Image via Rosea Lakes
Are fashion and feminism mutually exclusive? Are you still considered a feminist if you wear Fendi? Is it possible to be fashion forward while fighting for equal rights and treatment?
There is a great deal of debate of whether putting the word fashion next to feminism is a contradiction in itself or not. Part of the objection is based on the problem of the fashion industry's promotion of its idyllic version of beauty and femininity. One that portrays an image of a vivacious, seemingly all-together, woman with great hair and porcelain skin, and a near size 24 waist. In short, if not unattainable, then an unrealistic, image of what an average healthy woman should be.
On the other hand, it is almost too easy to point all fingers to the fashion and beauty industries and blame them both for the majority of self-esteem and physical issues that many women (of all ages) face today. While I'm not saying that the industry's hands are completely clean, the problem stems from a seemingly more widespread source.
While it pains me to say it, fashion, historically, has been a woman's domain. There are certain connotations that come with fashion: frivolous, silly, unintellectual, superficial, stupid. Therefore, the general consensus tends to agree that fashion equates to femininity. While I do not agree with this fallacy at all, there is a reason why stores' marketing teams target women specifically. It has been ingrained in our society that women must dress up in order to get ahead in their careers, have friends, be liked, find a guy, get married, and be a woman, all while looking fabulous. The funny thing about this is once women do dress up, they get ridiculed and judged as being ditzy, dumb, or vain. While women who don't, are taken more seriously but are deemed less attractive, less put together, and in short, less of a woman.
Growing up, I've always noticed that my mother and my older sister would be the ones to indulge themselves on shopping trips after a tiresome week (my middle sister is somehow immune to the joy of shopping, a phenomenon that I, fortunately, don't experience), while my father, who, admittedly, is a man of simple pleasures, prefers a less strenuous activity. Since I actually enjoy shopping and the mere act of finding something cool, affordable and fits well thrills me beyond reason, I could wholeheartedly say that I do not agree with the statement that fashion and shopping is an experience only women can enjoy/participate in. (However, I can't say the same for every man.) More recently, my mom and sisters would go on shopping trips not for just buying clothes but to bond with each other. I think there is somewhat of a misconception that women buy clothes and are interested in fashion for the sole reason of attracting men. In fact, most of my heterosexual female friends do not dress up for men but for other women. There is a certain camaraderie and conviviality that women share when they admire other women's outfits. It's that certain smile, or maybe that double take, that unspoken language that people do to express either approval, sometimes envy, and in some ways, acknowledgement and validation of a person's individual expression of themselves, which, in this case, is through clothes.
Today, shopping has been socially accepted for all genders and there has been a certain expectation for both men and women to be dressed a certain way. Looking at just the streets of L.A., men, on an ordinary day, have been taking fashion risks and savvy sartorial choices just as much as women have. For instance, it is not uncommon to see a man in his twenties wearing a see-through, hip length tank top, paired with a knee length pleated gabardine skirt and combat boots walking down Melrose Avenue. This might have something to do with the societal acceptance of fashion as not just a "woman's sport" anymore, or maybe it's a generational occurrence, but nevertheless, my point is, society has grown to be comfortable enough with their own skin and actually care what kind of clothes they put on their back. So much so, that what they wear can actually declare a statement, rather than just for practical purposes. The only question is whether there still is an uneven expectation of how one should dress depending on what their gender is.
My answer, as of now, is an emphatic yes.
While we have grown to step out of our comfort zone (our traditional social construct of gender norms in terms of fashion and attire), we have not yet evolved from the point where women (and some men) are expected, and unfairly so, to look and be dressed a certain way, at least from my own observation and experience.
Society still places a context on every attire. Every outfit, in a sense, has a meaning. Maybe that's the reason why some men are afraid to go beyond their jeans and sneakers. They are afraid to step out of their comfort zone for fear that what they wear may inadvertently be taken out of context. (Gasp! He's wearing jeans that actually fit! He must be gay. Or worse, metrosexual. Shudders.)
Fashion is undeniably a feminist issue. What we wear says something about ourselves. It is a form of unspoken language that we use to communicate to society daily, whether intentionally or not. The image above by Rosea Lakes perfectly illustrates how women are seen and judged based on the length of their skirts, without any form of spoken communication. Each line in the image denotes a meaning of what kind of woman society sees you as; starting from "matronly" to "old fashioned", moving up to "cheeky" and "provocative" to finally being a "slut.". This is exactly why I cannot shake off the feeling, because I, myself, could relate to this image because I have a certain standard for women as well (But in my case, I have a standard for everyone, not just women!) As much as I want to believe that we, as a society, have grown, women still have biased standards that they must live up to. And it's not just women, I've also noticed that gay people are subjected to a certain standard as well. Most people feel uncomfortable around gay people who are dressed very flamboyantly and very outré. In fact, gay people, as a group, have been repressed in being able to express themselves, so much so that they are forced to blend in with the rest of the men. (Imagine a queen having to suffer through an ill-fitting shirt and polyester pants that are two sizes too big, all because people get anxious and "uncomfortable." Oh the inhumanity!) But that's a whole different conversation and I digress.
The question now lies is, "Is it inescapable?" Are women subject to unwarranted and unfair discrimination forever? No, but for now, it seems like it. We have to learn that women (and men) are not flat characters. As Tavi Gevinson, fashion wunderkind, puts it, women are "multi-faceted." They have talents, skills, opinions, values and flaws that separate them and make them more than just pretty little things to look at. While women are different from men, women deserve the same respect and dignity that we afford to men. People seem to disregard this issue because they think it's not serious. But what kind of discrimination is worth ignoring?
And now if only I could wear a skirt without being judged...
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