What It Means to Be Body Conscious in 2021

dejmakeup Mart 11, 2022

This past spring ’21 haute couture fashion week, amidst a sea of billowing silk and structured jacquard, Schiapparelli’s models clad in what Vogue Runway Director Nicole Phelps so accurately dubbed a “six-pack bustier” immediately gave us pause. Multiple of Daniel Rosenberry ensembles featured anatomical allusions from a cutout framed in gold teeth to finger covers that appeared to sprout metallic nails which curlicue-d into the air. “These are clothes that make you aware of the fact of your body, that make you think about how you move through the world,” writes Daniel Rosenberry in the show notes.

Other couture designers also invoked sartorial allusions to the human form. Buzzy brand Area designers Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk created crystal-embellished ribcages and toyed with tantalizing cut-outs. In Alber Elbaz’s return to the fashion spotlight with AZ Factory, the designer took a less literal approach and instead catered ergonomically to the body in all its shapes and sizes in what he called an “anatomical knit.” Between the two labels, both refreshingly paid homage to different body types, aside from the stereotypical slender model.

After years of a Phoebe-Philo-induced “less is more” approach to sexuality in fashion followed by a loungewear-clad pandemic, the fashion pendulem has swung towards sex appeal by embracing a newfound focus on the body. This spring we will likely see that same energy reflected in consumer purchase decisions. In Moda Operandi’s Spring ’21 Runway Report, they found that the Naked Dress, defined as “essentially anything that enhances the female form through soft and sensual fabrication,” was a major hit among pre-order clients. Designers from Jacquemus to Altuzarra to Cult Gaia all created their own forms of the Sex and the City coined term. “It can be slinky, slightly sheer, backless, or body-con,” the report states.

Expanding upon this idea for spring, fashion search engine Tag Walk ranked “crop top” as the number one trend, followed by “transparent,” “bra,” “fishnet,” “hot pants,” and “backless” all in the top 25 trends of the season. In a similar vein, shopping platform Lyst reports that midriff flossing is a fad destined for warm weather glory, “with searches including the terms ‘ties’ and ‘cut out’ increasing 57 percent year to date. Christopher Esber is amongst the most wanted brands; page views for the brand’s tied, cut out dresses are up 29 percent month-on-month while searches for its loophole maxi skirts have increased 24 percent.”

After nearly a year of sartorial dormancy— of boxy sweaters, oversized track pants, and voluminous hoodies—it’s exciting to think about showing off your body again. “When we’re talking about optimism, we’re seeing it on the trend side, too—that hit of color, a return to being quite sexy. We talked about the naked dress in the runway report. There’s a lot of cut-outs and a ton of bare skin. I’m really excited for that,” Moda Operandi’s fashion and buying director Lisa Aiken tells Coveteur.

This same sentiment is reflected on our Instagram feeds, where you’ve likely seen Gabe Gordon’s barely-hanging-on body conscious designs clinging to the frames of celebrities and influencers alike—they’ve received the Kardashian/Jenner seal of approval. Or perhaps you’ve seen Emma Corrin, among other fans, clad in Nensi Dojaka string-like contraptions?

Yes, these clothes are sexy but they also stimulate a connection with your own form. As someone who personally finds comfort in disguising her frame beneath an oversized shirt—often in an effort to essentially disconnect from it—I find it inspiring that people everywhere are owning their figure. For so long, the industry has encouraged us to use fashion to create the silhouette you want—a shoulder pad, corsetry and boning, a flared leg. A tight-fitting fabric instead molds to the shape of your body, shifting the control from your clothes back to you. There’s a perceived confidence in one’s own shape, which I deeply respect.

No surprise to any of you, fashion is a constantly swinging pendulum—the more you pull it one way, the farther it will travel in the opposite direction in retaliation. It seems the pandemic has seeped us in so many layers of loungewear, any scientist would tell you this shift was inevitable.