The Social Construct of Fashion Choices. Trousers, Earrings, Skirts, and Kente Cloth

ABSTRACT

The concept , society, influences the idea of gender. Gender does not operate in a vacuum but it rather relies on society. Thus, what one society sees as acceptable is not necessarily considered acceptable in another society. This study investigates the influence of society on gender based fashion choices in three societies. These societies are Ghana , USA and Indian societies. The study does the analysis from four perspectives: wearing of skirts , trousers , earrings and kente cloth. In the end the work comes to the conclusion that gender influences how people dress. With respect to kente, the study found out that it was perceived as a unisex cloth. But for trousers, skirts and earrings , there was not a general acceptance of these choices as unisex cloth in the three societies studied . The differences in how these societies perceive fashion choices show that gender indeed is a social construct and fashion choices that surround a specific gender is invariably influenced by society.

INTRODUCTION

Human beings have existed on this earth for thousands of years, therefore culture has developed. Culture is the way of life of a group of people. Christians believe that Heaven and Earth was created by god. This is a belief shared also by Muslims and Jews. Other religions also have a story of creation. However scientists on the other half posits that the earth come about through a major event called the big bang. They continue that gradually living things started to evolve on this earth. Per this claim of scientists human beings evolved from apes. Then gradually human beings transitioned from food gathering to food production. They developed habitats and developed means of communication. Whether you look at it from the religious or scientific position, one thing that is clear is that there exist human societies. This study has the intent of researching how society influences fashion choices . The subsequent chapter, that is the literature review, will delve thoroughly into the issue. This section will only deal with what influenced this study. The study of human society began in the late 8th century A.D. and extended to modern days . Scholars like Durkheim , Marx, Engels, Comte , Weber pioneered the field of sociology. This work looks at gender and fashion choices. It is important to note that gender itself is influenced by society. The study of society helps create understanding for various norms found in such society. There is a popular saying , ”When you go to Rome do what the Romans do”, the import of this saying is that what may be acceptable in one society is not necessarily going to be acceptable in another society. In Ghana to greet an elderly one with the left hand is frowned upon but in other societies it is okay to do so. The world today has got to a stage of gender awareness. There seems to be a scuffle between females and males. And also there seems to be a harmonious struggle for equality for all genders. This depends on how one decides to see it. Gender issues have been brought to the mainstream. People are willing to break the stereotypes created then. Arguments have been raised against gender roles as taught from childhood. Some societies seem to be moving quickly towards this issue of demystifying some peculiar myths about gender. Proponents of equality have been fierce in their battle. They have made their points clear. In Ghana since 2018 , there have been at least two social media feminist groups battling for equal opportunities for females. One being the Pepper Dem movement, there other being the Sugar Dem movements . The Sugar Dem movements seems to be more toned down in its approach whilst the Pepper Dem movement is more aggressive towards it cause. Just as racism, people who benefit from inequality are the fiercest critics. Men who feel challenged by feminist groups call them arrogant and witches and etc. The fight is still on . Women are fighting for equal opportunities whilst some men are resisting fiercely because they feel threatened. This study wades into this issue. The study deals with an important question. Are men and women the same? There was a time where women had little opportunities in some societies but are now enjoying massive opportunities whilst in some societies women still continue to be marginalised . The disparity in the way different societies deal with issues confirms the idea that the issue is not about tradition than more of a lack of willingness to subject culture to review and the outmoded elements being taken out. Society plays a big role in how women are treated. The indoctrination that both men and women are exposed to plays a role in the relationship that exist between them. The focus on the write up as already stated is to understand how society influences fashion choices in both men and women. Fashion being a broad term, this write-up will only focus on trousers, earring and skirts. Society’s role in the gender fashion choices will be thoroughly examined.

MOTIVATION OF STUDY

The essence of this study is to try to understand how gender issues border on society. The focus of the study is fashion choices for various gender. But it must be noted that gender barriers can be seen in almost aspects of life. The study is motivated by the need to understand how fashion choices can be or are influenced society. The study tries to understand if there is a need to conform to societal norms even in the how we dress. Thus in a nutshell, the study is deeply influenced by the dire need to understand how society plays a role in how people dress or choose their apparel

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Are men and women the same when it comes to fashion?

How does society influence gender fashion choices?

