The deceit women created from their own insecurities went much further than that. Thanks to scurvy and other diseases, women were left without their real teeth, thus creating a large market for false sets. Women also created false breasts and calves by wearing what has been fondly titled the “bum roll” to create a more “bell” shaped physique. How can surprise arise at the stereotype of sensitive women developed over the years? They had not the physical strength to even walk because of their stylish attire.
The nineteenth came with slow change. Style began go move from monstrously large to demure. The arms were usually slimmer fitting for day dresses, something that constricted their arm movement to create a more evident demureness about the women, so that she can get the high honour of marriage. In the beginning of the century Grecian-like dresses, which were little more than sheer nightgowns were adopted, leaving women without much keeping them warm. To create a higher level of immobility, women, on average, wore approximately 14 pounds of underwear, and with the heavy, long dresses they wore, it was no surprise that many accidents happened during athletic activities such as cycling.
Athletic activity though, was discouraged, as women were perceived as fragile. They attempted to make their skin look as translucent as possible through things such as avoiding the sun and fresh air, drinking vinegar, and painting on thin blue lines creating a faux look of see through veins.
In the 20th century, World Wars had brought on a change. Make up was brought back into style as the deteriorating faces of Edwardian hostesses needed concealing. Some women had make up tattooed to their face permanently, and some shaved off their eyebrows, to have them never grow back again. Dresses became shorter and more efficient, and women were even beginning to wear pants, though this trend will not catch on for decades. Women suffered the great pains of the emerging style of the boyish figure of the 1920’s, many women going into the, then experimental, cosmetic surgery, to decrease the size of their bosoms. In the 1930’s, voluptuous breasts were back in style, as women horded back in to get their breasts enlarged.
Corsets
Corsetry has been around for centuries, and have always had one main purpose- the forcible reshaping of a young woman, or more rarely- men’s, body to the standard of beauty of the time.
Greeks corseted their girls and women with a leather band style corset to accent the figure. This form of restriction was forced on children from their very birth to keep their limbs straight, and then to keep them slim through puberty.
The iron corsets of the 16th century were worn to create a straighter stomach line and a smaller waist.
The Stays corsets of the17th century accented the waist and full skirts, while later in the century the Boned Bodices were worn over the dress itself.
The English Farthingale petticoats were worn with corsets throughout the 16th, 17th, and 18th century. This supported large dresses with heavy hoops that shaped it.
Every single example of corsetry was heavy, uncomfortable, and awkward. They could only be worn by women of high class who did no type of work, as they did not have the lung capacity to do so.
Application
From birth males and females alike are bombarded with rules and regulations they must digest in order to survive in the wild and dangerous jungle called civilized society. Unfortunately, as Naomi Wolf explains in her critically acclaimed best seller, The Beauty Myth, there seems to be a significantly large double standard, even in today’s age.
In Wolf’s book, a theory of the basic structural composites of the civilized world is comprised. Throughout history women have been controlled through religion, law, marriage, and severe handicaps in every aspect of life. Unfortunately, the Industrial Revolution women began to see themselves as more than housewives, or at the very least able to decide on being one on their own. First, only women of high class were told to be “beautiful”- weak, quiet, needy, inferior, and obedient. Women of lower classes were all of those. At that time, this was all that was needed, as there were many other forms of control, most of which were indubitable. As time went by and women became more and more in control of themselves, and more confident of their sexuality, something had to be done to compel the newly liberated females into submission, says Wolf.
When looking at Wolf’s book, turning to Freud’s stages of development to search for possible psychological influences on a female’s behaviour and mindset, is imperative. The two have a strong connection in their findings. During Freud's Phallic Stage of Development, creation of competition between females supposedly occurs, because it is during the Electra complex that women apparently learn they are inferior to men- otherwise known as “penis envy”. It is the reality of the situation that the outer influence of social institutions, such as the family, religion, the media, and possibly even law, creates a feeling of unworthiness within a women’s psyche. Thus, in a desperate attempt to rebalance the scale their foremothers have fought for, many women follow those dominant ideologies that are the foundations of society. Unfortunately, in an attempt to declare autonomy from the ideals set forth by previous generations, women throughout the civilized world remain in slavery to the ultimate form of control; appearance.
Conclusion
A suffragist by the name of Lucy Stone once said, “it is very little to me to have the right to vote, to own property, etcetera, if I may not keep my body, and it’s uses, in my absolute right.” Whenever a woman looks in the mirror, she must ask herself through whose eyes she is looking. Whenever a woman hears a form of criticism, she must ask herself through whose ears she is hearing it. In today’s world, the liberated woman seems to be equally as trapped in society’s principles as women centuries ago, which were forced into corsets and petticoats. The Forth Wave of feminism must come from a very specific mindset; one of rejuvenated self-esteem, and the belief that though not all people were created equal, women must demand respect based on ability and personality, so that Naomi Wolf’s Beauty Myth can finally be put to rest.
Bibliography
Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth. Toronto, ON: Random House of Canada Limited, 1997.
Websites
“The history of lipstick, powder and blush”. nzgirl Magazine: Did You Know? Nov-Dec.
Thomas, Pauline Weston, and Guy Thomas. “A Woman's Place in C19th Victorian History” Fashion-Era.com: Victorian Era. Nov-Dec.
Thomas, Pauline Weston, and Guy Thomas. “Beauty is Shape”. Fashion-Era.com: Beauty is Shape. Nov-Dec.
Thomas, Pauline Weston, and Guy Thomas. “Early Corsetry” Fashion-Era.com: Early Corsetry. Nov- Dec.
Thomas, Pauline Weston, and Guy Thomas. “Early Victorian Fashion 1837-1860 Costume Early Victorian Fashion 1837-1860 Costume”. Fashion-Era.com: Fashion History. Nov-Dec.
Thomas, Pauline Weston, and Guy Thomas. “Make Up Fashion History Before 1950 Part 1”. Fashion-Era.com: Beauty and Make Up History. Nov-Dec.
