Gloria Steinem, who passed away at the age of 92 on September 2, 2026, was many things: co-founder of "Ms." magazine, second-wave feminist icon, and even stepmother to Christian Bale. (Who knew?) She was also, throughout her life, a serious fashionista. Some may believe such a passion is necessarily at odds with a dedication to feminism, and Steinem certainly had many critics who questioned her focus on fashion, but she viewed her style as an extension of her activism, not a conflict of interest. Gloria Steinem's beauty philosophy went hand-in-hand with her feminist ideals, and so did her approach to fashion.
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"Fashion in the past meant conforming and losing oneself," Steinem pointed out in the 2011 HBO documentary about her life, "Gloria: In Her Own Words," but "fashion in the present means being unique and finding oneself," she continued. For Steinem, that came to mean a "power outfit" (above) that often included a fitted Henley shirt, flared jeans, a low-slung belt, funky jewelry, and a rotating collection of political badges and ******* ons, topped with her iconic aviator glasses and highlighted hair teased to the sky. There was a purpose to her style beyond expression and confidence, however. "She made it okay to be attractive and to be a feminist," friend and designer Diane von Furstenberg told Glamour.
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