FASHION, IMAGE, AND WOMEN

D. FASHION, IMAGE, AND WOMEN

1. The Basic Concept of Fashion

As a verb, fashion means “to make; shape; form; mold; contrive” (Nachbar and Lause: 300). Anna (the editor and web designer behind The Chic

Fashionista.com) stated that fashion is more of a show, a fantasy, the excitement Fashionista.com) stated that fashion is more of a show, a fantasy, the excitement

Fashion is closely related to style; “style is about being and existing. It's creating a statement with your cloth ing purely based on who you are” says Ana (ibid). Fashion can be illustrated by body ornamentations, such as clothes which indeed has some functions: communication, artifactual co-sender, protection, modesty, etc (Ibrahim in Barnard, p.viii).

“Fashion are ways of being common to a group; ways of dressing, eating or housing. They take on great importance in a society in which superabundance of consumer commodities frees the latter from their primary function (that of protection or nourishment) and allows them to function simply as the sign of

social status” (Gulraud, 1975, p.94).

Barthes stated that according to public opinion, fashion is still located within a mythology of unfettered creativity that enables it to evade both the systematic and the habitual, resting upon a rather romantic of an inexhaustible abundance of spontaneous creativity (Barthes, 2006, p.92). It means that society still has belief that fashion belongs to a myth which always extend its life without having limitation. Fashion is a spontaneous creativity which lets people to realize all ideas in their mind to be existed in the real life without being aware about habit

and systematic.

a. Fashion as Communication

For centuries individuals or groups apply clothes as a method of communication, Eco (1976) stated that clothes is semiotic tool, communication machine (Eco in Barnard, p.xiv). Communication itself can be defined as social For centuries individuals or groups apply clothes as a method of communication, Eco (1976) stated that clothes is semiotic tool, communication machine (Eco in Barnard, p.xiv). Communication itself can be defined as social

Clothes has communicative function; clothes, costume and ornamentation can be classified in the artifactual communication (communication through clothes and artifact construction, i.e. clothes, adornment, jewelry, button, or furniture and decoration). Since fashion and clothes bring nonverbal messages, thus they are classified into nonverbal communication (Ibrahim in Barnard, p.vi-vii).

It is clear that clothes, costume and ornamentation are nonverbal communication because they bring nonverbal message, and they can be classified into artifactual communication (communication which can be done by using clothes, adornment, jewelry, button, or furniture and decoration).

2. Fashion and Image

Fashion is not merely as a method to provide women beauty to others, but it is also a method to build image. Barthes stated that we choose our clothes to affirm who we are and how our personality (Barthes in Sukolo, 2009, p.33). Carlyle stated that clothes is emblems of the soul (Carlyle in Barnard, p.vi), so it is clear that fashion which is adhered on the body functions to enlighten personality, provides public mindset to build an image which represent the wearer. Moreover, clothes and fashion are applied to define social role. Clothes and Fashion is not merely as a method to provide women beauty to others, but it is also a method to build image. Barthes stated that we choose our clothes to affirm who we are and how our personality (Barthes in Sukolo, 2009, p.33). Carlyle stated that clothes is emblems of the soul (Carlyle in Barnard, p.vi), so it is clear that fashion which is adhered on the body functions to enlighten personality, provides public mindset to build an image which represent the wearer. Moreover, clothes and fashion are applied to define social role. Clothes and

Since the importance of fashion is to gain public image, it forces people to construct their own persona in order the public give them image based on uniqueness which they want to build; as what Barnard stated that fashion and clothes are method used by individual to differ themselves as individual and to show their uniqueness (Barnard, p.85). Since what we wear, how and when we wear clothe could provide identity; Barnard shows that Fashion and clothes as a method to communicate identities of class, gender, sex and social (Barnard, p.xiv).

Fashion is closely related to women‟s life, because women are the fashionable sex (Nachbar and Lause, 1992, p.300). Living in this modern era, women have subject positions that place them in the patriarchal work of

domesticity and beautification or, increasingly of being a mother and having career and being able to explore one‟s individuality and looking attractive

(Barker, 2000, p.314). In other words, women do many activities and variant roles (Barker, 2000, p.314). In other words, women do many activities and variant roles

Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between men and women, but also the relation of women to themselves (Beger in Nachbar and Lause, 1992, p.300).

