A Renaissance Self-Fashioning: The Performative Nature Of Fashion

The performative nature of fashion does not define any one person. According to Stephen Greenblatt, author of A Renaissance Self-Fashioning, performative gender defines the stereotypical male or female. For something to be authentic, it must come from a person’s own self without external influences. The performative differences between men and women’s fashion proves that clothing is not authentic. Performative nature usually has to do with recurring gender norms. At the same time, the term performative is when a person's identity is performed and constructed. With that being said, there are many gender ‘norms’ such as fashion for men and women. Using the way in which candidates react to gender stereotypes in an executive office, its
noticeable
how the suit is a ‘norm’ for a man of political fashion. Therefore, dress rules are usually unspoken but expected. Men are constructing and performing their identity, it is said that a good fitted suit will make a person think more precisely and will be more audacious when approaching opportunities. However, they might not actually possess those traits, thus proving that the clothes someone wears doesn't actually define them as a person. When it comes to women, dress is often a more considerable issue than it is with men. Women who have to worry about political fashion in an executive office are usually dressed in a black pantsuit with minimal makeup because it is the “norm”. A good example of this would be the principals at Lowell High School. The female principle is usually seen wearing a dressy pantsuit as the male principle is hardly seen wearing a tie with a casual pair of pants. To give an illustration, the pantsuit symbolizes profession and boldness as well as a suit does for a man. Jaden Smith defines gender norms. It is important to realize that the question is, “how did clothes began to have the ability to define an individual”? Using Smith as an example for this idea, the media created a fashion story for him after he was seen wearing a ‘feminine’ dress in public. The media began stereotyping his attire, which has to do with having an oversimplified idea of a particular type of person. It soon became a big deal that Smith was dressing in such a way. Having said that, the gender differences are obvious here, the ‘norm’ for a male is to dress masculine and thus, feminine for a female. When men are seen dressing in what is identified as feminine clothing; without delay, the assumption of that person being homosexual is made. The media claims that since Smith wears dresses, tight pants, and light colors, that he is attempting to dress like his sister. However, the fact that Smith wears feminine clothing does not mean that he is trying to be like his sister, nor does it mean that he is homosexual. Proving that the clothes he wears does not define who he really is. Identifying someone by what they’re wearing is simply extended proof to the statement that there is nothing authentic about clothing. People often believe that fashion has the capability to create a story within the fabric using colors such as pink to symbolize femininity, and darker colors to symbolize masculinity. Nevertheless, if a man decides to wear pink that doesn’t mean that he is a feminine man. Being authentic is creating your own self identity without the influence of the outside world. Keeping in mind the previously stated ideas such as, gender ‘norms’, performative differences, and stereotypes between men and women’s fashion, these ideas indeed prove that clothing is not authentic.