Why was the Power Suit so Popular During the 1980s?

The 1988 Movie Working Girl Photo: 20th Century Fox via: NPR

As women began to transition from domestic work into the workforce in the 80s, they began to wear more business attire. Suits were a way for them to be taken more seriously and dress in a masculine way like their male coworkers. This new workwear trend in feminism turned into power dressing in the 1980s as more women began to enter the workforce in full force. Power dressing became a symbol of the working woman. The feminist movement at the time pushed for women's rights and freedom within the workplace as well as equal pay. The power suit was also a symbol of this movement as it represented the goal of women’s autonomy within both the workplace and fashion. Today, the power suit has become a staple in women's fashion but it did not really cement itself until the 1980s.

Custom Women’s Armani Suiting Campaign Photo: Giorgio Armani via: The Wall Street Journal

This trend began with designer Giorgio Armani creating the power suit for both men and women. This sparked the growing trend of women's tailoring in the 80s. For women, wearing expensive workplace attire could allow them to be taken more seriously at work and show their status. It was their way of establishing authority in male dominated fields. Androgynous fashion was in for women with power suits, ties, double breasted jackets and shoulder pads as a way to hide their figure and take the focus off of their gender. 

Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino in the 1983 movie Scarface Photo: Pictorial Press Ltd via: Vogue

In the workplace, women were proving that they could work the same jobs as men. The 1980s also were a time when women began to stand for sexual harassment and gender discrimination at work. Women were more career focused than ever before and the times they would previously spend to please men or do more domestic jobs in the home were filled with career advancement opportunities. This was something that women did not have the opportunity to experience before. This fashion revolt ended previous job workwear restrictions and made more fashion choices acceptable for women.

The Power Suit Today Photo: Oliver Hadlee Pearch via: Vogue

As this trend grew, more female designers began to design power suits, which meant women were designing for themselves. They created suits that were comfortable, attractive and female friendly. The power suit was seen all over 1980s movies and other media, showing how popular the trend was at the time. Now, the power suit has evolved with it being a staple for the everyday woman, not just the working woman. It is an accessible outfit and has been made by multiple designers as a stylish way for a woman to dress. Even today, the identity of the power suit still lingers with it continuing to be a symbol for women's equality and empowerment, especially within political spaces. As the world transitions into fourth wave feminism, it is important to know how influential fashion has been for the feminist movement and for women as a whole.