Women in ties return as feminism faces pushback

Nicole Kidman_ Demi Moore_ Bella Hadid_ Oprah Winfrey: women entertainers and models are reviving the necktie_ a symbol of male power_ at a time when feminism is under attack.

Whether paired with a trouser suit_ like Nicole Kidman in February 2025 at the Critics Choice Awards ceremony_ or with a black dress and a sheer shirt_ like Demi Moore last November in Berlin_ the tie has been making a comeback for several seasons.

Models Bella Hadid and Loli Bahia have also sported them with boyish style_ adopting a long-standing tradition of wearing the necktie as a subversive projection of women's equal rights.

"We are seeing it not only on red carpets_ but also at the heart of political and economic power spheres_ where leading women are wearing an accessory that_ until recently_ remained almost exclusively masculine_" fashion specialist Patrycia Centeno told AFP.

"It is a way of asserting women's place in a world and a system that remains deeply patriarchal_" stressed Centeno_ an expert in non-verbal communication.

Feminism in many Western countries_ particularly the United States under Donald Trump_ has been criticised as "woke"_ a pejorative term for activism in favour of greater sexual and racial equality.

Other feminist gains_ such as abortion or reproductive rights_ are also being questioned or are in reverse in some countries.

Female emancipation

The tie as an accessory is thought to date back to the 17th century when the French copied a neckscarf from Croatian mercenaries fighting on behalf of Louis XIV's army.

The French word "cravate" was derived from "Hrvat"_ the Croatian word for a Croat.

It has been repeatedly worn since then by women as an act of defiance_ including by French feminist writers George Sand and Colette from the 19th century_ and women campaigners for the vote in early 20th-century Britain_ known as the suffragettes.

German actress Marlene Dietrich and fashion designer Coco Chanel also embraced it.

The accessory is brandished by some feminists as "a sign of the advancement of women's rights and then their visibility in the public space"_ said fashion historian Marine Chaleroux.

In the 1980s and 1990s_ as women began to take on more professional responsibilities_ the tie became a "visual symbol of this growing access to important leadership roles in major companies or to senior positions"_ Chaleroux added.

These cyclical returns of the tie to women's wardrobes often coincide "with periods of fragility when rights are being called into question"_ the historian observed.

Centeno agreed_ saying that ties for women were back at a time of "testosterone-driven politics"_ adding that the slim accessory could also be interpreted as a "phallic symbol".

"Feminism often seeks to appropriate signs that_ socially and culturally_ were long reserved for men_ in order to assert -- or even visually normalise -- the fact that a woman can wield power and lead_" she explained.

The tie has also recently made a comeback on men's catwalks.

At men's Fashion Week in Paris last week_ it was almost ubiquitous_ from Louis Vuitton to Dries Van Noten to Issey Miyake.

But under the influence of a feminine use deemed "more creative"_ menswear is seeing the emergence of "ties that are almost streetwear_ worn with very wide trousers_ over T-shirts_ hoodies_ or even deliberately worn badly"_ noted Marc Beauge_ editor of the biannual men's fashion magazine L'Etiquette in France.

That is also transforming the image of an accessory that is "completely useless_ very traditional_ very masculine_ and which requires great precision in terms of collar_ knot and length"_ he said.(AFP)