Months before Donald Trump secured his second presidential term in 2024, Generation Z fashion influencers on TikTok claimed they saw it coming through emerging style patterns. The resurgence of traditional milkmaid dresses, prairie-inspired outfits, and Nancy Reagan-esque boxy jackets signaled a conservative shift among American women voters.
The Fashion-Politics Connection
According to national exit polls, 53% of white American women voted for Trump in 2024, validating the predictions made by fashion-conscious observers. Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, a historian specializing in fashion and politics and author of "Dressed For Freedom: The Fashionable Politics of American Feminism," confirms this relationship.
"Fashion is always in conversation with politics: simultaneously reflecting and shaping society," Rabinovitch-Fox explained. She noted a significant shift from Trump's first administration, where the fashion industry showed resistance, to current trends showing more compliance with conservative aesthetics.
This compliance manifests in several ways: fashion brands no longer refuse to dress First Lady Melania Trump, American Eagle Outfitters features Sydney Sweeney in controversial "good genes" denim advertisements, and runways showcase decidedly feminine, safe looks.
Conservative Fashion Trends Dominating 2025
The prairie and milkmaid dresses that gained popularity during the pandemic continue to influence mainstream fashion. Shoppers initially noted unsettling similarities to costumes from "The Handmaid's Tale," with their modest necklines, below-the-knee hems, and simple gingham patterns evoking traditional, homebound femininity.
During the most recent New York Fashion Week, designers like Anna Sui and Sandy Liang emphasized feminine, romantic looks aligned with the cottagecore trend. The hourglass silhouette is also making a comeback, with brands like Skims releasing retro lines featuring corseted 1950s-inspired shapes.
Perhaps most telling is the revival of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in October 2025. Despite promises of modernization and body positivity, the event largely featured thin models in lingerie, signaling a return to earlier beauty standards.
Fashion as Political Statement
Henry Navarro Delgado, an associate professor of fashion at Toronto Metropolitan University, observes that both consumers and designers are making more calculated style choices in the current political climate.
"Retailers may embrace conservatism to appease or deflect unwanted political attention, or they may make bold, controversial choices of style and how they are marketed to capitalize on the reactions within an ideologically charged environment," Delgado said, referencing the viral American Eagle advertisement.
In political circles, the Nancy Reagan influence is unmistakable. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt frequently wears boxy, hyper-feminine suits reminiscent of Reagan's preferred Chanel style, though often manufactured in China rather than luxury European houses.
Peggy Heffington, a University of Chicago history professor and fashion observer, finds the combination of preppy workwear with exaggerated makeup and hair among conservative women particularly significant.
"It almost seems like a statement that there is a place for women in conservative circles, but only as women — a fashion and aesthetic rejection of efforts on the left toward gender equality or even gender neutrality," Heffington noted.
The Shift Away from Athleisure
Danielle Sponder Testa, an assistant professor at Arizona State University's Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, explains that fashion trends naturally cycle, and consumers have grown tired of pandemic-era athleisure wear.
"We have been in a period of leisurewear and Y2K-inspired fashion since COVID-19, and we're ready to change up our fashion menu," Sponder Testa said. "The shift toward sleek lines and formal professionalism has been forecasted since before the 2024 U.S. presidential election."
This desire to "make a power statement" through clothing aligns with the broader conservative shift in fashion, as people move away from casual comfort toward more structured, traditional silhouettes.
Concerning Runway Trends
Some fashion observers find certain runway trends particularly unsettling. During Paris Fashion Week, Margiela featured models with clear cheek retractors that stretched their mouths wide open, while Alaïa presented models in armless straight jackets.
Stella Bugbee, Styles editor of The New York Times, noted that even when not explicitly conservative, some runway visuals suggest subtle animosity toward women. Heffington observed that diversity in model body sizes has noticeably decreased, with extremely thin models dominating runways reminiscent of 1990s and early 2000s standards.
Rabinovitch-Fox expressed concern about these developments, particularly given warnings from academics about America's potential slide toward authoritarianism.
"Fascism as a whole asks for unity, and stressing individuality and uniqueness can serve as a form of resistance," she said. "Fashion can be a powerful tool of resistance."
As fashion continues to both reflect and influence political realities, the current conservative trends offer insight into America's social landscape and potential directions for the future.
