Feminine Style
The Ballerina Movement, otherwise known as Coquette or Balletcore, was a drastic change from the ultra-saturated indie trends that seemed to grow over social media during the COVID-19 lockdown. The resurgence of a classically coded feminine fashion aesthetic gave the impression that consumers were moving in a new direction based on nostalgia or appreciation for ballet dancers with tights, bows, sleek hair, baby pink garments, flats, and an overall feminine and romantic image.
However, these trends do not happen overnight. It was the continual work of influencers like @minamarlena, @camrihewie, and more who have created content based on a central thesis: femininity is a lifestyle. Lace, corsets, ribbons, and all trimmings and stylings complimenting a feminine look with references to ballet are seen constantly in fashion from haute couture to fast fashion.
Vogue, the leading authority in fashion trendsetting, has shared that “Bows are Back", exemplified by the rising popularity of feminine-focused brands like Sandy Liang, Simone Rocha, and Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu. It is also worth noting that these are female designers leading this shift in the fashion industry. Some might attribute this to social contributions like the popularization of the phrase “I’m just a girl” or perhaps to an overwhelming urge to reconnect with our girlhood after a pandemic and societal pressures accelerated maturity amidst the world's growing challenges.
In either case, the rise of coquette fashion in the context of girlhood focuses on a pleasingness to the eye that must be compared to Sofia Coppola’s films like Marie Antoinette, The Virgin Suicides, and Priscilla which cinematically present girlhood with whimsy, heartbreak, beauty, and tragedy. In addition to the emotions shared by Sofia Coppola, viewers can observe the perfect costuming that embodies a romantic, feminine, and complex female character. For example, Marie Antoinette takes a historic and previously judged figure and adds dimension by exploring the idea of the French royal’s rushed youth and inability to solve the needs of others as she navigates a brand new life.
The promotion of feminine fashion is owed in large to Barbie, the highest-grossing film of 2023. Barbie is just a girl in her perfect pink world, or so the viewers believe at the start of the film before she goes on a personal and literal journey to discover the real world. However, she is surprised to find that Barbie’s world of pink and empowerment has not been reflected in humans as she had believed. Instead, Barbie is faced with challenges of identity, beauty standards, and maturing while being confronted for the girliness that she prides herself on. However, like this feminine style movement, Barbie is not detoured by uniformity and embraces the style and lifestyle she is happiest having.
It is often realized that growing up results in a loss of girlhood because the transformation to womanhood has begun; dolls are given away, our pink walls are repainted, and priorities shift from hosting tea parties to finding a job. However, the idea that we must completely shed our identities as girls to become women seems misleading. Gossip Girl’s Eleanor Waldorf once said “You don't have to lose the girl to be a woman” to her daughter on her 20th birthday.
Whether you are frolicking through department stores with your light pink Miu Miu ballet flats or wearing babydoll tops with bows in your hair to class, feminine fashion is overturning the trend cycles and the way consumers view girlhood. In this stylist's opinion, coquette is here to stay and evolve with the ladies who choose feminine fashion in their wardrobes.