clothes, classes & gender difference throughout history

8/3/2019 Clothes, Classes & Gender Difference Throughout History

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Running head: CLOTHES, CLASSES & GENDER DIFFERENCE THROUGHOUT

HISTORY

Clothes, Classes & Gender Difference throughout History

Mutlu Tevfik Koak

Sabanci University


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Abstract

Why womens clothes have buttons on the left? Why mens clothes arent so dressy as womens?

Why male babies clothes are blue? In this paper is asserted that differences between two genders

clothes are set by their living habits directly depending on their societys historic period,

patriarchal or matriarchal position, distribution of genders by jobs, value given by society to a

specific gender. The difference between man and woman clothes is decreasing due to the rights,

respect and working job positions obtained by woman.


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Clothes, Classes & Gender Difference throughout History

If a woman goes to work with night attire, it is normal to think if she works at a night event

like a party however would be unlikely to think if she is a diver or a crane operator. Having

ability of visual reading and using deterministic approach, makes every clue, symbol or sign

important as the subject itself. Every small detail has to be handled with care to understand a

persons job, social class, intent and even his or her purpose, if the subject is a person like

Sherlock Holmes written by Arthur Conan Doyle based on a Scottish doctor who inspect patients

20 seconds and says their disease.


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According to Marx, substructure relations defines superstructure relations. Here, Karl Marx

refers substructure as means and relations of production, and everything else as superstructure.

All of the topics in a person and societys life beauty, culture, art, philosophy, style of

living, religion and clothing directly depend on the way of production. Also Maslow, on his

Hierarchy of Needs says that, self actualization, esteem, love and belongingness needs are

coming after safety and physiological needs. By this, only the person who fulfills his or her basic

needs like eating, being safe, surviving, could think about needs like beauty, cultural or

entertainment. Also it is obvious that, this hierarchical relations are depended not only by one

side, but by each other. If someone has enormous amount of money but low health level, will not

be happy as predicted.


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Since the ancient times that humans are emerged and evolved, clothing is thought as a

mean of survival with only its functional meaning. Instead of esthetic or allure, thermo protection

was more important.

At same periods cave drawings, clothe diversities are emerged. Ancient human was hunter

and gatherer. Hunting was made by male, and gathering by female. In that time, human clothes


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were not different as in medieval. Due to the limited choice of clothing material and methods,

and quite equal social status of woman was preventing differentiation.

Also the societys patriarchal or matriarchal status was very important to having different

clothes. At the Ancient Egypt, womans social role was very important.


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Woman was seen as the symbol of force and wisdom. Also, woman, was conflict solver

when there was a problem at market.


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It is obvious that gender difference of clothes are very blurred. The only difference of

clothes, are between social classes. Slaves and workers were dressed with only functional needs.


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They were only some little amount of colors, same as ancient Rome and Greece.

After the loss of womans social position, clothes started to differentiate. Due to increasing

wars because of religion


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or new economical relations, men become more powerful than before. Due to essential use

of horse, being fast, using sword, removed skirt like long dresses from men clothing.

Roman Soldiers had skirts same as Scottish and Greek soldiers, but this skirts were

removed with functional needs. This fact only could be seen at ceremony corteges of Greek and

Scottish army. This removal and simplifying process also prepared the end of long hair, men

make-up (not finished but until Industrial revolution). Women continued to have this ornaments.


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The essentials of male clothing also have a military background. As the most powerful icon

of masculinity, necktie emerged after loss of Ottoman against Austrian Empire. As a victory

division, Croatian soldiers were visited French King at the year 1660, they were wearing tie like

cravats, to protect their necks from sword hits.

King loved this ornament and founded Croatian divisions at his army. By time French men

adopted neckties as essential ornament of men elegance. At years around 1970, peak of woman

equality movement, some women become wear neckties at work, as the symbol of gender

equality, however this give rise masculinization of woman argument. Another military adopted

cloth is long coats with extra fabric at right shoulder. Today no one knows what is used for. This


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classical coat has also shoulder straps. Obviously was a military uniform at French army, also

adopted by western society. Same thing exist at color preference of male.

At the 1800s of Indian Occupation, British Army Uniform was white. The white colored

soldiers were targeted and shot easily. Due to this more nature like colors are preferred for

military uniform. This was another fact that affected color preference of male clothing style. Men

become colorless than women.

Male become important and richer, resource of money and defined his rules at the society.

Much of the societies become patriarchal. Women lost their social position at market, at open


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places, working jobs. The only functional meaning of woman was physical beauty and being

mother of the child.


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Womens answer to this, only with survival intent, to highlight their physical esthetic and to

make efforts to be attractive for powerful male nominees as a natural system of patriarchal

society. One example of this fact at middle ages, with vulgar superstitions and dominance of

religion ignorance, was believed that male babies were targeted of cruel spiritual forces and

devil, only because of that male baby was important to continue family name, was dressed with

sky color that was believed that was a holy color of gods protection. (Due to god symbolized

with sky.)


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Girl babies had no colors. Only after industrial revolution, woman become to gain rights

and respect, baby pink is invented for girl babies as the color of flowers and femininity. Another

very important fact is about wedding dress.

At roman age, wedding dress was yellow, only diversity was veil if married woman

participating at feast, had to wear veil on the face. Royal Family of Britain had the tradition of

wearing silver colored wedding dresses. Queen Victoria denied to wear it and choose white

wedding dress.


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At Britain of age, white wedding dress become symbol of purity and virginity. Red belt is

another sign even worse. High-heels, stocking are similar signs adopted only by women, to

achieve eternal beauty for attraction and the only way of self-esteem and feminine power.

Working class of medieval and ancient time were without ornaments. Due to feudal system

of society and difference of classes, social dresses are emerged.


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Noble class, Priests and Royal class members had to wear discrete signs that shows their

member class, by the law.


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Most powerful symbol of this is the crown of the king. Starting by Renaissance,

Enlightment era and French revolution, class difference again started to be blurred. Ordinary

people become to work at factories.


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Men lost their last ornaments like make-up, wigs, lace silk clothes at this era of working.

With the crisis of capitalism, need of new workers and loss of pressure of the religion, women

first became workers at factories, and after started to be seen at different types of jobs.

Temporarily with the woman rights movement,


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woman clothes shown this change with same rhythm. In example, Coco Chanel was the

woman who first woman who wear trousers.


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This need was emerged because of her invited of hunting parties. With long skirt she had

no comfort, after she decided to create a hunting dress for herself with trousers. She worn this

new dresss black version and made revolution at western womens life. Also blue jean as the


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gold mine workers essential cloth, become an object of wild youth of 1960s. Women

participating this movement, wearing blue jean, transformed this innovation to a habit.

An interesting sign of difference of gender clothes that women has buttons on the left. At

the 17th century, buttons were made only from animal bones, and were too expensive. The only

woman that can afford was noble class. And they were wearing using servants.


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Just only for comforts of servants woman buttons are on the left. This fact shows the great

connection between class, gender and clothing.


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Consequentially, as the time women become more powerful and handles survival resources,

their clothes had the new purpose of only their comfort and needs, instead of only targeting being

attractive or being beautiful. Women of future, would be beautiful or attractive just only if she

wants or needs it.


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