Feminism and

Fashion
By: Kyle Verrette
 Talking Points

Why Study Fashion?

Nonverbal Communication
Men & Women in the Workplace
How fashion affects first impressions
Examine the future of dress
Questions
 Why study fashion?
Fashion is a form of self- expression
Allows for creativity/ individuality
Fashion is able to define an individual by social and
economic class
Clothing is a form of nonverbal communication.
It is able to send/ receive symbolic messages
Clothing= Symbolic meaning
Clothing can affect an individuals
Social group
Cultural background
Sexuality
 Nonverbal
communication
Nonverbal behavior makes up 65% or more of an
individuals total meaning of communication
Women's Clothing Not functional
Tight fitting/ Revealing/ Vibrant colors

Mens clothing is more functional

Loose Fit/ Pockets/ Not colorful
 What do all of these
men have in common?
 Men in the workplace

All of these men are wearing dark color suits.

Men are more prone to wear dark colors

Black, Blue, and Grey

Men experiment with fashion

Not a distraction/Still able to work

Suits Symbolic Meaning:

Reinforces Knowledge & Power
 Women in the
workplace
Women's Dress:
Does NOT focus on their power
Instead it draws attention to their physical development

Womens clothing is usually form- fitting styles, clingy

material, and revealing cuts encouraging women to perform
femininity and sexuality Susan O Byrne
Dressing to Stand Out
Dressing this way allows women to be taken serious

Is this an example of equality?

Less Focus on Knowledge and more on fashion
 First impressions
In most cases the dress makes the man or
woman. The costume, someone wears at
work, at a social gathering or in an interview
affects the perception and the opinion created
on the capabilities and preferences
(Arvanitidou & Gasouka, 2013).
Who are you more likely
to hire?
 Does fashion affect 1 st

impressions?
Professor Ben C. Fletcher states, People make their
assessments in the first few seconds of seeing
another; assessments that go way beyond how well
you are dressed and how neat and tidy you might
look.
Judgments have been made within seconds

Assumptions that have been created:

Social Class
Economic class
Cultural Background
Sexuality
 The future of dress
Equality within fashion

Is the fashion industry shifting?

Is Unisex clothing becoming socially acceptable?

Guccis men's runway January 2016

Models of both genderswaifish male
models and boyish female models alikewere wearing
silhouettes, fabrications, and items of clothing that
traditionally appear in womenswear collections. Nic
Screws
 The Shift Towards
Equality
Is Gucci focused on the greater good or
Profit $$$$
 Sources:
Arvanitidou, Z., & Gasouka, M. (2013). Construction of Gender through
Fashion and Dress. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences , 4 (11).
Fletcher, Ben C. What Your Clothes Might Be Saying About You. 20 April
2013. 18 November 2016 <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/do-
something-different/201304/what-your-clothes-might-be-saying-about-
you>.
Michelman, S. O., & Miller- Spillman, K. A. Fashion and Dress. Retrieved
October 12, 2016, from I Love To Know: <http
://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-history-eras/fashion-gender- dress
>
Wood, J. T., & Fixmer- Oraiz, N. (2015). Gendered Lives. Boston, MA:
Cengage Learning.
Screws, Nic. "Men's Fashion Is Headed for a Gender-Bending
Moment Unseen Since the '70s." Bloomberg.com.
Bloomberg, 6 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
 Thank you!

Do you have any Questions?