Fashion, Women and Power

Denise N. Rall

Description

This book addresses the relationships between fashion, women and power. One of the constants within the book is to question the enduring relationship between women and dress and how these inform and articulate the ways in which women remain represented as either suitable or not for public office and their behaviour is informed through dress when they are in power. The book critiques the interplays between politics, power, class, race and expectation in relation to the everyday practice of getting dress and the more performative and symbolic function of dress as embodiment. 

As never before, women are in positions of political power, and find themselves facing the maelstroms of mass media regarding their fashion, their deportment, and their right to govern. The contributors offer a wide set of perspectives on women and their roles, and their fashions when taking up powerful positions in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States.

From the United Kingdom, the historical issues surrounding the movement towards ‘rational dress’ for women seeking their rights to vote and exercise are interrogated. The volume also explores viewpoints from East Asia, such as the constricting role for ‘common’ women upon entering the Imperial family in Japan. From the United States come the troublesome media stories engulfing two significant American Democratic First Ladies, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Michelle Obama.

From New Zealand, the media reports on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern upon her motherhood while serving in the office and on her clothing during the 2019 Christchurch massacre comprise a much-needed contribution to the literature on women, politics and dress.

Further, the role of dress in politics broadly as a form of resistance, will be examined in Australia from recent skirmishes over ‘appropriate dress’ with ex-prime minister Julia Gillard and other Australian female politicians. The role of women and what their fashion selections mean continues via considerable debate during worldwide events. Finally, the theme of resistance and social media continues with an examination of protest dressing in the recent street battles in Hong Kong to how young Asian women have been influenced by the social media campaigns to encourage wearing the veil in Indonesia, to Asian women negotiating femininity in political dress.

Primary readership will be among researchers, scholars, educators and students in the fields of fashion, dress studies, women and gender studies and media and history. It will be of particular value as at graduate level and as a supplementary resource. There may be some general appeal to those with an interest in the women or cultures at the centre of the discussions.

Overview

Denise N. Rall

Section I: Theoretical Approaches to Women in Leadership and Political Fashion

Denise N. Rall with Jo Turney

Case Studies I: Gender, Politics & Identity: Lessons from Past and Present

Chapter 1. Rational Dress ‘As an Expression of the Fin-de-Siecle Aspiration Towards Equality of the Sexes’

Madeleine Seys

 

Chapter 2. Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Premier: Fashion and performing gender

Sarah Baker

 

 Chapter 3. An Empress’s Wardrobe Unlock’d: Empress Masako and Japan’s Princess Fashions

Emerald L. King and Megan Rose

 

Case Studies II. Making Politics through Fashion

  

Chapter 4. Women Politicians, Fashion, and the Media in Australia from Enid Lyons to Julia Gillard

Amanda Laugesen

 

Chapter 5. Dressing up two Democratic First Ladies: Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama

Denise N. Rall, Jo Coghlan, Lisa J. Hackett and Annita Boyd

 

Chapter 6. Codes of Power: Transforming the Dress and Appearance of female Asian politicians

Jennifer Craik and Anne Peirson-Smith

 

Case Studies III. Women and Power: Social Media, Politics and Resistance

 Chapter 7. Leopard in Kitten Heels: The politics of Theresa May’s sartorial choices

Rachel Evans

 

Chapter 8. Felix Siauw: Storyteller, Preacher and Profiteer: Fashioning a New Brand of Islam in Indonesia

Rheinhard Sirait

 

Chapter 9. All Dressed in Black: decoding the gendered liminal appearance of protest in Hong Kong

Anne Peirson-Smith and Jennifer Craik

Sujets

• Women in Politics
• Political Science
• Women
• Fashion
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Cultural Studies
• Mode (habillement)

Informations

• Publié par: Intellect Books
• Date de parution: 10 décembre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781789384628
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

Fashion, Women and Power

Fashion, Women and Power

e Politics of Dress

edited by Denise N. Rall

Bristol, UK / Chicago, USA

Fîrst publîshed în the UK în 2022 by Intellect, The Mîll, Parnall Road, Fîshponds, Brîstol, BS16 3JG, UK

Fîrst publîshed în the USA în 2022 by Intellect, The Unîversîty o Chîcago Press, 1427 E. 60th Street, Chîcago, IL 60637, USA

Copyrîght © 2022 Intellect Ltd All rîghts reserved. No part o thîs publîcatîon may be reproduced, stored în a retrîeval system, or transmîtted, în any orm or by any means, electronîc, mechanî- cal, photocopyîng, recordîng, or otherwîse, wîthout wrîtten permîssîon.