According to Lourdes (an internationally recognized Image Consultant), women can be characterized based on their style personality: Feminine, natural, dramatic, and classic (Lourdes as cited in http://lourdesofstyle.com/tag/style- personality/ accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM).

a. Feminine

Feminine woman is a girlie girl, she is the caring and nurturing woman. She is soft and delicate in personality which then relates to their style. Woman in this type is usually quite soft spoken, she could make people around feel comfortable. In constructing her style, she prefers wearing fabrics which are soft, delicate and simple in design. Feminine woman loves clothing with pretty details, ruffles and bows. Moreover, she loves floral accessories such as a scarf &

pearls, brooches (http://lourdesofstyle.com/tag/style-personality/ accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM). In choosing color for her outfit, feminine woman tends to use pastel color or soft dusty such as off white, powder pink, lavender, peach or salmon pink can be lovely impression for a woman (Sukolo, 2009, p.41).

b. Natural

Lourdes stat es “the natural woman is a woman who is friendly and easy going; they are usually informal and very down to earth.” In choosing her outfits she

prefer to be comfortable, simple and practical. Natural woman is a kind of girl who tends to choose wearing jeans and T-shirts a lot of the time. They are athletic, and loves the outdoors activities; moreover, they loves freedom life (http://lourdesofstyle.com/tag/style-personality/ accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM). People in this type are active, outdoor and natural (Sukolo, 2009, p.37). Saleem (EzineArticles.com Expert Author) stated that casual style is preferred over the formal style to the easiness and comfort. It makes people feel at home and thus results in mental satisfaction (http://ezinearticles.com/?Casual-Style&id=4183614 accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 13:39 PM). Casual people tends to choose flat shoes rather than high heels, T-shirt chic rather than shirt with ruffles. However, they still can be fashionable by dressing colorful T-shirt (Sukolo, 2009, p.37). A bright colored lightweight tee shirt will keep you comfortable the whole day (Saleem in http://ezinearticles.com/?Casual-Style&id=4183614 accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 13:39 PM).

c. Dramatic

Woman in dramatic style love something that makes a statement. They love attention and tend to be leaders; their confidence makes other often feel a

February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM). People in this type are easy to attract public attention, and usually called as Drama Queen; that is people being public attention due to their whole brave appearance different to others, and they feel confidence with their style (Sukolo, 2009, p.35).

d. Classic

Classic woman usually seen to have a solid and timeless style, they show authority and wisdom. Lourdes states “their clothing sends the message of Authority,

maturity.” (http://lourdesofstyle.com/tag/style-personality/ accessed on Thursday,

February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM). Classic style is concern about elegant simplicity. Women in this style believe that they have natural attraction, gorgeous, and great. Classic style has eternal characteristic, and it reflects elegant in simplicity (Sukolo, 2009, p.43). Classic people dress more conservative than other fashionistas and their wardrobe consists of a lot of neutrals such as black, gray, navy blue and beige; this is a style many women tend to be drawn to because of the simplicity and chic'ness (http://www.thechicfashionista.com/classic-clothing-personality.html accessed on Monday, February 28, 2011, 09:50 AM). Ninomiya (a writer of ehow website) stated that every classic can be dressed up for weddings, funerals and professional settings. It can also be dressed down for nights on the town or after work occasions. The classic suit is dark and solid. (http://knol.google.com/k/how-to-build-a-classic-wardrobe#

accessed on accessed on

1. Top: A white, button-down, long-sleeved shirt can form the basis of a classic outfit. The white shirt is versatile and can be paired with a business suit or worn alone with a pencil skirt as part of a business casual outfit. A camisole in a rich color, such as gold, silver, navy, or bronze, can be worn as part of an evening outfit.

2. Bottoms: Choose pants that are black, navy, or gray, classic colors that can

be paired with a variety of tops to create different looks. Keep in mind that black pants are a versatile source for evening wear. A pencil skirt, in navy, black, or charcoal, can be a great asset to your work wardrobe. In terms of fabric, consider wool for winter and cotton for summer.

3. Dresses: A little black dress, cut in a classic and form-flattering fit, can carry you through many social occasions. Day dresses, such as the wrap dress, can

be found in a variety of materials (such as cottons and linens for summer and heavier knits for winter) and add an easy.

