Dress Codes: Meanings and Messages in American Culture

385 Pages·2001·6.56 MB·English

by  Ruth P. Rubinstein

SOCIOLOGY R
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Praise for previous edition: s
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“Ruth Rubinstein’s Dress Codesrepresents scholarship of the first order, showing in n
substantive detail how clothing is not merely a reflection of society but instead is
intrinsic to its institutions. There is a great deal to learn from this book, and its chore-
ography of historic, cultural, and sociological analyses makes it a joy to read.”
—David R. Maines,
Wayne State University DD
“This is an excellent study of the way in which clothing codes self and identity as
they are constituted and presented in interaction. It has both historical depth and RR
sociological insight and analysis, and I am sure it would be of great interest to both
scholars as well as students in classes in social psychology.” EE
—R. S. Perinbanayagam,
Hunter College
SS
“Using Rubinstein’s historical and contemporary examples, one realizes that apparel— SS
our most socializing visual art and our most socialized art—reveals self, set, and
society with a remarkable clarity. Rubinstein’s sociologically framed looking glass
shows many trenchant examples from court attire to codpieces to sansculottes in CC
dress history as well as more recent examples of red ribbons for AIDS awareness,
gym shoes of heroic associations, and modern tattoos. Rubinstein’s reflections on OO
demeanor and dress are fascinating.” Second
—Richard Martin, Curator, DD
The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Edition
EE
Rich with illustrations, this revised and updated second edition of Dress Codes sys-
tematically analyzes the meaning and relevance of clothing in American culture.
Presented here is an up-to-date analysis of images of power and authority, gender, SS
seduction (the sexy look, the alluring look, the glamorous look, the vulnerable look),
wealth and beauty, youth and health, and leisure and political hierarchy. Taken
together, the chapters offer to the student and the general reader a complete “semi-
otics of clothing” in a form that is highly readable, very entertaining, and thoroughly
informative. The illustrations provide fascinating glimpses into the history of
American fashion and clothing—along with their antecedents in Europe—as well as a
fine collection of images from the more familiar world of contemporary America.
Written in a lively and entertaining style, Dress Codeswill fascinate both general
readers and students interested in the history of fashion and costume, fashion MMeeaanniinnggss
Second
design, human development, and gender studies.
Edition
Ruth P. Rubinsteinis professor of sociology at the Fashion Institute of Technology. aanndd MMeessssaaggeess
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Westview Press
ISBN 0-8133-6795-6
5500 Central Avenue • Boulder, Colorado 80301-2877
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12 Hid’s Copse Road • Cumnor Hill • Oxford OX2 9JJ
www.westviewpress.com
Cover design: Larry Wilson
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Dress Codes
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Dress
Codes
Meanings and Messages in
American Culture
second edition
Ruth P. Rubinstein
Fashion Institute of Technology
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
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To my son Jonathn,
with many thanks and my very best wishes
All rights reserved.Printed in the United States ofAmerica.No part ofthis publication may be repro-
duced or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical,including photocopy,
recording,or any information storage and retrieval system,without permission in writing from the
publisher.
Copyright © 2001 by Westview Press,A Member ofthe Perseus Books Group
Published in 2001 in the United States ofAmerica by Westview Press,5500 Central Avenue,Boulder,
Colorado 80301-2877,and in the United Kingdom by Westview Press,12 Hid’s Copse Road,Cumnor
Hill,Oxford OX2 9JJ
Find us on the World Wide Web at www.westviewpress.com
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rubinstein,Ruth P.
Dress codes :meanings and messages in American culture / Ruth P.Rubinstein.—2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN0-8133-6795-6
1.Costume—United States—Social aspects. 2.Costume—United States —History. 3.
