From one’s hair to social media posts and in Raising Cane’s orders to toilet paper rolls, people added little bows, primarily pink, to these things, generating the bow trend.

Lauren Copeland, an associate fashion professor, said the trend is a way for women to take back their femininity.

“[Women] have been in such a period, you know, we see lots of power suits and women are trying to fight their way through the glass ceiling,” Copeland said. “The idea of the bow is something that stems back from childhood and innocence.”

Lilly Bottiggi, a senior psychology major, said femininity topics such as the bow trend are discussed in her Contested Meaning of Gender and Sexuality course taught by Suzanne Holt, a professor and coordinator of women’s studies.

Since youth is valued in femininity, bows are able to represent girlhood because of how dainty and frilly they are, Bottiggi said.

“[Bows] represent girlhood at its finest when, you know, femininity was not … when you weren’t confronted with the fact that femininity should be taken as a negative,” she said. “When you were kind of just existing femininely.”

Maria Benson, a senior psychology major, is also enrolled in Contested Meaning of Gender and Sexuality and said bows became associated with femininity because of their use as an accessory for girls and women throughout history.

“For a long time, we have used bows mainly on women, especially on younger girls whether that be a dance class, cheer or something,” Benson said. “Bows tend to be a big part of being female.”

With bows connected to femininity and childhood, individuals participating in the trend are sending a message emphasizing that girls do not have to grow up quickly or change who they are, Copeland said.

“[Women] don’t have to grow up so fast, we can be who we are,” she said. “[Women] don’t have to be more masculine even though [they] are trying to find that equality with men.”

Copeland said women and girls may feel pressure to grow up quickly as a result of issues dividing people like politics, racial issues and war.

“It all blows down to we are all women and we all feel a lot of the same pressures,” she said. “I think we are starting to feel them younger and younger.”  

The accessibility of the trend allowed for many to participate, as it only encompasses scissors and ribbon, Copeland said.

“You don’t have to go the runaways to be able to identify with that and emulate that from high fashion,” she said.

Since all that individuals need to take part in the trend is a ribbon and a pair of scissors, it is then easier for individuals participating in the trend to become a collective group, Benson said.

“It’s something [women] can wear in the workforce while being feminine and still be strong and powerful,” she said.

The reason for women to reclaim their femininity through the use of trends like the bow one is because women have often felt embarrassed by these objects and attributes, Benson said.

“It’s important for [women] to take that claim and not be embarrassed by being a woman or by being girly,” she said. “To say this is who I am and I’m proud of it.”

This is not the first attempt of women reclaiming their femininity. During the 2016 presidential election campaign, women wore pussyhats, hats used to create a statement about femininity because of their cat inspiration, as they saw it as a way to be feminine and political at the same time, Copeland said.

“[The pussyhats] was also a way during that year for women to sort of engage in, ‘Hey, it’s pink. We are women, it’s okay. It’s feminine, we like we’re going to be feminine,’” she said.

Copeland said she encourages those who resonate with the bow trend’s message of feminine empowerment to take part in the trend.

“Just do it, right. You just need a piece of string or you just need a piece of ribbon,” she said. “If it’s not for you there’s always other trends.”

Adriana Gasiewski is a beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].