Great post, and completely on. The commenters above are missing the point. Yes, at face value, it's just a cardigan. Duh. At face value, high-heeled shoes are shoes that can be cute and make you look cute. Look a little deeper. Examine our cultural roles and the real why, why, why, why of fashion as it is intertwined with culture. Why is it taboo for men to wear skirts? Why is women's hair typically longer than a guys? This is our culture and you need to understand how it shapes your entire life without even knowing it-- as do subtle gender messages. It's easy to look at a country like Iraq and think "why don't the women care they're seen as second class citizens?" --Can you even start to think of a message like that with regard to your own life? Or even the opposite of her thoughts-- why isn't the industry making "girlfriend-shirts" for men? Even metro tight-t-shirt-wearing men? Hm, cultural and gendered norms anyone?!??!?!
Great post, and completely on. The commenters above are missing the point. Yes, at face value, it's just a cardigan. Duh. At face value, high-heeled shoes are shoes that can be cute and make you look cute. Look a little deeper. Examine our cultural roles and the real why, why, why, why of fashion as it is intertwined with culture. Why is it taboo for men to wear skirts? Why is women's hair typically longer than a guys? This is our culture and you need to understand how it shapes your entire life without even knowing it-- as do subtle gender messages. It's easy to look at a country like Iraq and think "why don't the women care they're seen as second class citizens?" --Can you even start to think of a message like that with regard to your own life? Or even the opposite of her thoughts-- why isn't the industry making "girlfriend-shirts" for men? Even metro tight-t-shirt-wearing men? Hm, cultural and gendered norms anyone?!??!?!