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Lady Gaga Wore an Oversized Men’s Suit to the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards for an Empowering Reason

Celebrities have the power to influence style choices as well as social movements. Lady Gaga has been making headlines for years, but most recently sparked conversation through her empowering fashion choices during Elle’s Women in Hollywood Awards. Instead of opting for her usual out-of-the-box, glamorous fashion choices with glitter and themes, she chose to wear an oversized men’s suit and a sleek, low-bun. This outfit represented much more than just a simple choice. After being presented with a Women in Hollywood Award, Gaga opened up in her speech about the pressure on women in Hollywood and elaborated on experiences she has had with sexual assault, PTSD, and more. In an inspiring, tearful speech at the awards show, Gaga claimed she was taking the power back, not just for herself, but for women everywhere.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

“I asked myself: What does it really mean to be a woman in Hollywood? We are not just objects to entertain the world. We are not simply images to bring smiles or grimaces to people’s faces. We are not members of a giant beauty pageant meant to be pit against one another for the pleasure of the public. We women in Hollywood, we are voices. We have deep thoughts and ideas and beliefs and values about the world and we have the power to speak and be heard and fight back when we are silenced.” Link in bio for #ELLEWIH honoree @LadyGaga’s speech, which brought the entire room to tears, while also inspiring everyone who heard it to own their power and be kind to one another. ❤ #ladygaga

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Women face oppression in many forms, and by using her platform to inspire a societal shift, Gaga draws light to that oppression and helps steer the conversation in the right direction. Her speech covered sexual assault, mental health, and what it means to be a woman in today’s society. However, her speech branches beyond what she said. She sparked a conversation about how we can change for the better in the future, and what we need to do right now to provoke that change. Acknowledging that she has a platform and a voice for major influence, Gaga isn’t afraid to be bold both in her fashion choices and in her brave, public outcries for change. We’re proud of her for being so vulnerable, open, and authentic and hope that her boldness can help shape positive change for women everywhere. 

Kaitlin is an English major at Towson University, a business owner at Palm and Pearl Boutique, and a blogger over at The Curious Lemon. She's a writer and editor who first joined the Her Campus team as an Editorial Intern and now writes for the beauty, wellness, and career sections most often. She is currently the beauty section Features Editor. Kaitlin will never turn down a beach trip, ice cream, or the chance to pet a dog. She's an Enneagram 2w1 (or 2w3, depending on the day). Come hang out on Instagram @kaitlinmarks