Let’s talk power dressing - and (non) dressing.
Kimberly Guilfoyle was #trending this week for her fund-raising garb. Whether roasting or defending (Elvira was oft-cited), the commentary is less interesting than how body baring gets a very different cultural read depending on context, audience—and maybe taste level.
Makeover: Appealing to the (New) Base
New brand: Boobs. Filler. And a form of glitz that is probably expensive but is NOT fashion nor good taste. But is very Donald J. Trump.
It’s clear how the Trump machine capitalizes women that are NOT his daughters.
It’s another red meat for the base that is more cliched and sexualized than anything Gretchen Carlson sued over. There’s a “glamour” hybrid of pageant, Vegas, Dynasty and escort. Remember: he owned the Miss Universe pageant.
As a child of rural America, I have no doubt it has a draw to both the men and women of that sector. A wise human once said: the Trump aesthetic is what poor rural people think rich people look like.
LADIES OF THE TRUMP™ in an earlier product issue, below:
Now let’s talk about Kristen Stewart weaponizing the female body in the name of:
“The Gayest Thing You’ve Ever Seen”
Which is her stated aspiration for this movie and its promotion.
What stands out in her many and varied lingerie-inspired looks for the promos?
Fashion not clothes. Unlike the pageant/Bravo TV look of Kimberly G, these are LEWKS. BTW it’s also a big level up from the lesbian REI or schlumpy nerd clichés.
The energy. She’s either neutral and challenging or has a casual, natural smile vs the pasted on “smile honey” pose.
Intentionally queer. Not for male gaze. It broadcasts agency.
This is provocation as boundary, as gatekeeping - not invitation. And our culture doesn’t like that from women.
Hence, why she is getting roasted.
This Rolling Stone cover and editorial that got major backlash. In fact, CBS requested that Steven Colbert not show it on air during her interview. He did.
Violating typical female beauty codes and openly queer made this controversial. Ye olde Britney Spears as naughty school girl or Janet being fondled/censored by male hands in the early 90s were fine. They upheld the paradigm. Of course when you’re a respected, rich and fairly reclusive white star, subversion is a risk you can decide to take.
Kristen’s take:
When Janelle Monae did it
After I hit publish on this, I thought about Janelle Monae’s rebrand. Her Pleasure tour was a queer moment and wild rebrand from non-sexual Afrofuturistic nerd to hot girl.
Presentation: classic male gaze. Message: ZFG I’m doing it for me & to represent my community. But since we’re used to sexualizing Black women and this felt conventional, there was little commentary to this cover or video beyond “HOT.”
Kanye & Female Agency
Another interesting dichotomy: Kanye’s ex GF Julia Fox vs Kanye’s current wife Bianca Censori. I’m not even touching Kim K here because I’m no expert.
Ms. Censori primarily wears sheer body stockings. Kicked out of Venice for indecency, she’s often blocking her crotch with her hand. It’s uncomfortable to come across her pics because the exploitation feels undeniable. She’s silent, voiceless and looks dissociated. Reports of family and friends trying to extract her from the relationship add to that read.
Here’s how most search results for her showed up. NSFW - and I work from home.
Kanye was just spotted pulling her tights down in front of photographers as they went from a Raising Cain’s fast food joint to a tanning place and there have been recent Cheesecake Factory visits. Ah, the glamour of being a billionaire!
Meanwhile, his ex Julia Fox is the antithesis of voiceless. She’s openly doing it for her own fame, her own agenda and bringing trickster energy. Hence, dating Kanye.
Her quotes are always readable, even though some of the looks are more performance art-meets-cosplay than anything else. That said, she’s a new Victoria’s secret runway model as part of their attempted resuscitation.
Megan Thee Stallion, Hot Girl Summer Creator
White girls on Tiktok get a lot of HGS credit but it was really all Megan. Here’s one of her recent HGS tour promo pics:
A constant online controversy is whether or not she was ever a sex worker, or simply the best tipper at the strip club.
The woman has been shot, targeted by other Black women icons, and refuses to either back down or lose her sense of humor or self. Her “Stallion” name was a reclamation of the way men objectified her body as a young teenager.
Agency through twerking? In this case, yes. The read is she is owning her power and directing her path. For white stars, it feels more like the plot of The Idol.
Straight white women and full, out loud sexual agency are often read as exploitation or bad taste.
The Upshot?
It’s not just that sex sells, it’s that it is deployed as capital differently for different audiences. And gets different pushback. But dressing as we want is not as free as any of us think it is. For any of us. But especially if you subvert cultural norms, which continues 80s-90s Madonna. Or if you violate higher cultural tastes, going from “San Francisco’s Jackie Kennedy with a career” to Fox News/MAGA tigress.
In this Only Fans era/trad wife era, we are very confused. It can seem like agency is a thing. But as a woman, culture quickly correct us if we find ourselves in the crosshairs.
Vanessa Friedman said it best in this takedown of the recent extreme nudity all over the runways at fashion week:
Only Fans and trad wife/SAHGF, same.
Museum Sued for Women-Only Art Event.
A male visitor sued a Tasmanian museum for exclusion. The artist showed up for court with a power-dressing performance entourage.
See, 80s-90s power dressing for women really IS back on trend!
Will Trump Aesthetics Hit Home Decor?
Will the Trump-MAGA campaign year start to introduce more gilt and over-the-top retro references in home decor and other personal accessorizing for the base?
I think it’s a solid bet, at least for the working class faithful. it’s the idea of Vegas and glamour locked in our child brains.
AGING + BEAUTY NEWS
BUZZWORD ALERT: BEAUTYSPAN
It’s the new pro-aging which was is the new anti-anti-aging, all of which are anti-aging. All still = be hot til you’re dead.
In a way, beautyspan is more offensive than just talking aging, to me. I’m sure Jessica DaFino will have words on it.
Sweden has banned teens from buying anti-aging skin care.
How will the new real estate laws effect female wealth?
I’ve been wondering this. Why? 66% of home REALTORS® (yes, that’s how they write it officially) are female.
Facts: The industry was open to women decades before many others. It’s been a path to female and generational wealth, as well as financial independence after divorce or SAHM-ing (yep, making it a verb).
Commercial real estate: 78% male.
ECO-THOUGHTS
Why are sustainably focused designers mostly women?
France is debating a fast-fashion tax.
Do you think Drake’s a Plaintiff?
Hermes has a class action suit for gatekeeping their Birkin bags. Already gatekept by price ($9K-30K in store, up to $2M outside) Birkin bags by forcing other cross purchases.
🙏 ❤️
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