Ashley Neal
“Momma always said you could tell a lot by someone’s shoes. Where they’ve been, where they’re going.”₁ Women’s character has been marked for years by what they have worn. Not necessarily just in the workplace, but in history. Times have changed from where women wore skirts down to their ankles, to flappers, and now to mini skirts that barely cover anything. Women’s fashion statements have always expressed their character, morality, perception of themselves, and status in society.
Throughout the years, the senses of clothing and style have changed immensely, and each of those changes has represented the character of the woman wearing them. For example, when the pilgrims came to America, the women wore long skirts and dresses, representing that they were Christ-like and modest. The modesty, along with what is considered good morality, diminished largely in the 1920’s when the Flappers began to dress in shorter dresses to impress men while dancing for them. Over the past ninety years, the “immodest” apparel worn by the women of the 1920’s, has become acceptable as well as becoming tighter, shorter, and more revealing, which is also a result of the decrease in morality.
Many different women become feminists, or often complain about the markings and expectations placed on them. There is not one specific gender or age group that sets markings on women though. Most men argue that if a woman does not dress according to their standards, they are in “refusal to please them”.2 Therefore, many markings are set on women by men. Magazines and media set the standard of what is in style or fashionable, and generally make women feel insecure if they do not follow the standards the people writing the magazine may set. Also, the elderly set a mark on women due to the values they grew up with. For example, they feel that a woman wearing a short dress is very immodest and unmoral because they were taught that women should dress in long dresses or pants; shorts and...