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Women On Tumblr Unite To Prove That Not All Old Fashion Statements Were A Tool Of Patriarchy
Most of us have seen and probably laughed at the ridiculous fashion of the days of the past, especially the over-the-top skirts that took up half of the room. Luckily for us, ladies, we live in the world where (for the most part) we’re free to wear what we want and no longer need to show off our social status by donning constricting garments. Yet while we might look back at the mind-boggling contraptions that women wore a couple of centuries ago, people of Tumblr had their own ideas about it. When someone wearing a hoop skirt as an experiment said that they feel “oppressed by the patriarchy”, one user started a thread explaining how some of the fashion choices of the past eras were actually liberating. You thought those skirts were clumsy and uncomfortable? Well, maybe they’re a good way to escape unwanted attention? Scroll down below to see what people had to say and don’t forget to let us know what you think!
Facebook cover image credits: Bottle Green Bustle
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What do you think ?
Lila Launehase 7 years ago
I wonder what would a victorian lady think of us women today?Would she be wondering, if the men force us to show so much skin, to wear so thin shirts where you sometimes basically can see everything. Trousers so tight you can see a "camel toe" and so on. Of course, women had less rights back then ect ect. But the style was just "WOW". The times were more slowly and you had to take your time to dress properly. In times of fast fashion, where t-shirts barely survive two rides in the washing machine I sometimes envy those women. Again: Only in the way they dressed!
Dilly Millandry 7 years ago
I don't know but, could it be possible, that there was so little to do for a wealthy lady that taking ages to dress was a good thing?
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Elisabeth Lavigne 7 years ago
http://peersdance.org/vamp18.html I have been a few times!
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Blue Cicada 7 years ago
It is my understanding that these fashions also showcased a person's wealth, because more cloth was needed to create the dresses to fit over the hoops, bustles, etc. Only a wealthy person could afford such large quantities of expensive cloth.
Hayley Lightcap 7 years ago
Words of advice, I would recommend starting small with trainers. There are some very fashionable corset trainers out there that are a good start for beginners.
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C Pryce 7 years ago
In 150 years time, women will be insisting that todays PornStar, Playboy, etc clothes, stripper shoes, huge fake lashes, boob jobs and hair extensions were inflicted by the patriarchy. Women tend to dress to impress other women, in my experience. If a guy fancies a girl he wont notice whether she's in a miniskirt or a mumu!
Tisha Bell 7 years ago
My wedding dress had a 'fashion' corset, and lord that simplified version of one took 9-10 minutes just to tie correctly and was just as restrictive. But I felt pretty badass in it.
The Girl on Fire 7 years ago
I actually like Victorian fashion more than the skin-tight, revealing c**p that is "in" nowadays.
Grumble O'Pug 7 years ago
I loved wearing a corset back in the 90's. Though I think a hoop would be fun to wear, frankly panniers would be even better. I like the corsets from the 18th century better.
Michelle Landers 7 years ago
A part of what patriarchal oppression *is* is developing physical expectations for women and then mocking them both for conforming to them and the failure to conform to them. Of course men mocked hoop skirts, bustles, etc. Of course they also mocked women for *not* wearing hoop skirts, bustles, etc, much like how today women are mocked both for wearing makeup and not wearing makeup, exposing skin and not exposing skin, and so on. The core premise of the original post appears to be that hoop skirts were a fantastic alternative to stiffened petticoats -- and perhaps they were! Where did the obligation to have full skirts come from in the first place, though? Where did the obligation to skirts, period, come from? What were the social rammification for not wearing skirts, or for wearing skirts which didn't fully disguise the fact that women possess legs?
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Lila Launehase 7 years ago
I wonder what would a victorian lady think of us women today?Would she be wondering, if the men force us to show so much skin, to wear so thin shirts where you sometimes basically can see everything. Trousers so tight you can see a "camel toe" and so on. Of course, women had less rights back then ect ect. But the style was just "WOW". The times were more slowly and you had to take your time to dress properly. In times of fast fashion, where t-shirts barely survive two rides in the washing machine I sometimes envy those women. Again: Only in the way they dressed!
Dilly Millandry 7 years ago
I don't know but, could it be possible, that there was so little to do for a wealthy lady that taking ages to dress was a good thing?
Load More Replies... Elisabeth Lavigne 7 years ago
http://peersdance.org/vamp18.html I have been a few times!
Load More Replies... Blue Cicada 7 years ago
It is my understanding that these fashions also showcased a person's wealth, because more cloth was needed to create the dresses to fit over the hoops, bustles, etc. Only a wealthy person could afford such large quantities of expensive cloth.
Hayley Lightcap 7 years ago
Words of advice, I would recommend starting small with trainers. There are some very fashionable corset trainers out there that are a good start for beginners.
Load More Replies... C Pryce 7 years ago
In 150 years time, women will be insisting that todays PornStar, Playboy, etc clothes, stripper shoes, huge fake lashes, boob jobs and hair extensions were inflicted by the patriarchy. Women tend to dress to impress other women, in my experience. If a guy fancies a girl he wont notice whether she's in a miniskirt or a mumu!
Tisha Bell 7 years ago
My wedding dress had a 'fashion' corset, and lord that simplified version of one took 9-10 minutes just to tie correctly and was just as restrictive. But I felt pretty badass in it.
The Girl on Fire 7 years ago
I actually like Victorian fashion more than the skin-tight, revealing c**p that is "in" nowadays.
Grumble O'Pug 7 years ago
I loved wearing a corset back in the 90's. Though I think a hoop would be fun to wear, frankly panniers would be even better. I like the corsets from the 18th century better.
Michelle Landers 7 years ago
A part of what patriarchal oppression *is* is developing physical expectations for women and then mocking them both for conforming to them and the failure to conform to them. Of course men mocked hoop skirts, bustles, etc. Of course they also mocked women for *not* wearing hoop skirts, bustles, etc, much like how today women are mocked both for wearing makeup and not wearing makeup, exposing skin and not exposing skin, and so on. The core premise of the original post appears to be that hoop skirts were a fantastic alternative to stiffened petticoats -- and perhaps they were! Where did the obligation to have full skirts come from in the first place, though? Where did the obligation to skirts, period, come from? What were the social rammification for not wearing skirts, or for wearing skirts which didn't fully disguise the fact that women possess legs?
Load More Replies... 
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