Power Dressing and Hyper-Femininity: Why the 80s Are Back
There was a recurrent commentary during this Fall/Winter 2025 Fashion Month: we’re back in the 80s.
And I believe we’re back in every sense of the word.
The 1980s marked a pivotal era for femininity, defined by both empowerment and conflicting cultural pressures. When it comes to fashion, power dressing became an armor for women, characterized by sharp blazers, and oversized shoulder pads, signaling their infiltration into corporate spaces—no longer to be ruled by just men for the following years to come. At the same time, it was also a period of hyper-feminine glamour, bold makeup, big hairdos, and newly found sexual liberation. But as women’s sense of authority and power expanded, there was also a complicated political landscape, mainly shaped by conservatism—AIDS was everywhere— and that also forced women to navigate a complex balance between personal autonomy and society’s expectations of their roles.
Today, it feels as if, as women, we are resonating again with that 80s femininity that felt like a battlefield. Things have progressed for women’s rights, that’s for sure—we can at least determine our power in the workplace (sort of), rejecting rigid corporate molds from the past. We lived through the explosion of digital entrepreneurship and exited the confinement of traditional roles. However, political conservatism is resurging, and cultural divides are deepening in Western society. There’s a renewed tension between autonomy and expectation that is as pressing—and let me say, as annoying— as ever. Just like in the 1980s, today’s conservative movements are rapidly attempting to reassert control over gender, sexuality, and femininity, responding to decades of feminist progress with legal restrictions and cultural backlash. The big difference is that today, those battles are unfolding in a digitally connected world, where resistance is instant, and in many ways, stronger.
Power Dressing: Then and Now
In the 1980s, women were expected to “prove they could play in an all-male office”. Women forced themselves to become bolder and have stronger opinions. They dissociated themselves from girly or provocative outfits to go to work, leaning into more structured tailored looks that emulated masculinity. Brands like Giorgio Armani were key during this period as well as Donna Karan who introduced the “Seven Easy Pieces” teaching women how to play with versatile sophisticated power suits. This was also a time when Karl Lagerfeld introduced a sharper edge to the Chanel suit.
This Fall/Winter 25 season, marked a flashback to those times, as structured tailoring was ever-present in all fashion weeks. Just like in the 80s, we are fighting against a conservative system that has a problem with fluid femininity. Brands like Vivienne Westwood centered their concept around this topic, sending women down the runway in tailored looks with longer-than-normal ties and even double hats, while men wore stilettos. It felt like a protest against political conservatism’s expectations and its rejection of gender fluidity.
Image credit: Vogue Runway
Hyper Femininity: From Excess to Irony
Being hyper-feminine in the 80s was used as a weapon and a statement to challenge the common conception of what a sophisticated woman should be and look like. It was the era of Madonna, who became a symbol of feminine sexual liberation, and it was also the era of glam, colorful aesthetics—voluminous dresses, bold makeup, and flamboyant style. Designers like Thierry Mugler marked this period by showing exaggerated hourglass silhouettes, futuristic corsetry, and dramatic proportions. Gianni Versace embodied glamorous sex appeal through bold prints and body-hugging silhouettes, while Bob Mackie incorporated embellishments, sequins, and feathers, dressing celebrities like Diana Ross and Cher.
Today, that hyper-femininity has been transformed into irony, reclaiming the idea that only women can define what femininity means. Givenchy showed a dress covered in antique makeup compacts and embroidered mirrors. Many brands presented fur shoulders and fur accessories with exaggerated proportions. Prada and Miu Miu sent models down the runway with messy hair and/or undone makeup. Add to that the debut of Matières Fécales, a couple known for provoking cultural concepts in fashion, where Hannah walked the runway wearing wings with feathers.
Image credit: Vogue Runway
What’s Femininity Today?
The difference between the 80s and now is the intention: women are no longer simply dressing to conform or to fit in but are reclaiming these aesthetics on their own terms, challenging what conservative ideologies dictate about femininity. The question that comes to my mind is: what comes next? As women continue to assert their identities in a world that both celebrates and challenges their autonomy, fashion has once again proved that it will remain a key space for self-expression, reaction, and resistance.