4. Suits: A classic, fitted pantsuit can provide you with the perfect basis for a work wardrobe. Black, navy, and charcoal are classic colors for women's suits. Beige can be worn in summer. A few camisoles, in colors such as ivory, coral, mint, and light blue, add a finishing touch.

5. Coats and Jackets: A fitted trench coat in black or beige and a heavy wool coat can take you from season to season. A smart blazer looks good with pants.

Talking about women and their roles in society, it cannot be separated from gender issue. Cullins (vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America) described gender as society's expectations about how a person is supposed to think and act based on whether they are a man or woman. It is biological, social, and legal status as women and men. She also stated that gender identity is how people feel about and express their gender and gender roles: clothing, behavior, and personal appearance (Cullins in http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/sexual-orientation- gender/gender-gender-identity-26530.htm accessed on Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 03:42 PM). The concepts of gender role is related to gender stereotype. When people relate a pattern how women or men should behave, they may neglect that actually women and men are different. People come to believe that the behavior is certainly associated with one gender but not the other. Therefore, gender roles provide the material for gender stereotypes. Whereas gender roles are defined by behaviors, gender stereotypes are defined by beliefs and attitudes about masculinity and femininity which is associated with the characteristics and personalities appropriate to men and women (Newsweek, 2000 as cited in http://www.ablongman.com/partners_in_psych/PDFs/Brannon/Brannon_ch07.pdf accessed on Monday, August 14, 2011, 06:45 PM). Cullins defined four basic kinds of gender stereotypes (Cullins in http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health- topics/sexual-orientation-gender/gender-gender-identity-26530.htm accessed on Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 03:42 PM), they are: Talking about women and their roles in society, it cannot be separated from gender issue. Cullins (vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America) described gender as society's expectations about how a person is supposed to think and act based on whether they are a man or woman. It is biological, social, and legal status as women and men. She also stated that gender identity is how people feel about and express their gender and gender roles: clothing, behavior, and personal appearance (Cullins in http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/sexual-orientation- gender/gender-gender-identity-26530.htm accessed on Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 03:42 PM). The concepts of gender role is related to gender stereotype. When people relate a pattern how women or men should behave, they may neglect that actually women and men are different. People come to believe that the behavior is certainly associated with one gender but not the other. Therefore, gender roles provide the material for gender stereotypes. Whereas gender roles are defined by behaviors, gender stereotypes are defined by beliefs and attitudes about masculinity and femininity which is associated with the characteristics and personalities appropriate to men and women (Newsweek, 2000 as cited in http://www.ablongman.com/partners_in_psych/PDFs/Brannon/Brannon_ch07.pdf accessed on Monday, August 14, 2011, 06:45 PM). Cullins defined four basic kinds of gender stereotypes (Cullins in http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health- topics/sexual-orientation-gender/gender-gender-identity-26530.htm accessed on Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 03:42 PM), they are:

b. Domestic behaviors – caring for children is often considered best done by women, while household repairs are often considered best done by men.

c. Occupations - until very recently most nurses and secretaries were usually women, and most doctors and construction workers were usually men.

d. Physical appearance - women are expected to be small and graceful, while men are expected to be tall and broad-shouldered.

Men‟s behavior differ to women‟s behavior because genetically they are different. Actually men want a woman should be more feminine and women want

a man should be more masculine. Cullins defined feminine traits as the ways of behaving that culture usually associates with being a girl or woman: dependent, emotional, passive, sensitive, quiet, graceful, innocent, weak, flirtatious, nurturing, self-critical, soft, sexually submissive, and accepting. Then masculine traits as the ways of behaving that culture usually associates with being a boy or man: independent, non-emotional, aggressive, tough-skinned, competitive, clumsy, experienced, strong, active, self-confident, hard, sexually aggressive, and rebellious (ibid). In other words, it can be meant that women were often described negatively as weak, coward, uncommunicative, and limited in doing activities. They are only dealing with household, giving birth, taking care of children and husband, and having limited right as a human being; then, men were often described more dominant and powerful. Meehan (1983) analyzed the stereotypes a man should be more masculine. Cullins defined feminine traits as the ways of behaving that culture usually associates with being a girl or woman: dependent, emotional, passive, sensitive, quiet, graceful, innocent, weak, flirtatious, nurturing, self-critical, soft, sexually submissive, and accepting. Then masculine traits as the ways of behaving that culture usually associates with being a boy or man: independent, non-emotional, aggressive, tough-skinned, competitive, clumsy, experienced, strong, active, self-confident, hard, sexually aggressive, and rebellious (ibid). In other words, it can be meant that women were often described negatively as weak, coward, uncommunicative, and limited in doing activities. They are only dealing with household, giving birth, taking care of children and husband, and having limited right as a human being; then, men were often described more dominant and powerful. Meehan (1983) analyzed the stereotypes

