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Asthecourseofhistorychanged,womensfashionevolvedinparallel.Withthis
progression,however,cameintheinevitabilityofdiscussionsregardingwhatclothingwomen
shouldwear,howtheyshouldwearit,andhowtheirchoiceinclothingreflectsthemaswomen.
Constantlyfacedwithexpectationsfromthemediaandfromeverydaylife,thelimitations
imposedonwomensclothingspreventawomanfromconsideringherselfequaltohermale
counterparts.Throughoutthehistoryofmodernsocieties,thedominanceofsocialpressuresin
dictatingtheacceptabilityofclothingandperpetuatingclothingdifferencesbetweenthegenders
hascausedthefashionindustrytohaveaprimarydrivingcomponentofstyleoverfunction.
Aswomenbroadentheirsocialspheres,theyadaptasameansofassimilatingto,orin
somecasingchallenging,thestagnantstatusquobyalteringtheirphysicalappearance.During
theearlywomensrightsmovementinthe1850s,bloomerstheearlyformofpants
proliferated,adrasticdeviancefromthepreviousmonopolyofdresses.Thischange,however,
camewithrepercussions,as...oppositiontothebloomercostumearosewhenwomenwore
trousersinpublic,evokingachallengetogenderroles(SourceD).Inadefiancetosocial
norms,women,bywearingtrouserlikeclothing,disputedthemaledominatedsociety.Priorto
thewomensreformmovement,clothingdistinctlyseparatedthemaleandfemalegenders:men
woresuits,whilewomenworedresses.Byincreasingthealignmentofmaleandfemalefashions,
Bloomersnotonlyopposedconventionalsocialnormsbutalsotheassumptionthatwomenand
menhaveaninherentdifferencethatclothingreflects.Theeventualhabituationofwomen
wearingsuchclothingallowedforBloomersandeventuallypantstofindacceptanceinthe
culture,butthedifferentiationbetweenthetwogenderscontinuedintheformofpocketssince
womenlackthealmostnecessarycompartment,thegivinggrowingapprovalforwomenin

pantsgavethefacadeofadvancementwhilestillengenderingdisparities.Withtheaccumulation
ofthesedifferencesthroughoutthecenturies,womenmustnowwalkaprecariouslineinregards
tofashionintheworkplaceinanenvironmentoncecontrolledbymen,[w]omanwhohad
previouslylookedfeminineatworkbeganadoptingmasculinefeaturesHowever,there
seemstobeanassumptionthatawomanwhoiswelltailoredlookstoomasculine(Source
H).Despitetheadvanceswomenhavemadeinenteringpreviouslymaledominatedwork
environments,clothingcontinuestodisparagewomen.Inanefforttointegrate,womenhave
chosentoforgothemorefeminineappearanceinfavorofmasculinefeatures,lestothers
mistaketheirfemininityasalackofintelligenceorinitiative.Tosacrificetheirclothinginthis
waywomenalsoloseaportionoftheiridentitytheconstraintsonclothingprohibittheir
freedomofexpression.Thisostracization,combinedwiththedilemmawomenconstantlyfaceto
findfunctionalityinclothing,hamperstheadvancementofequalityintheworkplacesocial
expectationsmaintainthatapersonofaspecifiedgendershouldconformtothestyles
customarilyassociatedwithsaidgender.Thisbinaryestablishmentcreatesanenvironmentin
whichanemployeegainsrespectafterdressingaccordingtotheideologiesmaintainedbyher
peers.Uponfirstsight,apersoncreatesabiastowardsanother,withclothingchoicesignificantly
affectingthatbias,foriftheclothingofanotherdivergesfromexpectations,apersonhasa
greaterpropensitytowardsdevelopinganegativebiastowardsthatother.Consequently,the
evolutionofwomensfashion,althoughprovidingnominaladvancements,didlittletomitigate
thestarkdisparitiesbetweenthegenders.
Onalarger,moremacroscopiclevel,thesexismreflectedintheworkplacealsofinds
prominenceinthemedia.Iconicactressesoftheirtime,MarleneDietrichandDorisDayheavily

