Why Women Follow Fashion Essay
Chapter 2.2 Why women follow fashion. 520
The intention behind garment designs, even when coming from two time periods known to have conflicting cultures and values, still share the demoralising communication of female identity being based around their appearance. “Beauty was now supposed to be every woman’s duty” (Steele 2001) This expectation for women to uphold their image still exists now in the 21st century, as fashion is seen as a feminine attribute and apart of their role in society.
Although the physical garments are apart in style, silhouette, fabric and other design aspects the purpose and intention behind what the clothing designs tell about the nineteenth century to present day share the same result, of the female body being …show more content…
However research into the lifestyle of women, in the early 19th century, identify multiple conclusions for their following of fashion. The main purpose behind dress often falling back to the proposed idea of women being an object of male consumption, portraying the female existence to be beneath the male identity. 74 words
“In a patriarchal society a helpless, foolish, pretty woman is the ultimate object of conspicuous Consumption” (Lurie 1992)
The decision of a man, in the 19th century, to maintain a woman of the correct attire was to signify his wealth, class, and sexual power, showing his ability to attain not just the care of himself but also the care of a helpless woman. The women who visualised and obtained the least practical use being the most desirable, this revealed a society that determined the female identity’s only use to be a visual object of desire, for male satisfaction to then be a visual representation of their social status. For women to gain moral respect in society they had to compete in the admiration of men by being perceived as not just beautiful but well disciplined in dress. “Tight lacing was associated in the popular mind of virtue” (ibid) This reiterating the strong influence fashion had for women to uphold their position in society, the male opinion on their appearance and dress determining their position. 145
The intention behind garment designs, even when coming from two time periods known to have conflicting cultures and values, still share the demoralising communication of female identity being based around their appearance. “Beauty was now supposed to be every woman’s duty” (Steele 2001) This expectation for women to uphold their image still exists now in the 21st century, as fashion is seen as a feminine attribute and apart of their role in society.
Although the physical garments are apart in style, silhouette, fabric and other design aspects the purpose and intention behind what the clothing designs tell about the nineteenth century to present day share the same result, of the female body being …show more content…
However research into the lifestyle of women, in the early 19th century, identify multiple conclusions for their following of fashion. The main purpose behind dress often falling back to the proposed idea of women being an object of male consumption, portraying the female existence to be beneath the male identity. 74 words
“In a patriarchal society a helpless, foolish, pretty woman is the ultimate object of conspicuous Consumption” (Lurie 1992)
The decision of a man, in the 19th century, to maintain a woman of the correct attire was to signify his wealth, class, and sexual power, showing his ability to attain not just the care of himself but also the care of a helpless woman. The women who visualised and obtained the least practical use being the most desirable, this revealed a society that determined the female identity’s only use to be a visual object of desire, for male satisfaction to then be a visual representation of their social status. For women to gain moral respect in society they had to compete in the admiration of men by being perceived as not just beautiful but well disciplined in dress. “Tight lacing was associated in the popular mind of virtue” (ibid) This reiterating the strong influence fashion had for women to uphold their position in society, the male opinion on their appearance and dress determining their position. 145