Body,Human—United States—Social aspects. I.Title.
GT605.R835 2000
391´.000973—dc21 00-048584
The paper used in this publication meets the requirements ofthe American National Standard for
Permanence ofPaper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48-1984.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
List ofTables and Illustrations xi
Acknowledgments xvii
Part 1: Introduction
1 Dress in Societal Discourse 3
The Notion ofPublic Memory,5
Clothing Semiotics,7
Individual Speech,13
“Publicspeak,”14
Fashion,14
Notes,16
2 Nineteenth-Century Theories ofClothing 19
The Modesty Theory,20
The Protection Theory,22
Modern Protective Garb,25
The Adornment Theory,25
Notes,33
Part 2: Characteristics
of Modern Social Discourse
3 New Institutional Patterns ofDiscourse 39
Spirituality and the Denial ofthe Body,40
Renaissance Individualism and Economic Success,41
Modern Rationality,43
Notes,46
4 Dressing the Public Self 48
Sociocultural Background,48
The Demise ofMale Fashion,49
v
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vi Contents
Goal-Directed Behavior,49
The Norm ofSelf-Restraint,51
Presentation ofthe Public Self,52
Stability ofAppearance,55
Stigma Symbols,56
Clothing Signs in the Public Place,57
Challenges to Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century
Work Orientation,60
Challenging the Norm ofSelf-Restraint,61
Casual Wear,62
Notes,64
Part 3: Clothing Signs
and Social Imperatives
5 The Image ofPower 69
Charismatic Dictatorship,70
Monarchy,70
Power in the American Presidency,73
Origins ofthe Image ofPower,74
Images ofPower in Christian Art,77
Power and Victimhood,79
Notes,81
6 The Image ofAuthority 83
Uniforms,83
Nonuniform Uniforms in the Corporate World,86
The Executive Role,88
Origins ofthe Image ofAuthority,89
The Sociocultural Background ofUniforms,91
Notes,99
7 Gender Images 103
Theories ofGender Distinction,103
Socialization to Gender,104
Female Gender,110
Male Gender,122
Notes,130
8 Seductive Images 135
Female Seductive Images,135
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Contents vii
Male Seductive Images,155
Notes,169
Part 4: Clothing Symbols
and Cultural Values
9 Wealth and Beauty in the Middle Ages 179
Wealth,181
Beauty,186
The Book ofHoursand the Diffusion ofthe Beauty Ideal,188
Notes,190
10 Leisure and Political Hierarchy 192
Leisure,192
Political Hierarchy,192
Court Style,Decorum,and Manners,198
Notes,200
11 Commerce and Fashion 202
Commerce,202
The Emergence ofFashion,202
Fashion As an Economic Good,204
Fashion and the Individual,206
Notes,207
12 Beauty As Perfection ofPhysical Form 208
The Novel,209
The Beautiful,212
The History ofBeauty As a Cultural Value,214
Learning to Recognize Beauty,218
Beauty Through Surgery and Cosmetics,219
The Utility ofBeauty,223
Notes,224
13 The Youth Ideal 227
Creating a Social Identity,230
Age Stratification,231
Sociocultural Background,232
Mass Marketing,234
Demographic Changes,235
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viii Contents
Personal Response to Aging,236
Notes,237
14 The Health Ideal 239
Sanitation and Cleanliness,240
Diet,241
Utopian Writers,241
Reducing Risk,241
Preventing Tuberculosis,242
Adult Height and Weight Tables,243
The Well-Child Clinic,245
Prevention ofIllness As the Physician’s Domain,245
The Visual Conjoining ofValues,247
The Suntan,247
The Lean and Muscular Male Body,248
Notes,249
Part 5: Publicspeak
15 Clothing Tie-Signs 253
Individuals Who Dissent,254
Individuals Who Resist Sociocultural Change,257
Individuals Who Protest an Inferior Identity,262
Notes,267
16 Clothing Tie-Symbols 269
Claiming a Divergent Identity,269
Trendy Attire,271
Seeking Self-Definition,280
Anticipatory Socialization,281
College Groups,282
Ethnic Identity,282
Emulating Sports and Entertainment Celebrities,283
Imitating a President’s Wife,285
Expressing Political Values and Goals,285
Notes,289
17 The Presidency and Contemporary Fashion 294
The U.S.Presidency and Male Fashion,297
The U.S.Presidency and Female Fashion,298
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Contents ix
The Reagan Presidency,298
The Bush Presidency,302
Historical Perspective,305
The Clinton Presidency,308
1990s Fashion Process,310
European Fashions,314
Notes,317
18 The Personal Self 321
Legitimacy ofan Individuated Self,321
Continuant Identity,322
Temporary Identity,323
Motives for Personal Dress,324
Alternatives and Ambiguity,335
Notes,336
Conclusion 339
Bibliography 341
Index 353