Female Fashion Icons
Once again, happy Women’s History Month! In no particular order, I will highlight three creators, three public figures, and three characters who absolutely changed my fashion game, and I’m sure many others.
Creators
Chase Marie @Chasemarieee
I discovered Ms.Chase a little over a year ago. Her 2023 outfit recap is what got me to press follow, and it still lives rent-free in my head. I even put this iconic denim-on-denim outfit with red accessories on my 2025 vision board; I am obsessed. Her style is feminine and fun, and she’s so good at incorporating different textures to create interest. Chase is really the one who got me experimenting with colorful accessories, and that alone changed my style infinitely.
Eni Popoola @enigivensunday
When I hear that *click click click click click* “Why, hello there, beautiful people!” I am TUNED in, immediate like. Eni’s style is effortlessly classy and chic. She stuns in colors and neutrals, often adding a small pop of color to an all black outfit, which we all know I absolutely love. Her outfits feel elegant and timeless while still showcasing visually compelling silhouettes, she knows exactly how to blend modern and classic fashion to create unique fits that will stand the test of time.
Clarke Peoples @clarkepeoples
To be honest, Clarke is one of my favorite creators, period, because of her as a human being, but wow, does she know how to put together a fit. My favorite aspect of Clarke’s fashion is that she knows that the hair makes the fit. No one matches their hair to an outfit the way Clarke does, and I stand by that. A Bob? Braids? A slick back? Clarke gets it in a big way. Heavy on the bob of it all, by the way. The taste level this woman has in literally every department is something that actually needs to be studied (and it has been, by me!) One last thing on my favorite- her jewelry game? Unmatched.
Public Figures
Cher
It’s Cher, bitch! Yeahhhh, yeahhhh, you guys, it’s Cher. I think Cher and Bob Mackie will go down in history as, without a doubt, one of the best fashion duos of all time. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Mackie stated that they never thought about Cher’s outfits as fashion but as a way to portray characters from history, such as Queen Elizabeth I, the snake from the Garden of Eden, and even Olive Oyl from Popeye. Cher’s outfits were a way for her to play a character. The concept of a sort of alter ego is not something unfamiliar in the music industry, so I think it’s beyond interesting that the duo used fashion to play a character. The sparkles, the silhouettes, the playfulness, Cher’s influence on fashion is absolutely immeasurable.
Diana Ross
More Bob Mackie, yes, please! Can you tell I have a favorite? Diana Ross’s fashion mixes playful and fun features and colors with classic silhouettes. From capes to feathered boas, from glittering gowns on stage to jeans in Studio 54, from monochromatic looks to literal rainbow looks, Diana Ross has done it all, and she has done it well. As a matter of fact, Diana Ross owns a monochromatic look; no one does it like her. However, one look of hers has stuck in my brain like gum on the bottom of my shoe, and that is this look on the television special G.I.T on Broadway with The Temptations. Talk about camp, this hair is so camp I’d trust it to catch me my dinner and pitch me a tent. The highlights in her hair matching the movement in her dress creates such a cohesive, iconic look, one that rewarded Mackie with an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, rightfully so.
Princess Diana
Major shift in aesthetic here, but I would be remiss not to acknowledge the impact that Princess Diana’s fashion had on not just me but my mother as well. From casual to formal, Princess Diana’s impact on women’s fashion has seriously lasted the test of time. My mom saw her looks in magazines in the 90s just the same as I saved her looks to my Pinterest board in 2025. She wasn’t afraid to stray from the norms, especially being literal royalty. She combined menswear-inspired pieces with traditionally feminine pieces, we truly have her to thank for the female blazer. And, of course, she popularized the biker shorts, sneakers, and crewneck look we all know and love to this day.
Characters
The Nanny- Fran Fine
That’s MOTHER to you! Fran Fine is the first and most impactful fashion icon of my life. I grew up watching The Nanny, and unfortunately (for other people), that show had a major impact on not just my fashion sense but my attitude as well. It’s so interesting writing about Fran Fine after Cher, Diana Ross, and Princess Diana because now I wonder if their styles had any impact on Fran Fine’s, as she’s not one to shy from sparkles and she rocks a blazer. Well, a mini blazer with a matching skirt, of course. Fran is nothing short of fabulous in every scene. Everyone, say thank you to Ms.Fine for the mini skirt and tall boot combo. I literally recreated this outfit for one of my boyfriend’s date parties; that’s how much I love her.
The Women of Sex and the City
You really can’t talk about female fashion icons without mentioning the women of Sex and the City. The costume designers of this show really did their big one with these women. Each character has such a unique style, and their aesthetic alone tells you so much about the character. Literally to the point where if you showed someone a picture of them, they could probably make some pretty accurate guesses as to what the character was like just based on their style. My big two are, without a doubt, Charlotte York and Carrie Bradshaw. Charlotte’s style is preppy and timelessly girly; she excels at teetering the line between modest and sexy. When she came out in that red lingerie with black flowers, let me tell you, my jaw was on the floor. My favorite part about Carrie’s style is how she effortlessly combines modern and archival, vintage pieces. She introduced me to statement necklaces, shoes, and bags, and for that, I owe her my firstborn.
The Women of Friends
My ultimate 90s style guides, the women of Friends, are the perfect inspiration for chic, quirky, and achievable fashion. These three are plastered all over my outfit inspo Pinterest board, it’s not even funny. They might just be the queens of layering, and they all do it in different ways. Rachel is trendy and chic, she’ll throw a baby tee under a tank with a little mini skirt. Phoebe is eclectic and fun, she loves a vest or a long sleeve under a dress. Monica is sporty and practical, she’ll never shy away from a cardigan or some overalls. What I love most about them is how they complement each other so well while remaining unique in their style. They definitely borrow from each other's closets but style the pieces to best suit them, something I think a lot of us can relate to with our own friends.
It was actually so hard to narrow it down to three in each category. I hope y’all clocked how I had to do groups for characters because how could I mention Carrie without the rest of the group? How could I mention Phoebe without her friends? I just couldn’t! I had so much fun with this article. Talking fashion icons is kind of my love language, and I’d love to hear who you look up to in fashion on @bits.and.beths on Instagram!
Write you soon!
Beth <3
