Not just a feminist icon

You may not know her by name, and you may not know the story that lies behind the photo, but more than likely you have seen the poster and you do know what the woman in the poster portrays.

She has her hair up in a red bandana. She wears a blue, button-up, collared work shirt with the sleeves rolled up, she has her left hand placed upon her right bicep. And along the top of the poster, it reads, "We can do it!"

You should be able to picture the poster just with those few descriptions.

Not only does this woman represent feminism, she will forever be a style icon as well. I'm sure you are thinking, Red bandana, blue collared work shirt, no accessories? How could she possible be considered stylish?

The reason I consider her a style symbol is because her outfit, her facial expression, her body language will always identify her. As I said before, some may not know anything about her. But just by looking at the poster or hearing a description of the poster, we know for certain that this lady is a strong woman, and she is inspiring and beautiful because of that.

However, you may still wonder, Who is she?

Her name: Rosie the Riveter, cultural icon representing the women who worked in the factories while their husbands fought in World War II. Most of the factories they worked in produced supplies to support the war effort, including Rosalind P. Walter, who inspired the song Rosie the Riveter written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb, and Rose Will Monroe, who is most closely associated to the term.

Monroe, will always be known as the original Rosie, served at a factory in Michigan building B-29 and B-24 bombers. She fell in love with flying and fulfilled her dream of piloting a plane in her 50s. However, this passion led to an airplane accident leaving her impaired, which also contributed to her death 19 years later in 1997 at the age of 77.

Walter and Monroe are only two of the millions of Rosies. During WWII, the number of working women increased 20 million by 1944, a 57% increase from 1940. After the war ended, some women stayed in the factories since this proved females could do a man's job, but most returned to clerical positions or their household duties. Despite that, the number of jobs considered acceptable for women increased from 29% to 85% by 1942, proving that women were capable of performing an assortment of careers. Rosie the Riveter became a huge symbol for feminism. However, it still took some time for the ladies to receive equal pay and benefits.

Strength and determination and hard work can be considered a style. After all, style isn't just what we wear, it's who we are. And these women's style inspired other ladies to join the workforce. Without the Rosies, who knows where women would be. Isn't that what fashion is all about? Making a point and influencing inspiration.