From Then to Now
We have explored American women's freedoms through fashion and history, specifically for caucasian women of the middle to upper class. Throughout time, fashion has constricted, liberated and empowered women. Historically, when there was a societal shift, women’s fashion paralleled those elements.
Women’s bodies have and continue to defy standardization.
Analysis
Comparing the past with the present, the beginning of the 1900's showed almost no pants in daily life. Women began emerging as the “New Women,” and exited stereotypical household roles. They stepped into politics with their newfound voting rights and pursued higher levels of education, which had not been done before. Bicycling gave them mobility. The "Flapper Girl" surfaced later with this progressive thinking.
In the mid 1900's the Great Depression and World War II promoted a “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” mantra. The ability to express oneself through fashion diminished due to hardships. These times encouraged new employment routes with the demand for women to take over for their husbands at war. Women moved away from stereotypical jobs like teaching and secretarial work. The workforce was temporarily a place for women while they simultaneously ran their households, which allowed pants for functionality purposes. Women proved they could work hard and challenged lingering stereotypes.
The late 1900's continued the shift to women’s pants alongside the greater need for mobility. Women started adapting pants for stylistic preferences such as fitted pants. They moved away from older, “doll-like” styles in a way that mirrored gender equality, which inspired “unisex” clothing. Interestingly enough, men's zippers were easily acceptable in front, while the location of women's zippers on their backs or sides implied they needed assistance to remove their clothing.
During the 2000's, women expressed their unique identities with their fashion. Women developed individualized styles and empowered themselves with their clothing choices. Conforming rules of fashion were thrown to the wayside and varieties of pants exploded. Compared to the early 1900's with no voting rights, minimal education, huge gender and career inequalities, fashion restrictions, and numerous other societal limitations, today's women are as free as they ever have been in society and fashion. The fight for equality continues, but nowadays, women can certainly wear the pants.
In the mid 1900's the Great Depression and World War II promoted a “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” mantra. The ability to express oneself through fashion diminished due to hardships. These times encouraged new employment routes with the demand for women to take over for their husbands at war. Women moved away from stereotypical jobs like teaching and secretarial work. The workforce was temporarily a place for women while they simultaneously ran their households, which allowed pants for functionality purposes. Women proved they could work hard and challenged lingering stereotypes.
The late 1900's continued the shift to women’s pants alongside the greater need for mobility. Women started adapting pants for stylistic preferences such as fitted pants. They moved away from older, “doll-like” styles in a way that mirrored gender equality, which inspired “unisex” clothing. Interestingly enough, men's zippers were easily acceptable in front, while the location of women's zippers on their backs or sides implied they needed assistance to remove their clothing.
During the 2000's, women expressed their unique identities with their fashion. Women developed individualized styles and empowered themselves with their clothing choices. Conforming rules of fashion were thrown to the wayside and varieties of pants exploded. Compared to the early 1900's with no voting rights, minimal education, huge gender and career inequalities, fashion restrictions, and numerous other societal limitations, today's women are as free as they ever have been in society and fashion. The fight for equality continues, but nowadays, women can certainly wear the pants.