Out with the pollsters — in with the tradwives and clean girls.
Fashionistas may have been predicting the outcome of the 2024 presidential election all along — with one trend spotter appearing to suggest that keen-eyed observers should have been able to see the results “written on the wall for months.”
“Think about this return to Americana. Ralph Lauren is trending again, people [are] wearing Polo bags, little lady jackets,” content creator Elysia Berman ideated in a TikTok video posted after the election, citing current looks like Ralph Lauren’s iconic mini bags and the cropped posh toppers made famous by Chanel as a major tell that President-elect Donald Trump would win.
“These hyper-feminine ideals — a lot of it is about conformity,” Berman suggested, noting that the shift has been in the making for about two and a half years already.
She argued that people who lean left are more likely to take interest in expression of personal style, while people who might be more right-leaning assimilate with what is trendy.
The latter, she noted, is rampant within the fashion world as of late, signaling a “return to conservativism.”
People will start “dressing a lot more conservatively” in the near future as a result, she said.
“There is a value system associated with that aesthetic. We are returning to that aesthetic because we have returned to that value system.”
In the comments, viewers agreed, noting that the popularity of influencers like Nara Smith — known for her DIY made-from-scratch cooking videos — and Ballerina Farm “tradwife” Hannah Neeleman are indicative of the shift.
There’s also been the obsession with Sophia Richie’s “clean girl” style, the hit series “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and trends such as “old money, quiet luxury [and] soft life.”
Watchers also pointed to the “cottagecore” aesthetic — marked by long, flowing, milkmaid-esque frocks that look fit for tending to a rural garden — as well as the cultural emphasis on Americana dressing and cowboycore style.
“When long denim skirts came back I knew immediately,” noted one user.
“The cottagecore milkmaid dress was the first sign,” said another.
“When people started wearing those American flag sweaters again, I knew,” someone else wrote.
“Ralph Lauren flag stuff,” another agreed.
“I knew the right was growing when Americana and old money stuff started coming in fashion despite the maximalism of 2020/21 — like we’re due for a 60s resurgence,” one viewer argued.
“I remember taking fashion history in high school, and my teacher taught us that skirt hems will tell you everything you need to know about the political climate,” noted another.
These claims are not farfetched, one industry insider said.
“Fashion trends don’t exist in a vacuum; trends are often indicative of larger cultural and societal shifts,” Danielle Vermeer, the head of social commerce at ThredUp, told HuffPost.
“For many people, fashion is a medium for self-expression, social signaling, and alignment with different subcultures. Fashion is political and it’s never just about the clothes.”