The Conservative It-Girls, and How The Right is Rebranding Womanhood
It's not just young men shifting right. Meet The Conservateur.
For months (if not years, or even generations) the political conversation around young people has been centered on men. (Yes, I know how that sounds, but you know what I mean). They played a significant role in President Donald Trump making inroads with Gen Z in 2024, shifting right in ways that surprised many. But what about young women?
Yes, the majority of Gen Z women voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris, but that’s not the whole story. Within that same group, political and cultural shifts to the right are also beginning to emerge – especially amongst young white women. Some of these shifts are ideological, while others are more aesthetic or lifestyle-driven.
Take, for example, the resurgence of a nostalgic, traditionalist view of femininity – the tradwife aesthetic, which is a romanticized return to traditional gender roles. And consider the rise of holistic wellness culture, which has, in some circles, converged with conservative rhetoric. The right’s “Make America Healthy Again” messaging has resonated with a generation that’s already skeptical of traditional institutions, enamored with organic living, and looking for a sense of control over their bodies and lifestyles.
This movement is striking given the political trajectory of young women over the past decade. Since President Donald Trump’s first election victory in 2016, young women under 30 have moved starkly to the left – becoming a driving force behind movements for abortion access, gun safety, and climate change. With reproductive healthcare on the chopping block in states across the country, there is certainly a strong movement of young women fighting for women’s rights and pushing back against the tired and at times harmful rhetoric spawned by figures in the manosphere.
But one reality of this gender war has made it difficult, at times, to be outspoken as a young conservative woman. Some who have done so have told me it has cost them friendships, feeling alienated from broader youth culture. Gender politics and its prominence in our national conversation often assumes that all young women align with progressive views. That expectation risks further alienating young conservative women, a minority within youth culture but a group that still exists. On the whole, when young people’s perspectives are dismissed or overlooked, it not only isolates them socially but also can dive them towards more radical ideological spaces.
And then, there’s The Conservateur
Founded in 2020, The Conservateur carves out a space for young women who love fashion, culture, and lifestyle – territory that’s been dominated by the left — and have strong conservative values. It was founded by Jayme Franklin (who works full time for the outlet) and Isabelle Redfield (who traverses the political and media spheres), and is helmed by Caroline Downey, a National Review writer and fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum who serves as The Conservateur’s editor in chief.
While there’s a certain narrative about conservative women in political media and on social media that tends to focus on older women and candidly doesn’t align them with trends or being stylish (like those “Republican makeup” videos going viral), The Conservateur wants to change that. With a chic website not so different from Vogue’s aesthetic and an Instagram following of 124K followers, their platform offers an alternative for right-leaning women (especially in liberal cities) craving something different from mainstream culture. The Conservateur offers a paid-subscription for $4.95 a month with exclusive content and discounts to their online store – where they sell branded sweatshirts, cowboy boots, a charm necklace, cross earrings, and a hot pink ‘Make America Hot Again’ hat.
From profiles of Lara Trump and Fox News’ Ainsley Earhardt to an exclusive on YouTube creator Brett Cooper’s ‘Homegrown Wedding,’ The Conservateur leans into celebrities on the right as a focal point in their coverage. But they also give voice to perspectives of young women across the country, featuring op-eds with pithy, albeit sometimes controversial titles that push back against modern visions of feminism. Recent features have included ‘The Future is Female Under Trump,’ and ‘Why Chivalry Isn’t Dead.’ Much of the coverage is rooted in religion. And then there’s the intersection between culture and politics; last fall, feature writer Dawn Sturmon chronicled her experience wearing a MAGA hat across five different geographies that predicted Trump’s inroads even in liberal blue cities.
While The Conservateur doesn’t speak for the majority of young women, a rightward shift is noticeable particularly among those who engage with conservative influencers on social media.
To learn more about their vision and ethos, I touched base with Jayme, Isabelle, and Caroline this week. Our conversation took place via email and text and has been edited lightly for clarity and brevity.
You’ve been at this for a bit. What’s The Conservator’s origin story, and how has the platform evolved with the culture shift of Trump 2.0?
JC: If you had told me in 2020, that Democrats would be scrambling to regain cultural relevance and recapture the youth, I wouldn’t have believed you. We launched The Conservateur (TC), coincidentally albeit, in 2020 while BLM riots were raving and the world was shut down. It was very counter cultural to be conservative at this time and we received a lot of backslash. But within a few months of our launch, we started collecting followers of like minded women.
I was inspired to found TC from my time at UC Berkeley. I grew up in a conservative family in California and attended years of Catholic school, so upon arriving on Berkeley’s campus in 2016 I was in culture shock. However, while a lot of people feel uncomfortable when they are out of their element, I wasn’t. I was intrigued by the uber-progressive culture and watched it from afar.
While attending Berkeley, I didn’t just notice the radical culture on my campus, but also in my magazines. I’ve always been interested in fashion and subscribed to every women’s magazine on the market. But, I became increasingly alienated by the culture they promoted. I couldn’t identify with the feminist approach to casual sex, or hating men, white people, and America. Because I voted for Trump, I felt as though I had no place in the pages of these magazines. That is how The Conservateur was born.
