Significance of the Attire of Men and Women in the 18th Century Essay

Significance of the Attire of Men and Women in the 18th Century The attire of men and women in the eighteenth century cemented the roles they were supposed to play. The style of do dress belied his nature as somewhat more free from restrictions whereas the woman, bound by corsets and strict dress-codes found herself held back in clothing as in order. A sphere of influence, behavior and conduct was assigned to both sexes each was valued for different qualities. These gender distinctions do not allow any product between the two sexes. (Marsden, 21) In light of this, society viewed cross-dressing (the practice of one gender dressing themselves in the attire of the other) as a threat to its suffer structure. For a woman to forsake the clothes and character of women for that of men sounded monstrous. Such a practice would create sexual ambiguity - a woman would charter the clothes of a man and thus the manner and actions of a man, yet her physical nature denied her that right. Cross-dressing creates monstrations - a woman ceases to be a woman by and by she has assumed male garb and can never hope to be a man. An aversion to cross-dressing has its roots in the Bible The women shall not wear thin that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a womans garment for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God (qtd. in Garber, 28). On August 13, 1597 Queen Elizabeth announced a sumptuary (dealing with attire) proclamation which defined the separate categories for mens and womens apparel each took the form of a hanker list of proscribed items of dress with an indication of who alone was permitted to wear them (Garber, 26). This law sought to prohibit the rise in classes that was transpiring - ambitious ind... ...both may wear the prototypical shirt and pants, the gender distinctions become blur. Men feared the idea of women as sexually aggressive as men - or perhaps worse, women who prosecute other women. mite simply, the idea of gend er-swapping caused fear and anger. Individuals designed the practice to work outside of the uniform social structure such actions were seen as threats to the social structure. Thus, society acted strictly towards those who thought themselves above social gender laws. Works CitedGarber, Marjorie. Vested Interests Cross Dressing and Cultural Anxiety. New York Routledge. 1992. 21-41, 211-215. Marsden, Jean I. Modesty Unshackled Dorothy Jordan and the Dangers of Cross-Dressing. Studies in Eighteenth-Century Culture vol. 22. Ed. by Patricia B. Craddock and Carla H. Hay. East Lansing, Michigan Colleagues Press Inc. 1992. 21-36.