Women's Fashion --Personal Is Political

Dear Reader 

This post is a tribute to women, fashion and (em)power. History is evidence of varied injustices to women and some men. Women were put into the 'Scold's Bridle', first recorded in 1567 in Scotland and later in the UK for talking too much. It was approved by the Church and abolished 'legally in 1967. In Travancore (Kerala, India), women born into the lower castes were not allowed to cover their upper body in public. They were asked to pay a 'breast tax' if they wanted to cover it in public.  Little wonder that women in the US saw apparel as a 'tool' of oppression and burnt bras in the 1970s during the beauty pageant. It was in December 2015 that France banned 'extremely thin' models.  

       Not just this-aristocracy across the world has had another way of making their presence felt--the oppressively luxurious fashion. Here are some images--see it to believe it

    The Famed Cleopatra, Egypt, in a painting--it is said that she wore linen cloths that were uncut, ankle-length, in bright colours of blue, red, yellow, green . . .  

Jodha Bai, India, wore silk, cotton and brocade clothes that had intricately woven work, in bright colours of red, orange, blue . . . 

Aristocratic  women during the 1770s in France wore a dress made from taffeta, velvet, silk   

    From being ridiculed for being conscious about their fashion at the workplace, women and power-dressing have come a long way. The idea of 'power-dressing' began in 1988 and has moved on relentlessly ahead.  

  Power-dressing today is an interesting combination of what Virginia Woolf argued for in the 1940s-androgyny i.e. the mind is characterised by both masculine and feminine. Without idealising or romanticising, hopefully, we have reached a time that emphasises ability and capability without raising the proverbial storm in a cup of tea. Here is just one beautiful fashion

  Pic courtesy: Google images

The Alexander McQueenAW20 collection incorporated tailoring that embodied the ultimate juxtaposition between the masculine and the feminine. 

    One blog post does no justice to both women and fashion. But just could not resist the enthusiasm to share a glimpse...

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  Hoping for empowerment for all of us--Happy Women's Day🌹 

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