A catalogue record or thîs book îs avaîlable rom the Brîtîsh Lîbrary.

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Prînt ISBN 978-1-78938-461-1 ePDF ISBN 978-1-78938-462-8 ePUB ISBN 978-1-78938-463-5

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To the Honourable Julia Eileen Gillard AC, first emale prime minister o Australia.

Contents

Foreword Prudence Black Preace Denise N. Rall Acknowledgements Introductîon: Theoretîcal Approaches to Fashîon, Power and Women’s Leadershîp Denise N. Rall and Jo Turney

PART I: GENDER, POLITICS AND IDENTITY: LESSONS FROM PAST AND PRESENT

1. Ratîonal Dress ‘As an Expressîon o thefin-de-siècleAspîratîon Towards Equalîty o the Sexes’ Madeleine Seys 2. Prîme Mînîster Jacînda Ardern: Fashîon and Perormîng Gender Sarah Baker 3. An Empress’s Wardrobe Unlock’d: Empress Masako and Japan’s Imperîal Fashîons Emerald L. King and Megan Rose

PART II: MAKING POLITICS THROUGH FASHION

4. Women Polîtîcîans, Fashîon and the Medîa în Australîa: Enîd Lyons to Julîa Gîllard Amanda Laugesen

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5. ‘Dressîng Up’ Two Democratîc Fîrst Ladîes: Fashîon as Polîtîcal Perormance în Amerîca Denise N. Rall, Jo Coghlan, Lisa J. Hackett and Annita Boyd 6. Codes o Power: Transormîng the Dress and Appearance o Female Asîan Polîtîcîans Jennier Craik and Anne Peirson-Smith

PART III: WOMEN AND DRESS: SOCIAL MEDIA, POLITICS AND RESISTANCE

7. Leopard în Kîtten Heels: The Polîtîcs o Theresa May’s Sartorîal Choîces Rachel Evans 8. Felîx Sîauw, Storyteller, Preacher and Profiteer: Fashîonîng a New Brand o Islam în Indonesîa Rheinhard Sirait 9. All Dressed în Black: The Gendered Appearance o Protest Anne Peirson-Smith and Jennier Craik

Notes on Contrîbutors

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Foreword

Prudence Black

‘Taking Clothes Out o the Equation’: The Politics o Dress

Women are oten judged by what they wear, and women în publîc oice obvî- ously have many more eyes on them. In the first quarter o the twenty-first century, the numbers are alarmîng, as only 57 countrîes o the 193 member natîons o the Unîted Natîons have had a woman as eîther prîme mînîster or presîdent (Gîllard and Okonjo 2020: 19). A graphîc dîsplay o the male bîas în world polîtîcs îs seen în the photo o the G20 economîc orum în 2010 (see Plate î). Women leaders when they do attaîn posîtîons o power, have to negotîate theîr occupancy o these largely male spaces. As wrîter and hîstorîan, Rosemary Hîll saîd about polîtîcs:

It’s never been arranged or us and our convenîence […] so î you want to stand out, or you want to fit în, or you want to appear authorîtatîve, or you want to dîsappear în the background, your clothes are goîng to be încredîbly împortant în the way that you negotîate that. (Hîll 2018: n.pag.)

Women’s clothîng may need to stake theîr ground în a polîtîcal world, but that means theîr appearance becomes open or crîtîcîsm (Akou 2011; Allman 2004). Is ît possîble to take clothes out o the equatîon? In October 2018, the oicîal portraît o ex-Prîme Mînîster o Australîa Julîa Gîllard was unveîled at Parlîament House, Canberra. Gîllard was the first emale prîme mînîs- ter în Australîa (2010–13), and she made the conscîous decîsîon to have a acîal portraît (see Plate îî). She saîd to Vîncent Fantauzzo, the artîst who

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