The bow trend has taken our campus by storm. From our Instagram feeds to our seminar rooms, you can’t go one day without seeing some variation on a bow. What does the dominance of the bow motif say about the state of fashion? How can you get in on the trend without sacrificing your style?
Bows can be found on jewelry, decorating overhead headphones, in hair, or as details on otherwise plain clothing. Adding a bow to an outfit makes the outfit instantly more trendy, upscaling even the most basic outfit to one that might pass as “cute.” The simplicity and versatility of the bow is why fashion journalists believe that the trend has the potential for longevity. A bow can elevate or change an outfit without much work.
Trendy fashion contributes to commercial and consumer waste. However, there are many ways to join the bow trend more sustainably. Old fabric scraps and ribbons make excellent bows if you affix them to a bobby or safety pin. Small businesses, online and in-store, provide some of the most exciting bow pieces. They tend to be more affordable than other trendy items like claw clips due to the fabric material. You can support companies that follow more ethical practices without paying an exorbitant price. If you are hesitant to join the trend out of fear of contributing to fast fashion, it is easy to source a bow without compromising these values.
The simplicity of the bow trend reflects the fashion industry’s slow move to more mindful consumption and reflects the economic burdens of consumers. Buying a bow is a small luxury, though it can be used repeatedly in many outfits, making it an ideal purchase for the money-conscious fashionista.
If you’re all in on the bow trend, now is the time to consider what you can incorporate into different styles. Consider what you can use with different styles rather than getting many bow-related items to fit different aesthetics or color palettes you wear on occasion. The bow, while attached to the “coquette” aesthetic, can surpass these boundaries to become a trend you can participate in no matter what you like. Find one that compliments or challenges your style to make you feel good.
Caroline Geer is from Northville, Mich.
Her majors are race and ethnic studies and sociology/anthropology.
