By now, you’ve likely read Vogue’s viral article, “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing?”, or at least engaged with the wave of commentary it sparked, from celebrity responses to think pieces. Despite the clickbait headline, the piece taps into a genuine cultural shift: the way women are repositioning themselves in relation to romance and, crucially, to each other. This isn’t happening in isolation. It’s showing up in how we dress, how we think about our careers, and how we engage with beauty.
On TikTok, we’re seeing the rise of content centred around decentering men, and "doing it for the female gaze". It’s less about looking desirable for someone else and more about crafting an image aligned with ambition, independence, professionalism, confidence and, importantly, yourself. The “male gaze” isn’t the default lens anymore; the sisters are doing it for themselves. Or at least, that’s what we’re being told.