influencedthefashionsoftheirtimesbywearingpantsuitsandpants,respectively,asopposedto
dressesandskirts(SourceI).Althoughthewomenweargarmentsonceregardedasmasculine,
thedevelopmentoffashionhasensuredthatthewomenappearinarguablefemininethroughthe
media,thefashionindustryandsocietyasawholeiteratesandreiteratestheexpectationsto
whichtheyholdwomen.Despitethethirtyyearsbetweenthetwostars,theirphotographs
emphasizethesamefeatures:asmallwaist,afullbosom,andanoverallslimbutcurvyfigure,
thusdemonstratinghowthechronologicalpassingdoesnotindicateadvancementfor
women.Thesubsequentexpansionoftelevision,moreover,usheredinaperiodinwhichwomen
constantlysoughtsocialacceptancebycomparingthemselvestotheirfamouscounterparts,
allowingthemediatocontrolfashion.Ashousesandneighborhoodsincreasinglyusedthe
televisionorotherformsofmediaoutlets,famousactresses,suchasDietrichandDay,
influencedwhatwomenworesuchthatthebuddingneedtomatchthestylesoftheprominent
televisionandmoviestarstrumpednecessity.DorisDay,bywearingskintightapparel,
accentuatesthepursuitofslimnessinthefashionindustryoverallelsethebodydefining
clothingservesnootherpurposethantohighlightthewomansbody.Regardlessofthe
occupationofthewoman,theprominenceoftelevisionheldallwomentothesamepropositions
infashion,hamperingfunctionalityandengenderingalongstandingsystemofsexism.Since
womencomprisedthelargestproportionofthosestayingathomeandconsumingproducts,given
thatthemalepopulationperformstheworkobligations,mediatargetsandmanipulatesfemales
bysaturatingcommercials,televisionshows,andthelikewiththeidealwoman,creatingan
unrealisticarchetype.Whilethemediahadallowedforthepopularizationofbloomersandthe
resultantculturechange,throughhabituation,italsodemeansthevalueoftheradicalinstitution

suchthat[t]heclothessoldarenolongerthreateningorsignifyanythingbutthelatest
fashion(SourceE).Oncethreatenedbytheappearanceofanextensivereform,the
oversaturationbythemediapreventedthemasspopulousfromcontinuingtoappreciate,orabhor
insomecases,therevolutionaryideaofwomenwearingclothessimilartothoseofmen.As
opposedtoepitomizingthefeministefforttofindequalitythroughclothes,pantscameto
representlittlemorethanthelatestfashion,strippingthemoftheirimportancewiththecaseof
DorisDay,pantsforwomenpossessedadistinctdifferencefromthoseofmeninthesensethat
thosefortheformerhadaprimarybasistoaccentawomansbody.WhentheBloomers
womenwhodonnedthepantlikeclothesinitiallystartedthetrend,theydidsowiththe
intentionofprovokingdissentanddrawingattentiontothemselvesforthecase,butthenovelty
ofwomenwearingpantsinvariablydiminishedtothepointatwhichtheynotonlyfailedto
augmentwomenssocialstatusbutactuallycametoserveasanothermeansofdeepeningthe
discrepanciesofthetwogenders.Insteadofdispersingthesalientissue,themediapreventedthe
Bloomersfromgainingrespect,revertingtheircausetoaninconsequentialfashionstatement.
WomenlikeMarleneDietrichandDorisDaydidnotportraygroundbreakingwomenwho
challengedthemaledominance,butrathertheyportrayedthesamecharacteristicsofthewomen
beforethem:subservientandreliantuponmenandbyavertingattentionawayfromtheattempt
tofindequalityintherealmoffashiontowardsthecompliantdutiesofamodelwoman,the
mediaeffectivelyreversedtheprogresstheBloomerwomenhadmadeininachievingequity.
Inordertomaintainthesecondarystatusofwomen,themoderncultureshaveinstigated
subtleinequalitiesthatmarkthedifferencesbetweenmenandwomen.Despitetheassumption
manycontinuetoholdthatfashionasawholeservessolelytoreflectthedesiresofthecommon

