From politics to royalty, all influential women have one day adopted it. This fashion piece steeped in history, seen on Elizabeth II, Lady Di and Letizia of Spain will be everywhere this year.
Fashion is not just about fabric… Clothes convey a message that often just begs to be read. Just like verbal language, they whisper something about the individual who wears them, their values, their experiences. Over the years, certain fashion pieces have accumulated adventures which give them a heavier symbolism than others. This centuries-old piece, which belongs to the wardrobe and clothing vocabulary of many of our sisters, is also one of them.
Golden youth, nobility, politics, royalty: it is worn with pride by personalities from the highest levels of society. The last American presidential campaign and the trendy fashion houses allowed him to come back into the spotlight. This item of clothing which is making a resounding comeback is none other than the blouse or shirt with a pussy-bow collar.
Our counterparts from French Vogue detected the trend in advance; the spring-summer 2025 fashion shows of Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Chloé and Balenciaga will therefore have confirmed its resurgence. It is within the framework of the movement Lady Like that the pussy-bow collar fits: in the collective imagination, it is a key piece of the wardrobe of bourgeois women. In 2025, “getting rich” is more important than ever in the modosphere.
In addition to this statutory and economic power, the pussy-bow collar also claims feminist power: this is the reason why influential women from all countries wear it and use it as they wish. Elizabeth II, Lady Di, Kate Middleton, Brigitte Macron, Kamala Harris: they all wear it during official public outings – and not just for aesthetic reasons.
According to a stylist interviewed by CNNthe pussy-bow collar evokes professionalism and softness at the same time. Wear it “It’s a way of saying: ‘I’m a professional’ and softening it (…) If you’re too ‘masculine’, then you’re seen as a threat”she analyzes. In a society tinged with patriarchy, he therefore allowed these influential women, notably Margaret Thatcher, to make their place without seeming like a threat, to enjoy a respectable authority while remaining “appreciable enough”.
Fortunately, fashion is no longer as arbitrary as yesterday and everyone is free to make their own choices: many fashionistas choose to wear the ascot collar with a subversion that is not displeasing. Rather than wearing the classic combination to meet public expectations, they accompany their pussy-bow blouse with flared jeans, a faux fur coat, maxi sunglasses and suede boots for a decidedly boho chic.
Others play the sensuality card by wearing a transparent blouse to break the too demure side of a “secretary” pencil skirt. Finally, those who want to stay classic wear the pussy-bow collar like Letizia from Spain, with a suit set and moccasins-style officewear.