Although pop girl groups represent the zeitgeist of eras and are known to set forth trends, they have essentially dissipated from modern western culture. There exists no modern girl group that holds up the legacies of pop icons like, The Supremes, The Ronettes, The Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child. Girl groups are not flooding the red carpets like they used to in the 2000s. When we look back on the failed girl groups of the early 2010s, i.e. Fifth Harmony or Little Mix, their styles or personalities that came along with their outfits are not memorable.
1960s Girl Groups: The Uniform
The Supremes formed during one of America’s most pivotal periods in history: The Civil Rights Era. Appealing to all groups, The Supremes replaced the chiffon and velvets of the time for skin-tight sequined evening dresses. The Supremes refused to abide by traditional wardrobe barriers. They were styled with no particular leaning towards race or color in order to attract and unite a diverse, young audience. The Supremes were known for their sequins, fringe and sheen garments along with big hair and bold makeup. The group represented a reclaiming of glamor and bold feminine presence while also inspiring their fans to take risks and experiment with fashion. The Supremes’ outfits reflect the cultural shift of the Civil Rights Era by defying social norms or standards and emphasizing personal identity through unique or bold clothing.
While upholding a similar legacy, The Ronettes were known as the “bad girls of the 60s,” Darlene Love said in an article with the New York Times, “they had the really, really short skirts and they had big, big, big hair. Most of the black entertainers of the ’60s didn’t look like that, but they wanted to be separate from everybody else.” By embracing their sexuality or “bad girl” traits through short skirts and harsh eye-liner, The Ronettes redefined sexiness, glamor and self-expression. The Ronettes attached an identity to their clothing, demonstrating that stylistic expression compliments one’s life choices. The Ronettes were to young women just as punk rockers were to the 1970s; they redefined social norms through clothing expression. Ultimately, having no variation in costumes between group members, both The Ronettes and The Supremes created a community of fans alike in order to promote togetherness in crowds and towards societal change.
The Spice Girls: Late-90s Individualism
(from left to right: Posh, Baby, Scary, Ginger and Sporty Spice)
In the 90s the Spice Girls emerged and went on to be known as one of the most famous and widely known girl groups. Their variety of styles attracted a wider audience; sporty, posh, scary, ginger and baby spice all had their own unique styles, making it easier to differentiate the members and emphasizing the importance of self-identity and expression. Their outfits were less glamorous than the glitz and shimmer of The Supremes or The Ronettes, making their fashion feel more relatable and accessible. While the Spice Girls attracted a diverse group of audience members and represented individualism amongst the group, their names and outfits suggested an allegiancy to one style; that you had to choose a style and dress accordingly. For ages I thought finding my style was from a list of options (sporty, posh, scary, ginger, baby, emo, goth, artsy, hippie, etc), but personal style should be representative of you and inimitable instead of categorized.
Destiny’s Child: The Y2K Reinvention of the Girl Group
As the Spice Girls faded, Destiny’s Child emerged as thee most iconic girl group from the United States. Destiny’s Child prioritized style and makeup experimentation over accessibility. Destiny’s Child was the ultimate love baby between The Supremes and Spice Girls, merging the world of 1960s uniforms and the late-1990s’ flamboyancy. Destiny’s Child’s outfits stood out because they were customized and tailored to fit each member by Beyonce’s mother, Tina Knowles. Their outfits had more meaning and intention because the outfits were bought with money from their own pockets until they became more respected and brands wanted to work with them. In a 2001 interview between Beyonce and The Guardian, she says, “We scrambled up all our money, got us some outfits…We wear nothin’ with our butt cheeks out, our boobs out. We like sexy clothes, but still classy.” Destiny’s Child’s outfits were trendy and personalized, yet they still dressed like they were in a girl group without being categorized into posh, sporty, etc. While differentiable based off outfits (unlike the 60s uniforms), Destiny’s Child never played into characters (as opposed to the Spice Girls) therefore they represented a unity between girls while maintaining individualism: cohesive yet distinct.
Modern Girl Groups (2010s-) and Their Downfall
Coming out of the 2000s, the pop girl group dissipated from mainstream music. Beyonce’s solo career soon took off after the break up of Destiny’s Child, signifying a new era of music dominated by individual solo artists. Individual artists overtook the lore and influence of past girl groups The most notable (yet not near the level of girl groups mentioned) girl groups were Fifth Harmony and Britain’s Little Mix. Yet, the outfits of the girl groups were both inaccessible and unrelatable to most teens. The groups were decked out in designer clothes that young girls were unlikely to afford. Management also designed their costumes to target younger audiences, infantilizing the girls and taking away their choice of personal style. While Baby Spice may have played a role in the infantilization of women, it was her choice to do so. With the control of management, the outfits of girl groups began to feel inauthentic and less appealing to older teenagers or young women.
The shortage of predominant girl groups in modern music feels disheartening. Ultimately girl groups represent the community of women. While the “American Dream” idealizes individualism and making it to the top by yourself, girls need support from one another in all aspects. Just as the trio of Michelle, Beyonce and Kelly wouldn't have been as acclaimed without each other, their outfits wouldn't have been as iconic without Tina Knowles working behind the curtain. Modern society needs more representation of feminine unity to uphold the girl-group legacy and promote the togetherness of women.
https://www.bustle.com/style/destinys-child-2000s-fashion
https://wmscradio.com/the-2000s-focus-fashion-fashion-in-rock-music-through-the-decades/
https://www.essence.com/entertainment/only-essence/destinys-child-fashion-y2k/
https://www.mtv.com/news/8vowri/girl-groups-fashion-supremes-destinys-child-spice-girls
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-the-supremes