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Bows on burritos, bows on shoes, bows on significant others. The idea of “girlhood” has been a recurring theme in pop culture forever, but recently it’s had an abrupt comeback. Although social media has shaped the comeback to have a more satirical connotation, feminine childhood accessories and toys have had a major resurgence. I think this revival is notable because of its contribution to a more modernized interpretation of feminism and femininity.
I’m aware that bows have been a permanent trendy item in the fashion world, but its scope has multiplied recently. Ostensibly, more simple styles that previously probably wouldn’t have been associated with bows have now fully taken them on. Usually, you’d think this kind of niche-to-mainstream shift would frustrate people, but I think girls are delighted with this new symbol of uniformity among women.
Bows are such an integral part of womanhood. Whenever I look back at young pictures of myself, I’m almost always wearing a bow. This reminiscence creates this warm and comforting feeling, that I’m sure many other women get from bows as well. Details from our childhood such as bows, little toys and trinkets have been appearing more and more in trends and are creating this communal focus on girlhood. I think this focus derives from the freedom found in girlhood and being true to ourselves by bringing back components from our youth.
Tapping into more girly or feminine traits, allows you to mirror that same independence from your childhood. When you didn’t care what anyone else thought of you or what you were wearing. This is my favorite aspect of this fashion revival; this liberty in what you wear and not allowing other people and their opinions affect what you put on in the morning.
Fashion is very symbolic of movements through life. I think trends always reappear for a reason, it says something about that time and why there’s a need for a revival of it. Bringing bows back, an emblem of our adolescence, signifies our growth. We’ve grown up with them and are now bringing them back as a way to soften our cynical, hardened older selves.
Women are often extremely critical of other women. We judge other girls for embracing parts of ourselves that we are afraid to present to the world. I remember even just a couple of years ago when girls would make fun of other girls for wearing bows. Now, the persecutors are the girls putting pink bows on everything they own.
Bows have subliminally brought girls together, in a way that I haven’t really seen in other trends. Everyone has just agreed that they work on everyone, and everybody can participate in the trend without criticism. This is a quality that’s lacking in other trends. A vast toxicity of exclusiveness in trends dissuades many people from participating in them. When we remove this selectiveness, more people can freely participate in and enjoy the trend.
I think the power of the bow trend is much greater than most people realize. It marks the start of a new era in pop culture of tolerance and peace. It also symbolizes the unification of women in our shared interest in the resurrection of girlhood. I hope we can continue to have these kinds of judgment-free trends that amalgamate people together instead of separating them further because of stupid ignorance.