The Conservateur was created from common sense, traditional women to finally feel heard and represented in our culture. In 2025, we feel as though we are on the cusp of a conservative revolution. Americans of all ages are rejecting leftism and postmodernism, and embracing traditionalism. We believe this revolution is led by young people, and we want to be at the forefront of it. The culture has changed so much since 2020, and we cannot wait to continue to grow The Conservateur’s influence and popularity in our culture.
Along those lines, you write on your website that The Conservateur “is igniting a counter-cultural revival among women.” What does that mean? Who does that movement include?
JC: While we have no problem showing our support for President Trump, The Conservateur is so much more than just politics. We are about promoting a lifestyle that we believe creates true fulfillment, happiness, and success for women in this modern age. We are about promoting the American dream to entrepreneurial women, but also uplifting the beauty and sanctity of marriage and family. We want women to live their best lives possible, embrace beauty and truth, and reject the toxicity of the modern progressive movement. We want women to be their best selves in marriage, motherhood, and their career. Our publication offers thoughtful advice and commentary of modern womanhood that women across the country identify with.
Traditional lifestyles are becoming increasingly popular amongst young Americans are more and more women feel dismayed and lied to by modern feminism. Overall, young women are still a strong coalition for the progressivism, but that is changing. The Conservateur hopes to be at the forefront of that shift.
What topics are most interesting to your audience these days? How do you gauge what is trending with conservative women?
JC: While we do comment on politics, I believe our cultural commentary is the real game changer. While many of our women are conservative, we also have [an] audience of women who are not politically involved but resonate with TC’s values and lifestyle. We are very active on social media with many creators that offer insightful commentary on cultural trends. The tradwife lifestyle and holistic, nontoxic health has been trending over the last year and we’ve been commentating on all of it. Motherhood and relationship advice is also very popular. We’ve noticed a shift in young women where they are looking to start a family earlier in life. We take any viral and trending topic in our culture and offer thoughtful insight on the subject.
Across party lines, some in Gen Z exhibit nostalgia for the past, including when it comes to a fixation on tradwife culture. How are you navigating that yearning for tradition, while also uplifting high profile next-gen Republican women who very much buck those stereotypical norms? Is there a place for both?
CD: TC hasn’t been shy about blending vintage vibes with the cutting edge. That’s a big part of our appeal. We know it’s silly to reject modernity completely because some social progress was good. We want to celebrate motherhood and family, the backbone of civilization, while representing women of all vocations including those sharing their talents with their country in careers. We love to highlight what is timeless and true while maintaining an aesthetic that gives it-girl energy.
You’ve been critical of some glossy magazines or fashion houses that have endorsed liberal candidates and/or policies in recent years. But as Oscar de la Renta proudly shared images of Ivanka Trump and Usha Vance on Instagram and as Vogue likened Ivanka to Audrey Hepburn over the Inauguration weekend, how do you see an evolution in terms of the coverage of conservative women?
CD: The stigma surrounding associating with or even going into business with conservative women is pretty diminished after this election. The fact is, fashion designers shouldn’t discriminate based on politics when they’re choosing who to outfit. Especially when they get the chance to dress the First Lady, a prestigious opportunity regardless of party, who also happens to be objectively beautiful and a former model.
Though like all constituencies, there was a shift to the right amongst young voters in 2024, young women still backed Kamala Harris by stark margins. I’ve spoken with young women who have previously said it can be hard to be a young conservative woman, especially when friends don’t see eye to eye. Is that conversation shifting?
IR: Absolutely, and in ways that feel less like a quiet rebellion and more like a natural correction. The cultural monopoly that once made young conservative women feel like outliers is eroding — not just because of policy shifts but because of a deeper exhaustion with the performative nature of left-wing politics. It’s less about ideological sparring and more about the instinct to reject groupthink, to ask: What if we’re being sold a narrative that no longer fits? The reality is, young women are seeing through the scare tactics and realizing that political conviction doesn’t have to come at the expense of personal relationships. You can have a family. You can build a career. You can put yourself first, and you can put your country first. The point is, there’s no single script — just a shared belief in contributing, in building something greater than yourself. The left spent years insisting empowerment meant one thing. In reality, it’s about ownership — of your choices, your ambitions, and yes, your role in shaping the country you call home. More women are waking up to that.
As the culture shifts with Trump 2.0, will the range of women you interview or elevate evolve too?
IR: Without a doubt. Politics has always been a game of incentives, and for too long, the cost of publicly aligning with America First values was social exile. That’s changing. The Overton window is shifting, and what once seemed radical — prioritizing national interest, questioning unchecked globalism, speaking freely without fear of cancellation — is now resonating with a broader coalition of women. We’re here to highlight those voices, not just because they’re conservative, but because they’re willing to stand up for their own country first, even when it’s easier not to.
Noteworthy reads and watches
We Asked Young People What Would Actually Make Them Happy, Halima Jibril for Dazed
Young Republicans say there’s less political stigma on campuses after Trump win, Fox News
America’s Gen Z has got religion, The Economist