This week, notorious fast fashion brand Pretty Little Thing has undergone a quiet rebrand that reframes them as a high fashion, understated, and classy brand – or so they hope. Gone is the bubblegum pink branding, in with a dark burgundy, classically associated with royalty and elegance. Thankfully, the internet has not bought this rebrand (no pun intended) and has instead slated the brand for failing to address its continuing issues with sustainability and ethically sourced materials, and has also pointed out that the quality has not increased with the pricing.

“Their elegance and clean aesthetic reeks of privilege and, above all, old money”

Unfortunately, PLT’s rebrand is a symptom of a wider epidemic that can be traced back to politics. This past year already saw a glamourising of the housewife aesthetic, with ‘homestead’ influencers such as Nara Smith portraying a modernised traditional aesthetic and lifestyle. The ‘cottagecore’ aesthetic and viral sourdough loaves quickly descended into a dangerous idealisation of homemaking and childbearing; these influencers are clad with boat necks, neutral colours and pearl earrings as they grasp their children in one hand and make pasta from scratch in the other. And similarly, PLT has ditched the short, bodycon, neon, cut-out dresses and ‘going out’ tops that barely pass as lingerie. The website is now littered with collared shirts, button-down dresses, elegantly draped fabrics, and beige, beige, beige across the board. Even the models are aligned with this more conservative aesthetic as they sport slick-back buns, tidy 90s blowouts, a ‘no-makeup’ makeup look and a singular statement earring.

I wrote an article recently shaming the ‘smart casual’ aesthetic for young people, arguing there was plenty of time in our lives to wear a blazer to the bar. It is not yet high time to dress conservatively. However, I failed to link the office-wear, high neck, collared shirt, and neutrals movement with the rise of conservatism in current politics. The internet has seen a slow growth of influencers purporting and promoting a traditional lifestyle, and their elegance and clean aesthetic reeks of privilege and, above all, old money. It is natural that this is an appealing aesthetic to adopt, as fashion is often aspirational; who doesn’t want to appear rich, tidy and successfully feminine? And PLT’s rebrand is one more factor in this grand growth of conservative fashion.

“Fashion is resistance, every outfit is a choice”

As women are increasingly stripped of their rights across the US, Germany sees a record right-wing vote share, and the UK sees a growth of Reform UK politicians calling for the reopening of the abortion debate, it is no wonder conservative, housewife aesthetics are on the rise. Removing a woman’s right to choose forces many into the home and into childcare prematurely. Threats to progressivism, to LGBTQ+ rights, and to non-white people, are naturally linked to conservative fashion and politics. And, as Zelenskyy told Trump this week, we must not adopt this ‘costume’ to assimilate with this movement. As the US government descends into tyranny, as the Ukraine war continues to claim lives and livelihoods, as Trump threatens both citizens in his own country and elsewhere, Zelenskyy makes a poignant point that a focus on his lack of a suit is a ridiculously trivial criticism. Fashion is resistance, every outfit is a choice, and your high-neck, button-down, neutral and, arguably, boring Nara Smith clothing comes with a political underscoring that is extremely ugly.

So, once again, I encourage you to be bold and make daring choices. This is not only a nod to your youth, but an important resistance against this dangerous political climate we are slipping into. Fashion, as demonstrated, ebbs and flows with political discourse; choose what represents your values.

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