From Milk Snatcher to Fashion Icon: Looking at how Margaret Thatcher changed British fashion.

Margaret Thatcher in 1983 (Alt Text: Black and white image of Margaret Thatcher)

Our next fashion icon is arguably the most controversial. Margaret Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher is viewed the same as marmite you either love her or hate her. Reading this you might know her as ‘The Iron Lady’ or ‘Maggie Thatcher milk snatcher’.

Margaret Thatcher was Britain’s first female prime minister being in office from 1979 to 1990. When people think of Margaret Thatcher they might think of the miners’ strike or the Falkland War, however some might think of her iconic blue power suits.

Viewing Thatcher as a fashion icon is very different to those who we’ve looked at previously, as Thatcher never had the intention to have an impact on British fashion but for Lady Duff Gordon and Mary Quant that was their aim. Nevertheless, Thatcher was a fashion icon who impacted British fashion, predominantly in the 80s. Thatcher was known for power-dressing and has been described as ‘the original female power-dresser’. Power-dressing was a concept which flourished in the 1980s, it can be described best as dressing to feel confident and to exude authority, this was very important for Thatcher and women in a male dominated workplace. She was known for her tailored suits, most commonly in a vibrant blue. Alongside various blouses paired with a pussy-bow and a string of pearls. There was controversy surrounding Thatcher’s go to look and other women in the workplace emulating her look; people thought it steered away from traditional feminine clothing. However I would argue that her power suits were the perfect mixture of charisma and femininity, the addition of the pussy-bow and the string of pearls gave Thatcher’s look a feminine essence. Though Thatcher may not had the intention to become a fashion icon she definitely had respect for the fashion industry, famously saying in an 1984 interview that she believes ‘we don’t give them [fashion industry] enough government moral support for the tremendous work they’re doing.’.

Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher 1987 (Alt Text: Ronald Reagan on the left with Margaret Thatcher on the right sitting on a bench in front of shrubbery)

Here in this image, we can see Margaret Thatcher in her iconic tailored suit, with bold shoulder pads. The hemline of the skirt would be around the knees to give a sophisticated and professional look. The colour of this outfit is in a very deep subtle blue, not as striking as other shades of blue which she has worn. The colour seems like a mixture of Oxford Blue but with a hint of Navy Purple. Cynthia Crawford (Thatcher’s personal assistant) recalls Thatcher once saying, ‘If you wear one full drop of colour in an outfit, it makes you look taller’. Therefore, this would give Thatcher a dominant look and made sure she stood out at events were she would have been surrounded by men, this highlights the idea of power-dressing. The garment seems to be made of a synthetic fabric either polyester or rayon. This gives the garment a stiff look but would actually be quite comfortable. Elements of Thatcher’s outfit work in harmony, the black shoes paired with the black handbag seem to not clash with the nylon tights in low denier, so the bottom doesn’t look so black heavy. The white blouse matched with the white pearls. The pearls and brooch bring back the femininity in Thatcher’s garments. Charles Moore states ‘she was very conscious of the fact that she was the one and only woman, she wanted to look extremely good and very distinctive, on the other hand she wanted it to be fundamentally conventional…’. This is clearly conveyed in her outfits; Thatcher had a very distinctive look which was easily identifiable but still had a sense of practicality. Though Thatcher’s intention was not to become a fashion icon or impact British fashion she still wanted to look good, and this is reflected in her outfits.

It may come as a surprise that any woman could have achieved the Thatcher look. In 1986, during an interview, Thatcher said that she was fond of British retailer Marks and Spencer, she stated ‘They’re marvellous, their cut is excellent and now they’ve got all kind of colours’. In the same interview she discussed how she would opt for a plain blazer and skirt to give a delicate and quiet outline and the blouse would add the colour and be the centre piece of the look which created the mood for the garment. In Thatcher’s words it was the most ‘economical way of dressing’, highlight how Thatcher’s politics trickled down into her outfits.

Family Photograph 1984 (Alt Text: Photograph of a group of people standing outside a church, women in the middle is in a baby blue blazer with a matching skirt)

Opinions surrounding Thatcher as a fashion icon is probably the most varied. Johnny Oleksinski argues that she was a ‘style icon’. Whereas others such as Alexander Fury are quick to argue that ‘Thatcher was not a fashion icon…She was simply a woman dressed for a role’. Though Fury does raise a good point that Thatcher was a woman dressing for an important role, I still believe Thatcher was a style icon. Her infamous look is instantly recognisable, she knew a great deal about her body and what worked for her. I believe that Thatcher did impact British fashion, especially fashion in the workplace and formal occasions, with there being an influx of large shoulder pads and power-dressing. This photo to the right is of a family member in 1984, and at first glance she is the spitting image of Margaret Thatcher. From the one drop of colour in the garment to the elegant string of pearls. It shows that Thatcher had an impact of British fashion and women did feel a sense of dominance wearing similar clothes to Thatcher. Thatcher’s style gave women a different type of women’s liberation in comparison to Lucile or Quant, Thatcher’s sense of style gave women a feeling of importance, especially in the workplace.

Ultimately, it is safe to say that Margaret Thatcher is our most controversial fashion icon, but still a fashion icon none the less. Thatcher was known for power-dressing in an iconic blazer and skirt but feminised it with pearls and brooches. Her impact on fashion can sometimes be overlooked by her political standpoint but through women emulating her outfits it gave women a sense of importance in life and felt as if they had the same power as their male counterparts, a feeling which was uncommon in the past.