Blog #2
A big part of the American culture is fashion. Unfortunately, we all care about our
appearance and how others view us, more than anything else. Over Christmas vacation, I examined the
fashion of both men and women to find an interesting comparison.
While walking around the mall, I noticed
some of the values held highly in our society. There were countless dress
shops, each displaying a multitude of options. The array of bright colors and
sparkling sequins was nauseating. And of course these stores did not only offer
dresses, there were whole walls dedicated to displaying necklaces, bracelets,
etc. Any accessory a girl could ever ask for was available.
However, if one were searching for proper male attire for a
formal dance, (like I was) they would find quite a stark display in comparison.
Within the same mall, there are probably two, at most, stores selling suits and
tuxedos. These stores are noticeably smaller, and offer much less. After all,
there isn’t much to offer in the first place, simply pick a color for the
overcoat and tie… maybe even a handkerchief if you’re feeling audacious.
This is because of our gender roles. In our society, females are EXPECTED to
express their femininity by their choice of clothing. They are “allowed” to wear such a wider range of colors and
patterns. Modern clothing is in no
way unisex; there are many colors and patterns that men couldn’t wear without
getting attacked by their peers.
There is a lot of pressure on men to display their masculinity in their
clothing. This issue even extends
beyond clothing; the pressures on genders can be seen through behaviors,
language used, relationships, things you buy, and hobbies. And the worst
part of it all is, if you rebel against the status quo, you will become an
outcast, and possibly looked down upon.
This experience led me to believe that there is some sort of unspoken
social taboo against defying your gender role.
I think that your observation that clothing styles really relegate people to gender roles is very insightful. However, you seem to express that females have a privilege by being able to wear feminine clothing- and I would argue that females experience the same fear of being an outcast by defying gender expectations and wearing mens clothing. So the availability and style of "feminine" clothing can be just as much of a burden. I certainly agree with you that it isn't fair that men have been deemed uninterested and unimportant when it comes to fashion- but think about why that is. Maybe it is because corporate and media culture have decided that the most important part of a woman's life is shopping and appearance- so they cater to her in that way. Whereas men are thought to be concerned with greater causes and less superficial, appearance-related things.
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