Women’s Clothes-Towards Emancipation

575 Words3 Pages
In the twentieth century, women have overcome gender discrimination and achieved some equality. Women not only achieved equality in human rights, but they also overcame sexist stereotypes such as change their clothing styles from heavy floor length skirts to trousers. However, now the media still shows women as a symbol of the frailer sex whose unique role is to represent beauty and fashion, rather than intelligence and independence. Alison Lurie, in her essay “Women’s clothes-Towards Emancipation”, states that changes in women’s clothes from the late Victorian era to the twentieth century illustrates the stages of women's emancipation from sexual equality, escape from limited gender roles and to access to higher education. During the late-Victorian era, society stereotyped women as the frail sex. In fact, Women’s clothes from this period portrayed women’s image as pure princesses. During the late Victorian era, women’s dresses were so elaborated and restricted that affected their way of sat, walked and bended their arms and legs. In contrast, Men’s clothes were more comfortable and simple. For instance, women had to wear the corset, which confined their bodies under many undergarments. Women that did not wear this type of clothing were deemed as immoral women. On the other hand, during the late Victorian era, men wore coats and trousers, which they still wear today. Therefore, comparing women’s clothes with men‘s clothes from the Victorian era to date, women have achieved great changes on their clothes. Those changes testify their achievement of sexual equality. Today, women wear pants and trousers for work, parties as normal outfit without being sex typed. Today’s society allows women to show their sexuality trough discrete clothes, short skirts, tight pants and shorts but without falling in provocative and scandalous dressing, that the media promotes as

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