Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Women & Fashion Through The Ages


Why is it that women through the generations have allowed society to dictate what we should wear and how we should look?

We often think that only now through the avenue of magazines and TV's are we being dictated too by various editors in a war to make women feel less than who they are.

Yet when we look back at history women have always allowed others to impose their view on how they should look.

Centuries ago women turned their hair almost into an ornament as they wore wigs or twisted their own hair into huge monuments. This craze probably began with Marie Antoinette, but I wonder what health problems accompanied such a look? Surely by carrying such a weight on their heads it would have impacted on their fragile necks? Yet women preferred to neglect their health for vanity.

In the days of the crinoline and no matter what the weather women would strap themselves into these large voluminous dresses with hoops. Can you imagine wearing such clothes in searing heat?

In the Victorian and Edwardian Era's women allowed their waists to be so cinched in that it was a wonder how they could breathe, let alone eat. Which leaves me to wonder if they had digestive problems later in life?

Why hundreds of years later are we still allowing ourselves to be dictated too? Who are these arbiters of fashion who give out the message that if you are not a size 2 then you are not deemed worthy to exist.

No wonder young girls are growing up confused about how they should look. It is time that Mothers help their daughters find a look that suits them and not follow these fashion nazi's who totally demoralize your children.

Let's not follow history. Instead lets learn from it and dress to suit ourselves and not an industry which relies on making women feel awful about themselves.

What do YOU think?