Trending How: The Rise in Conservatism in Trends

Hello again! I am so happy to be writing again, although I do wish it was under better circumstances. Honestly when I said I wanted this summer to have 2000s vibes, I did not mean politics. We said bush and Busch apple, not Bush.

If you are on social media or one to keep up with trends, I am sure over the past few years you have seen the uprise in the 'Clean Girl Aesthetic,' and the most obvious; 'Tradwife.'

So why is this? Why have mainstream trends turned so modest?

It is due to the rise of conservatism in America. Fashion/art is heavily tied with politics. Art is a statement or reflection on what is happening around them. It can be used to share a message or even a feeling, and as America's politics have been forced horrifically red, the trends have reflected that. Although it seemed like all of a sudden that modesty was "in," the trending styles have been forecasting this for over a year.

The start was "Model Off Duty," with minimal makeup and thinness and meeting the beauty standard as an accessory. Think Bella Hadid, and this is nothing bad about her as she did not start the trend, but it formed around her. Suddenly slick backs started popping up everywhere, with kind of boring outfits that prioritized comfort, but on the average person, looked average. This came into popularity around the beginning of the Ozempic pandemic, which is no coincidence.

This evolved into "Clean Girl." Which basically means looking like you don't even have to try and you just "woke up like this." I don't mean to sound hateful but honestly, I am a hater. It gives nonchalant and I love when people try. I want to see creativity and passion oozing out of people and this just... doesn't give that. But there is nothing wrong with that, just my personal opinion, the only time it actually makes me mad is when I see someone on TikTok saying that they're "Clean Goth" or "Clean Grunge" (which is not possible, they literally contradict each other). But! Back to actually talking about it and not my hot takes (bffr that's lukewarm), natural beauty is a main focus on this aesthetic, and again, thinness. The things I do enjoy about it are how front and center health is, whether its skincare or smoothie bowls, it truly does value cleanliness inside and out.

I do also blame this for the popularization of matcha though. Istg maybe a year or two ago few people knew what matcha was, and while I'm happy it's not deemed weird and no one asks if I enjoy eating grass, I don't want to wait 30 minutes and my favorite places to get matcha just because it's trendy now...

Light colors are also a staple for "Clean Girl," besides black leggings you would typically see very thin, sometimes silky fabrics, gym wear, and Brandy Melville or Skims pieces. As self-care is such a big aspect, a lot of what is online is centered around staying home. Going out is almost looked down upon, besides getting coffee or drinks with the girls, it is very solitary.

This leads us to the big one; "Tradwife."

Oh my god where do I even start. I think all of the jokes about wanting to be back in the 50s got to peoples' heads. Guys, the joke was that people wanted Valium and the easy access to the drugs listed in the "Mothers Little Helper" magazine. Not to be an antique-style housewife. In the 50s those women were constantly drugged up because of how boring and miserable their lives were, why are we now choosing to go back to that?

But what is the aesthetic of "Tradwife" and how does it relate to the other two trends and our modern-day politics? It shares many of the aesthetics of "Cottagecore" which got very popular in 2020-2022, with long flowing dresses, making food from scratch, and returning to a vintage/antique look. The difference is that "Cottagecore" did not believe in antique values and had mostly queer women participating who were not happy with our society and it was a form of escapism and self-reliance. "Tradwife" does have these older values. Such as dressing very modest, having a lot of kids, and very young, as well as staying home to be a full-time mom (which there is nothing wrong with), and taking care of the home. "Tradwife" does also value growing and making your own food from scratch, which was made very popular by the influencer Nara Smith.

Nara Smith is, in my opinion, more "Clean Girl" than "Tradwife" though, although I would agree that she is the bridge between them. She blew up for cooking everything from scratch, although she and her husband Lucky Blue Smith have stated that it is due to allergy reasons. She does also have three kids with a fourth on the way (Rumble Honey, Slim Easy, and Whismy Lou...) and she and her husband are very young (she is 23 almost 24, and Lucky Blue Smith is 27). But something that to me makes her not quite "Tradwife" is that she does work, she and her husband are models and share a lot of the housework. She also dresses in a range of styles and while at times her looks can be more modest, this is not always the case. She and her husband are also known for acting mildly immodest with each other on camera.

A case I do recomend looking into for this is Ballerina Farm.

"Tradwife" is just about as conservative as it gets when it comes to fashion and even trends. The entire premise is returning to how things used to be, similar to a certain political figure's moto. They go hand in hand, and a large part of it seems to be based in a male fantasy, because on top of having 4+ kids together, their partner/wife, is young, naturally beautiful, and more submissive in the relationship. A lot of the girls online falling for this trend are white, and religion (Christianity) is often brought in as well.

This did not happen all of a sudden. The trends we are seeing now are the product of the red wave that has been washing over our country for the past few years.

On the opposite side of all of this, counter cultures have always existed and are remaining prominent. Styles like "Y2K," "Indie Sleaze," and dressing more alternative have all become very present since 2020 and remain so. Scene is also making a reappearance with the popularization of the late 2000s/early 2010s.

I personally do love all of these and will be writing about what these mean and my views in a future blog, but before I go, I have one last thing to say.

If you want to dress differently, do it. Dye your hair. Experiment. We are in a time where conformity is preferred and if you don't like how conservative our society is getting, make a statement.

Fashion is an art, and art is a statement. It is one of the easiest ways to express yourself, your beliefs, your opinions, and who you are.

Thank you for reading !! <3