininity a modern twist.
But no one bowed as passionately as Prada. The brand's Fall/Winter 2024 show featured dozens of shift dresses in black, baby pink and purple, as well as tweed skirts with bows tied in the front.
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“History teaches us everything, especially in difficult times,” Prada said in a press statement. “This is a collection shaped by history. It's not about nostalgia, it's about understanding.”
Perhaps this sweet act of destruction suggests that we have been here before. That in order to understand our increasingly complex world, we need to understand what happened.
Indeed, these bows are an indication of the state of girlhood and femininity. It's unstable, multi-layered, and has to be expressed the way you want it to be.
As Mrs. Prada told Vogue in a recent profile, “It's strange because every morning I have to decide whether I'm a 15-year-old girl or an old woman.”
After all, as Miuccia well knows, women and girls have always included many people. Sometimes this is tied with a bow.
