Power and woke are fashion’s two most used words in 2017

This year, fashion designers weren’t afraid to get political—so it’s only fitting that the two most used words in the industry were ‘power’ and ‘woke’.

An analysis of text from more than 30,000 articles written over the course of 2017 has revealed which words dominated fashion discourse during the past 12 months, with the top two reflecting shoppers’ desire for clothes that broadcast their strongest opinions and beliefs.

Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri famously released a $710 T-shirt reading ‘We should all be feminists’ as part of its spring collection, prompting some to pick up on the irony of seeing such an inclusive message plastered across a garment sold at an elitist price.

Statement: This year, the two most used words in the industry were ‘power’ and ‘woke’—which seem fitting, considering pieces such as Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri’s feminist T-shirts

Owning it: Gurung himself donned a feminist T-shirt during his February 2017 show at New York Fashion Week

Owning it: Gurung himself donned a feminist T-shirt during his February 2017 show at New York Fashion Week

The brand pledged to donate part of the profits generated by the sales of the T-shirts to Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, which helps impoverished communities across the world by providing healthcare and education resources.

But Dior didn’t specify which percentage of the profit would go to the foundation, thus doing little to appease those who found the T-shirt tone-deaf to begin with.

Nepalese-American designer Prabal Gurung also featured political messages on his creations in July, releasing T-shirts that read ‘The future is female’, ‘I am an immigrant’ and ‘Nevertheless, she persisted’.

The latter sentence has become emblematic of Senator Elizabeth Warren’s refusal to be silenced while she aired her objections during Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ confirmation hearing in February.

Asking questions: Dior also debuted this T-shirt reading 'Why are there no great women artists?' in September this year at Paris Fashion Week

Asking questions: Dior also debuted this T-shirt reading ‘Why are there no great women artists?’ in September this year at Paris Fashion Week

In order to compile its top 10 most used words in fashion, the global clothing search engine Lyst broke down the more than 30,000 articles it studied into their 8,610,630 component words.

Then, Lyst counted up the most frequently occurring combinations, and built a scale of the most important words of the year, not including brand names.

In third place after ‘power’ and ‘woke’ is ‘statement’, a testament to this year’s high-impact garments.

Next up is ‘floral’, meaning the timeless print remains a consumer favorite.

‘Millennial’ and ‘extra’ follow in fifth and sixth place respectively, showing just how much the blossoming of millennial culture impacted fashion over the course of the past 12 months. 

Eye-catching: The word 'ugly' features in ninth position of the top 10, perhaps reflecting shoppers' affection for quirky items such as Christopher Kane's embellished Crocs

Eye-catching: The word ‘ugly’ features in ninth position of the top 10, perhaps reflecting shoppers’ affection for quirky items such as Christopher Kane’s embellished Crocs

The former might have been aided by the rise of millennial pink, a beloved hue featured on a wide range of items, from clothing to kitchen utensils. 

WHAT ARE THIS YEAR’S MOST USED WORDS IN FASHION?

1. Power

2. Woke

3. Statement

4. Floral

5. Millenial

6. Extra

7. Masculine

8. Cult

9. Ugly

10. Vegan

Source: Lyst 

‘Extra’, which is often used in reference to over-the-top designs, indicates that shoppers weren’t afraid to wear eye-catching clothes, straying away from the classics. 

‘Masculine’ is next in seventh place, and appears to reflect the rise of power pantsuits, which have gained renewed relevance since becoming closely associated with Hillary Clinton and her 2016 presidential campaign.

In eight place is ‘cult’, showing that while fast fashion satisfies people’s cravings for the trendiest items, there is still room in their hearts and in their budgets for timeless favorites.

Rather surprisingly, the word ‘ugly’ features in ninth position of the top 10, perhaps reflecting shoppers’ affection for quirky items recently rehabilitated on the runway, such as Christopher Kane’s embellished Crocs or Balenciaga’s platform clogs.

‘Vegan’ closes the top 10, and might reflect people’s desire for ethically produced items of clothing and shoes that don’t use animal skin, fur, or silk. 



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