Why Women Wear What They WearEach morning we establish an image and an identity for ourselves through the simple act of getting dressed. Why Women Wear What They Wear presents an intimate ethnography of clothing choice. The book uses real women's lives and clothing decisions - observed and discussed at the moment of getting dressed - to illustrate theories of clothing, the body and identity. Woodward pieces together what women actually think about clothing, dress and the body in a world where popular media and culture presents an increasingly extreme and distorted view of femininity and the ideal body. Immediately accessible to all those who have stood in front of a mirror and wondered 'does this make me look fat?', 'is this skirt really me?' or 'does this jacket match?', Why Women Wear What They Wear provides students of anthropology and fashion with a fresh perspective on the social issues and constraints we are all consciously or unconsciously negotiating when we get dressed. |
Contents
Acknowledgements | |
Introduction | |
Understanding Women and Their Wardrobes | |
Hanging Out in the Home and the Bedroom | |
But What Were You Wearing? Clothes and Memories | |
The Aesthetics of Getting Dressed | |
Seeing and Being Seen | |
Dressing in Relationships | |
Making and Breaking the Rules | |
Can You Wear Jeans? | |
Conclusions | |
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Common terms and phrases
act of dressing Alice ambivalences Anthias appearance aspects becomes bedroom biography body image body shape bought Boy George camisole chapter clothing women colours combination comfortable conformity consider construct context create crucial cultural defined denim denim skirt discussed domains Emanuela embodied ethnicity ethnography example external fabric fashion feel femininity former friends gender getting dressed habitual clothing hair hanging husband ideal identity through clothing individual involves items of clothing jeans Joanna leather skirt lives London look Louise magazines make-up male gaze material mini-skirt mirror mother mother’s multiple Mumtaz normative Nottingham objectification outfit particular Patsy personal aesthetic potential practice reflection relationship rituals Rosie Rosie’s Sadie Sadie’s sari sartorial seen selected shift shirt shoes shops skirt style Theresa trousers understanding Vivienne Vivienne’s wardrobe wearer Whilst woman woman’s women are able women choose women I interviewed women wear women’s clothing choices wore worn