“Clean girl aesthetic.”
“Trad wife.”
“Small girl, big God.
These are all popular TikTok phrases that don’t necessarily mean a lot in isolation, but collectively, they signal a rise of conservatism. Many women in our society are experiencing a decline in individualism and yearning for independence, instead, gravitating toward traditional ways of thinking. Unfortunately, this is being advertised as an aesthetic to aspire to.
Being a product of the twentieth century means experiencing the long-term effects and consequences of revolutions that have transformed our society. From feminism, to the abolition of legalised racism, to the LGBTQIA+ movement, our predecessors were occupied with fighting a lot of injustices. The result has been a more liberal society – one that we are privileged enough to live in today. However, as movements have slowed down or evolved, we’ve begun to live in an age of uncertainty despite having multiple choices. Human nature is to revert to what we know – in this case, a resurgence of conservative values.
Others may blame the return of longer skirts, the rise of neutral colours, and the growing distaste for crazy nail designs on the current state of the economy. The Hemline Theory suggests that during times of economic regression, women begin to adopt more conservative values and styles of dress. Ideally, this is supposed to appeal to traditional men and signal qualities associated with being a good wife. The objective is to secure a partner who is a provider and is dependable in a world where the cost of living rises as often as the sun does. In South Africa, the glory days of R100 McDonald’s share boxes are long gone. In their place, we have VAT increases, high unemployment rates, and scarce job opportunities. As the world grapples with economic downturns and our generation steps into adulthood, many women are returning to the tried-and-tested strategies of the past.
And so, every other day a baddie dies on my timeline – trading her “baddie status” for the label of “wifey material” instead. Love Island’s Whitney Adebayo recently took to social media to announce her rejection of baddie culture in favour of being seen as having wifey potential by her long-term boyfriend, Lochan Nowacki. This announcement perpetuates contradictory ideals, given the way she has previously presented herself. On her season, Whitney had boasted about her capabilities of being both “a baddie and a lady”, suggesting that the two are not mutually exclusive. By now denouncing the former, she implies that a baddie is unworthy of the title lady. This is where the rise of conservatism becomes an issue.
Regression occurs when we start to associate baddie culture with undesirability. When we decide that ways of dressing, makeup styles, and how you spend your evening determines your worthiness as a partner. The idea that being a baddie negates someone’s value is an outdated way of thinking.
Unfortunately, this mindset is ever so prevalent in Gen Z. Women are claiming that the development of their frontal lobe has led them to reject crop tops and short skirts—apparently achieving full frontal lobe development at the age of nineteen. Meanwhile, we have men on TikTok proudly proclaiming that they want to work their “big boy jobs” so that their partners won’t have to stress. This brand of conservatism undermines women’s independence and competence, carrying a deeply sexist undertone that suggests:
- these jobs are inherently masculine, and
- women lack the capacity to perform such work.
Instead of recognizing this, women flood the comment sections with pleas to be his partner, unintentionally reinforcing the very messaging that limits them.
Women in the past have worked so hard to be seen as equals in the working world. They fought to be able to receive the same benefits and treatments as their male counterparts. They fought to ensure that motherhood and pregnancy is not seen as an obstacle in climbing the career ladder. They fought so that a woman’s career does not simply end at the glass ceiling. Women have had to prove not only that they are capable of occupying leadership roles, but also that they are deserving of them—something men have rarely been required to do. This is an ongoing battle against sexism, which still reigns supreme in the workspace. To diminish such progress and reduce authority to a “big boy job” is incredibly harmful.
Ultimately, a preference for long skirts and basic French tips is not inherently anti-progressive. The desire to be a housewife and cook dinner every night doesn’t make you public enemy number one. Revolutions are all about providing opportunities for choice, including the choice for a woman to be whatever type of woman she wants to be, without being confined to one standard or ideal of womanhood.The clean girl aesthetic is fun. Nara Smith has delicious recipe ideas. However, as women, the choice to indulge in such trends, aesthetics or ideals should not be made at the expense of those who choose differently. The same applies in reverse—baddie culture shouldn’t shame women who embrace more traditional roles. What matters most is the acceptance, appreciation, and recognition of a woman’s autonomy. No choice is better than the other. No type of woman is better than the other. We all simply enjoy and like different things.
Gen Z is the most progressive generation society has seen so far. We grew up at the cusp of change, witnessing a world of options unfold before us. However, conservative ideals are becoming more present in the media we consume today, infiltrating phrases as subtle as “I’m literally just a girl”. And if we continue to blindly indulge in these trends and aesthetics without critical thought, we risk regressing into a more narrow-minded society—one that contradicts the open-mindedness we currently enjoy.