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This study is very relevant in gender studies. The findings of this study will serve an important role in the appreciation of issues of gender. The study seeks to understand how society influences fashion choices and thus the result of this study are very significant. If there study is able to find the correlation between society and fashion choices, it will be beneficial. Thus in essence the study is very relevant

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The theoretical framework for this work will be the gender theory. Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-being Research (2014) defines gender theory as “ the study of what is understood as masculine and/or feminine and/or queer behavior in any given context, community, society, or field of study (including, but not limited to, literature, history, sociology, education, applied linguistics, religion, health sciences, philosophy, cultural studies). The term sex refers to categories of the biologically observable human body, female and male or intersex (i.e., nature), while the term gender refers to the categories of social expectations, roles, and behaviors, feminine and masculine (i.e., what is nurtured). Some argue, however, that even biological sex is socially constructed and that masculine and feminine behaviors may be rooted in physiology as well”

Smith (2020) says “Gender theory developed in the academy during the 1970s and 1980s as a set of ideas guiding historical and other scholarship in the West. In social history it particularly thrived in the United States and Great Britain, with far fewer followers on the European continent. Essentially this theory proposed looking at masculinity and femininity as sets of mutually created characteristics shaping the lives of men and women. It replaced or challenged ideas of masculinity and femininity and of men and women as operating in history according to fixed biological determinants. In other words, removing these categories from the realm of biology, it made a history possible. For some, the idea of "gender history" was but another term for women's history, but for others gender theory transformed the ways in which they approached writing and teaching about both men and women. To some extent it may be hypothesized that the major change brought about by gender theory was that it complicated the study of men, making them as well as women gendered historical subjects.” Since this work revolves around the societal construct of fashion choices , gender theory can be used to understand how some fashion choices are perceived to be feminine or masculine. Thus gender theory is very relevant towards the understanding of issues that hover around fashion choices.

HISTORY OF TROUSERS

Kingandallen.co.uk(2016) says “ Trousers have been worn in the Western world since ancient times. They are now the most common form of lower-body clothing for men. Practical and comfortable, there’s no wonder that they’ve been adopted by both sexes as part of their everyday dress. Trousers were first invented because robes are uncomfortable to wear on horseback. In fact, those who wore trousers in battle had the upper hand over those who wore robes. For this reason, civilisations all over the world adopted this form of dress to survive battle. It goes on to start that trousers then transitioned into other shapes and in the late nineteen century women also began to wear trousers.” Again , Wolter (2020) writes , “ The Greeks and Romans of the Classical period thought of trousers as the "garb of the Barbarians," from whom they vehemently strove to distinguish themselves. When, in the second and third centuries C.E., Roman soldiers, and later, common people, began to adopt trousers for practical purposes, it was forbidden to wear them on pain of punishment in Rome. However, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire (fifth century C.E.), Roman dress no longer set the standards for all of Europe.” Beinlinge(2018) writes “ (separate, unattached coverings for each leg) with trusses (a kind of short undergarment) became common throughout Europe. In the early and high Middle Ages, leg coverings-woolen, fastened to the belt of the truss, under long clothes or short tunics-served as protection from cold and as functional clothing.” Women as well wore leg coverings in cold weather or when traveling. Bellatory.com(2020) adds that trousers emanated from Asia and spread to Europe. It makes an assertion that zippers were introduced in 1890. Bellatory.com (2020) observes that , ” Until the 20th century, Western culture restricted the wearing of pants as an essential garment to men. Before the 20th century, women wore loose pantalettes or drawers under dresses for modesty and warmth. Though actual pants were sometimes seen on women in the late 1800s and in the early part of the 20th century, it was not until the 1970s that the wearing of trousers by women was accepted for business or dress occasions.” Barn (2019) states why throughout history women were barred from wearing trousers and until recent history. This issue is what this write up will be dealing with. Barn(2019) says “ The reasons that Western societies (that is, the men in them) have devised for barring women from covering each leg individually have often fallen back on these sorts of appeals to tradition and values. Gayle Fischer, an associate professor of history at Salem State University and author of Pantaloons and Power: A Nineteenth-Century Dress Reform in the United States, explained on NPR in 2017 that authorities have frequently pointed to the values dictated by the Bible as their justification for reinforcing skirt-wearing. Deuteronomy 22:5 states that women should not wear men’s clothes and men should not wear women’s.

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