Gen Z and millennial fashion statement about femininity

• Barbiecore is a fun, hot-pink trend and a statement on the state of the world, fans say.
• The fashion statement rejects outdated beauty standards and challenges stereotypes about femininity.
• Gen Z and Millennials are embracing it and LGBTQ icons like Lil Nas X have made it their own.

After staying at home for two years due to the pandemic, Imani Fahrah wanted to make a physical statement for her birthday. Her outfit had to be loud, fun and fabulous.

The 29-year-old New Yorker finally found it after weeks of searching — a short, sheer, hot-pink chiffon dress paired with sparkly silver heels and a princess crown. “Sassy, ​​classy and so kick-ass,” Fahra, who was decked out in glittery make-up, posted a birthday card at a Manhattan restaurant. It was perfect Barbiecore.

“It’s movement, beauty, vibrancy,” Fahrah told Insider. “Barbie is now as diverse as black Barbie. She’s had many different jobs. She’s a doctor, a vet, a real estate agent. That’s women, that’s girls. We can be anything.”

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Gen Z and Millennials, especially young women in their 20s and 30s, are leading a fashion movement defined by in-your-face pink, short dresses, loud high heels, long nails and fake lashes. Bimbo Beauty, an ode to Barbie, is making waves, and it’s highlighting how feminism, diversity, and even world politics intersect in the spotlight.

The trend coincides with the upcoming Greta Gerwig-directed film “Barbie,” starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, but fashion gurus, trend forecasters and women say 2020 isn’t the only film driving barbiecore.

We’re taking an outdated standard of beauty and flipping it on its head.

According to Chazlyn Yvonne Stenson, a 21-year-old beauty and lifestyle blogger based in Los Angeles, the hot-pink wave is a statement on feminism, diversity and global politics.

“I think we’ve changed our perception of the wrong Barbie girl with blonde hair and a perfect body. Nowadays, we’re seeing all kinds of individuals, like myself, participating in beauty,” says Black. Added.

Barbicore is Gen Z and Millennials’ response to the epidemic of quarantine and social distancing, a sexual outing moment, hot girl summer version 2.0. The look embraced by LGBTQ icons like Lil Nas X and Laverne Cox is a feminist statement. It flips the script on stereotypes — especially if you wear pink, you’re not smart — and expands the notions of feminism to include people in addition to blonde, white, heterosexual, cisgender women, industry professionals, and fans.

By Chazlin 🎀| Shared post College Blogger (@chazlyn.yvonne)

At the same time, the extension of these generations calls for diversity and inclusion, defining how young people are seen in society and at work, demanding dignity in whatever pink dress they want – like Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde” or Emily from “Emily in Paris”. The trend exploded after Valentino’s Fall/Winter Haute Couture 22-23 fashion show in March, and it’s likely to gain more steam as Gen Z makes its mark in the work world and young people seek more diversity in corporate America.

“Barbie is a personality,” said Fahrah. “Women are starting their own businesses. They’re ditching the boring black clothes at work. We’re saying, ‘I’m here. I’m showing off in business, at parties, wherever I want.'”

The response to covid in feminism

Tara, a 26-year-old lifestyle blogger from Dublin, who asked that her last name be kept private for security reasons, has been dressing in Barbiecore-style fashion since before her look had a name. For the past five years, Tara, who goes by the Instagram alias “Princess Beach,” has worn Barbie-pink dresses, high heels, Barbie shirts and referenced the doll in her captions.

“Barbiecore is popular right now because people are tired of staying out of covid, they want to have fun. They’re not afraid to wear what they want now,” she said. “It’s a feminist statement. It says, ‘It’s okay to stand out in hot pink, you can wear whatever you want.'”

According to trend forecaster Kendall Becker, who works with luxury stores such as Bloomingdale’s, shock-hot pink is expected to define the generation of millennial-to-millennial pink, a soft color previously in fashion. Baker added that by rejecting color, Gen Z and Millennials are also opting for a bolder version, saying “no” to the muted version of femininity that society tells women.

“Initially, Barbicore was about getting out of the covid,” Baker said. There was an emphasis on party wear, evening wear and owning your sexuality. “Workplace culture and street style flow with pink power suits. It’s about owning your look. You’re feeling great and you’re feeling empowered.”

A post shared by Aimee Song (@aimeesong).

The hot pink recalls the so-called “PC hats” worn by tens of thousands of protesters during the Women’s March on Washington in 2017, said Shawn Grainne Carter, a fashion business consultant and professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. he said.

“Pink is a color that represents a new wave of feminism in terms of the world and the way we’re going,” said Grain Carter, noting how pink has become the unofficial color of some #MeToo protests and some activists. The gender pay gap.

“Women are taking this color as a way of empowerment in work, politics, money, media,” she said. “This pink concept is used as a tool of empowerment for women, trans women, young women, old women, middle-aged women, postmenopausal women, it doesn’t matter.”

Embrace diversity and inclusion

Barbiecore, specifically the hot-pink power suit, is the result of calls for diversity and inclusion in corporate America in 2020, from the likes of Grain Carter and Jamie Ross, a former fashion executive who is now a consultant and teacher and teaches at Marist College’s Fashion Institute of Technology.

Barbie is now a girl boss.

“Barbie is now a boss girl,” says Grain Carter. “Barbie represents tradition, but pushing and breaking new boundaries.”

Black artists, designers, and pop-culture icons were crucial to the spread of Barbiecore. Black women have been making headlines recently in hot-pink getups, like pop star Lizzo and actress Ariana Debose. Hip-hop artist Lakeyah, cashing in on her recent movie “I’m Good,” combines lyrics about looking good and seeking respect. “I body a bitch. Flawless, Barbie a bitch. Don’t start. Start in this bitch,” she raps. And black fashion designers Hanifah, Kimberly Goldson and Rich Fresh, all of whom have worked with Mattel, will draw on the Barbie aesthetic for their 2022 and 2023 collections.

In fact, many attribute the origins of Barbiecore to rap icon Nicki Minaj, who rose to fame in 2010 with her hit album, “Pink Friday.” Minaj pairs cute pink dresses and a big smile with bold lyrics about sex and wealth. For years, she referred to her fans as “Barbz” and in 2021, she revealed that she was a “f***kin’ Black barbie” in her song “Black Barbie”.

Tonya Parker, 49, of Newport News, Virginia, said she likes that Barbicore challenges the stereotype that thin, blonde women are the epitome of beauty.

“I think Barbiecore is definitely an expression of diversity,” she said. “We’re taking a certain standard of beauty and flipping it on its head. And it’s really a reaction to current events. I’ve always seen happiness as a form of resistance.”

A post shared by Tonya|The Real Chic Life™️ (@therealchiclife).

lead his own life

Barbiecore has the potential to grow even more with the popular film expected by industry experts to release in July 2023.

The fact that it’s directed by Gerwig, best known for her “Lady Bird” breakthrough work, and that it’s expected to feature a diverse cast, including a transgender Kane, could make the film — and thus the fashion trend — a hit. More young consumers, Ross said.

One thing’s for sure for Farah – Barbiecore is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

“I’ve always felt judged for liking bright pink and hot pink. It’s always been seen as sensitive and vulnerable. The transition to a bold color is amazing,” says Fahrah. “This look says ‘It’s my year and I’m embracing it’.”