In this episode, Maureen talks with Richard Thompson Ford, author of “Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History.” They explore how fashion has been used throughout history as a way to reinforce class structures, gender roles, and social norms. Though dress codes are not as overt today, Richard explains how unwritten fashion rules still dictate what we wear.
- The “Straw Hat Riot” of 1922 erupted over men wearing straw hats past September 15th
- High heels originated as a masculine fashion, first worn by Persian horseback riders to lock into stirrups
- Over time high heels became exaggerated and flashy, eventually being adopted by daring women
- By the early 1800s, men’s fashion had shifted to being very sober and understated
- The flapper look in the 1920s was the first successful “rational dress” movement for women
- Bobbed hair was seen as sexually provocative and led to women being fired from jobs
- Tartans emerged as symbols of Scottish identity partly in reaction to British dress codes banning them
- Though we think fashion is casual today, there are still unwritten “uniforms” in many industries and social groups
- Midtown bankers in New York have converged on a new relaxed “uniform” of Patagonia fleeces and oxford shirts
- Fashion has always been used to reinforce class structures and signal that “you’re one of us”
Related Episodes:
Episode 91:Suffragists and Suffragettes: Fashion and the Vote
Episode 155: Ancestral Handbag History with Curator Jessica Harpley
Links:
- Richard Thompson Ford
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About My Guest:
Richard Thompson Ford is Professor of Law at Stanford Law School. He writes about law, social and cultural issues and race relations and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, CNN and Slate. He is the author of the New York Times notable books The Race Card and Rights Gone Wrong: How Law Corrupts the Struggle for Equality. He has appeared on The Colbert Report, The Rachel Maddow Show, and The Dylan Rattigan Show. He is a member of the American Law Institute and serves on the board of the Authors Guild Foundation. Quite to his surprise, he was one of 25 semi-finalists in Esquire magazine’s Best Dressed Real Man contest in 2009.
About Maureen Taylor:
Maureen Taylor, The Photo DetectiveÒhelps clients with photo-related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others. Learn more at Maureentaylor.com