On the cover of her latest mixtape Fancy That, singer-songwriter PinkPantheress stares coyly out at the viewer, flanked by an array of red and white roses, a black cab, and a red telephone box. Her outfit is unremarkable, but on her head is a crown so large that it would put any of the jewels and regalia worn in Buckingham Palace to shame. These aesthetics of Britishness, or Anglophilia, are present everywhere in both PinkPantheress’s music and recent looks. Although Anglophilia is no stranger to the world of Fashion (in fact, they have a rather long and varied history), PinkPantheress is able to provide a charming and refreshing perspective on this popular style, bringing it into the present day in all its kitsch glory.

“Anglophile style has consistently been associated with rebellion and an overall desire to take the piss”

Anglophile style, characterised by bold blues and reds, patterns such as plaid, silhouettes reminiscent of traditional British clothing, and the notorious Union Jack flag, has been popular for many years. Despite its aesthetic roots in tradition, however, it has consistently been associated with rebellion and an overall desire to take the piss. The Union Jack flag was a key part of the iconography of punk, where it was the ultimate satirical image for such an inherently anti-establishment movement. Vivienne Westwood famously brought the Anglophiliac punk armed in plaid to the runway, solidifying the torn and safety-pinned Union Jack as a key part of fashion history. In the decades which followed, the style of the anglophile burst into the mainstream. No longer carefully confined to the world of punk, ‘Ginger Spice’ Geri Halliwell wears her iconic Union Jack dress on an international stage, and ushers in a new appreciation in the 1990s for British aesthetics and culture.

Today, however, aesthetics of Britishness are perceived far less optimistically. Although last year’s Oasis reunion has heralded much nostalgia for Britpop, much of the iconography associated with this style has recently been given an uncomfortable political charge by racist and nationalist groups. Now, if I see a Union Jack in public, I am conflictingly reminded of both its long alternative and subversive history, and increasingly hateful far-right ideology. It is for this reason that I am always grateful to see artists such as PinkPantheress preserving the inherently subversive sentiments of Anglophile style, and celebrating aesthetics of Britishness in a way that does not tolerate racism or hate.

“Her restoration of stylish Britishness is particularly resonant when living in one of the most historically British institutions”

PinkPantheress’ appreciation for iconic British culture is clear not only in her style but in her music, where she frequently samples British pop and dance tracks from the 1990s and 2000s, and incorporates them into her new Drum and Bass and Jungle influenced sound. She has spoken about the difficulties of becoming a part of this musical canon, however, commenting that “People are less willing to listen to electronic music that is made by a black woman. That’s just fact.” She similarly states in a 2024 acceptance speech that “A lot of people didn’t expect me to look the way I did, and make the music I was making”. However, in the last year, PinkPantheress’ growth in popularity and wildly successful new mixtape evidences the public’s desire for her to lean into and reclaim British aesthetics as something that can be cool again.

Pinkpantheress’ restoration of stylish Britishness is particularly resonant when living and studying in one of the most notoriously and historically British institutions. Her playful and subversive attitude to the traditional aesthetics of a country with a long and dark history is refreshingly optimistic as a student attempting to reconcile how jarring many Cambridge traditions can feel. I feel better equipped to tackle the streets of Cambridge adorned in the bold, eye-catching, and unapologetically kitsch blues, reds, and plaids of PinkPantheress’ recent looks.