Happy Sunday,
I'm reading Simone de Beauvoir's "the Second Sex"for my research, when I come across this-
"It is sometimes surprising to see the strange getups elderly women like: tiaras, lace, bright dresses, and extravagant necklaces unfortunately draw attention to their ravaged features. Now that they have given up seduction, clothes often become once again a gratuitous game for them as in their childhood."(1989:588)
Hmm, interesting, as I reach those middle years, I have noticed an attraction to enormous necklaces, and even have noticed myself lately looking at clothes which have a dash of colour in them (my usual urban uniform is Black and more black). In fact, I've almost fallen back into love with dressing up!
Then I think about the amazing excitement for fashion that the women in the video I posted last time (http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/3/23/1382/advanced-style-age-and-beauty) showed for fashion, and I am wondering if age , and the lack of need to seen as sexy liberates women in their "golden years," and let's fashion just be fun again!
What do you think? How has getting older change the way you feel about your choice of clothes?
Choose Happiness
(Picture from : http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/advanced-style-documentary-project.html)
Do we ever give up dressing for seduction?
ReplyDeleteEven though our reptilian brain may know we have aged past the point of passing on our DNA, ensuring long term survival of humans, many but maybe not all still use fashion to create an image to seduce to ensure immediate survival on a day to day basis.
Older women who use fashion to seduce are every where. Hillary Clinton, Dolly Parton and lets not forget our own gorgeous Ita Buttrose. These girls know that appearance is crucial to survival in their chosen industry and although it is their work wardrobe I am about to discuss, personally I think you would be hard pressed to ever find them in a pair of thongs, shirts and a sloppy tee at home in the garden.
Hillary Clinton chooses classic corporate attire to assist her image. There may be a bit of colour and some big necklaces but on the whole her image is part of the parcel which promotes her to, and seduces her supporters. This assists her survival in the political arena. Dolly Parton uses fashion in exactly the same way, although her image is entirely different. She is using fashion to assist her image towards survival in an entirely way in an entirely different industry.
I do agree that some older women do just have fun with fashion, an example is your red and purple hat ladies as many do. But I just as firmly believe that there are always exceptions to the rules and that no matter what age some women will always be using fashion to seduce.
Just to let you all know that this is my first blog ever so please be kind when you comment back. :)
What a fabulous first post, I can't wait to hear more from you-thanks for your participation!
DeleteYou raise an interesting point, that of "survival". It is common to think of clothing as protection, in a Bear Grilles kind of way, but when you think about how important our image is when it relates to the success of our careers, then I can only wonder how dress and clothing can do that? How much "power" does it have over our impressions and perceptions of people. Hilary is good example-she has publicly played put many roles-First Lady, mother, betrayed wife, international politician, and I propose it is likely we will see here as the next Democratic Presidential candidate- and through each of those, she has slightly morphed to send very clear and particular messages through her appearance.
Seduction, as a means of survival, may be a uniquely feminine tool, but I suspect not. Just as you note, "no matter what age some women will always be using fashion to seduce", I suspect that whether that is through sexual demonstration (in the case of Dolly) or through bold creative and artistic engagement with fashion as in the ladies above, the goalposts move as we age.
Survival itself as a concept morphs with age, no doubt? Is it different for men than women?
Choose happiness,
Deborah