a. The imp: rebellious, asexual, tomboy

b. The good wife : domestic, attractive, home-centered

c. The harpy: aggressive, single

d. The bitch: sneak, cheat, manipulative

e. The victim: passive, suffers violence or accidents

f. The decoy: apparently helpless, actually strong

g. The siren: sexually lures men to a bad end

h. The courtesan: inhabits saloons, cabarets, prostitution

i. The witch: extra power, but subordinated to men j. The matriarch: authority of family role, older, desexed.

Beside those women stereotypes, there are the simple set of images effectively conveys some basics of sexism and racism as they are intertwined with the larger cultural stereotyping of beauty (Nachbar and Lause, 1992, p.296-299) :

a. Women are the pretty sex Whereas women‟s sexual attraction is centrally located in their physical, men‟s

chief allure emanates from their work, achievement, wealth, and social station, essentially from their power. The stereotype of feminine beauty designates women as sex objects, not only in the eyes of men who behold them, but also in their own eyes. Fashion thus becomes a social master and the female body.

b. Submission is beautiful and feminine beauty is submissive. “it is only when a woman surrenders her life to her husband, reveres and

worships him, and is willing to serve him, that she becomes really beautiful to him” (Morgan 96).

c. The image of the beautiful woman functions as an icon or symbol for the beliefs and values of the core culture.

beliefs that appeared during the 19th century, the Victorian era (Lewin, 1984c as cited in Newsweek, 2000). Before the 19th century, most people lived and worked on farms where men and women worked together. The Industrial Revolution changed the lives of a majority of people in Europe and North America by moving men outside the home to earn money and leaving women at home to manage households and children. This separation was extraordinary in history, forcing men and women to adapt to different environments and roles. As men coped with the cruel business and industrial world, women were left in the relatively the same and protected environments of their homes (Newsweek, 2000 as cited in http://www.ablongman.com/partners_in_psych/PDFs/Brannon/Brannon_ch07.pdf accessed on Saturday, August 13, 2011, 04:40 PM).

In the end of the 20 th century and the beginning of the 21 st century, it belongs to an era when the imbalance between masculine and feminine change to

be balance. Nowadays, feminism seems unneeded, and it has changed to be post- feminism. Post-feminism proves that equality between women and men is achieved yet, and it can be defined as the freedom of women in choosing how they experience their life without any restrictions from others so that they feel satisfied of their choice. McRobbie (an author of books and many articles on young women, popular culture, and feminism) pointed out that individuals must now choose the kind of life they want to live. They must become more spontaneous in observing every aspect of their lives, from making the right choice in marriage, to taking responsibility for their own working lives and not being be balance. Nowadays, feminism seems unneeded, and it has changed to be post- feminism. Post-feminism proves that equality between women and men is achieved yet, and it can be defined as the freedom of women in choosing how they experience their life without any restrictions from others so that they feel satisfied of their choice. McRobbie (an author of books and many articles on young women, popular culture, and feminism) pointed out that individuals must now choose the kind of life they want to live. They must become more spontaneous in observing every aspect of their lives, from making the right choice in marriage, to taking responsibility for their own working lives and not being

postfeminism.pdf accessed on Monday, August 8, 2011, 03:50 PM). It could be meant that people today could be more spontaneous to choose their own choice in drawing their life because they have freedom to do it.

Woman today can choose to have a family, a career, or both; they have roles which are supposed to be conducted in balance, they are: feminine and masculine. Appropriate characteristics for people in the home were the ones traditionally regarded as feminine while appropriate characteristics for people at work were those traditionally regarded as masculine (Poole and Tapley, 1988 in Sapiro, 2 nd , p.145). Nowadays, actually society‟s perspective on what is masculine and feminine are unworkable. Masculine and feminine is no longer be captured as how people truly feel, how they behave, or how they define themselves because men today could conduct feminine traits, and women also could conduct masculine traits.