massesanddoesnotinhibittheselfexpressionorfunctionalityofanindividual,thedevelopment
ofmodernculturerunscontrarytotheevolutionofwomensclothingstyles,indicatingthat
whilewomenstillavidlyconsumeproducts,theirclothingfailstoaccommodatetheirlifestyles.
Women,likemen,purchasedtheiPhone6withtheintentionofupgradingtheirphones,butdue
tothethesizeofthenewiPhone,somewomenworrywhetherthephonewillbesobigitwill
falloutofapocketandintothetoilet(SourceF).Throughseeminglytrivial,thelackofpockets
causeswomentofindthemselvesincompatiblewiththerapidlyevolvingtechnology
functionality,longovershadowedbyfashion,cannotconciliatewiththemodernnecessitiesof
womenlivinginfirstworldcountries.Inthefaceofdivergingtechnologyandfashion,women
findthemselveswiththechoiceofobligingtothedemandsofeitherareamen,bycomparison
findthemselvesinthisdilemmainsignificantlyfeweroccasions.Thelackofpocketladen
clothingfurtherdisparageswomenbyputtingthematadisadvantagetomen,forthelackof
pocketssuggeststhatwomendonotandshouldnothavethesameprioritiesasmen:mencan
easilycarrythenecessitiesofmodernsociety(e.g.cellphoneandwallet),whereaswomen
struggletoevenkeepasingleofthosenecessitiesontheirperson.Theresultantinconsistency
betweenthegendersentrenchestheideathatwomenshouldfocusontheirappearancemoreso
thantheirsustainabilityandfunctionalityineverydaysocietythesilentrepercussionsof
removingpocketsormakingpocketsvirtuallyuselessinstilltheideathatwomenprimarily
functionasobjectsthatservelittlemorepurposethantoaugmenttheappearanceofthe
populationasawhole.Despitethegrowthofwomenintodifferentsocialandeconomicspheres,
thelackofpocketscontinuestowidenthegapbetweenmalesandfemales.Tosubstitutethe
absenceofpockets,awomanhastoeithercarryth[e]itemsinherhand,orbringawholepurse

withaheradefinitive,silentsignthatsheisawoman(SourceG).Notonlyaninconvenience,
therequirementofcarryingapurseplaceswomeninaseparate,andinherentlyunequal,category
totheirmalecounterparts,andthisseparationofgenderfortifiesthebinaryestablishmentofthe
sexesinsuchawaythatreducestheidentityofawomantolittlemorethanherphysical
appearancethelimitationsfirmlyimpresseduponawomanseverelyinhibitstheselfexpression
thatclothingchoicewouldnormallypresent.Thedefinitive,silentsignofthepursepositsthe
notionthatalthoughwomenmayhaveearnedalevelofequalitywithmenintermsof
Constitutionalrights,thesexismwomenfacedeeplyandthoroughlyembedsitselfthroughout
societythroughthenuancesoffashionthatperpetuallyreinforcegenderimbalances.Ifthe
womanrebelsagainstthepurseandinsteaddecidestocarryth[e]itemsinherhand,she
possessesalimitedabilitytofunctionduetotheoccupationofherhandsifsheinsteadchooses
touseapurse,sheidentifiesherselfasawomanandcorrespondinglyassumesthesynonymous
inferiorandinconvenientposition.Thelackofperipheralaccessoriesamongmen,conversely,
underscorestherecurringthemeofanunnecessarygenderdistinction.Whilenotovertlyblatant,
theslightdivisionsapparentthroughoutsocietyinregardstothefashionofthesexesimpliesa
levelofdiscriminationaswellasdivergencethatrepeatedlydegradeswomen.
Despitetheconfrontationofaneverchangingculture,socialexpectationshaspressured
womensfashiontoremainstagnant,withastrictadherencetoadogmathatreiteratesthe
importanceofawomansappearanceoverhercontributions,consequentlystrengtheningthe
barrierbetweenthetwogenders.Perpetuatedintheworkplaceandreinforcedinthemedia,the
trendsdirectedatwomeninsistuponadelineationofwomenthatshouldnothaveequalitywith
theirmalecounterpartswithoutprovidingsignificantevidenceforthedistinctionotherthanon

thebasisoftraditionthistradition,however,profoundlyinfluencedmodernsocietyinspiteof
theeffortsmadetoreverseitandpresentsitselfinasignificantproportionoffashionacrossthe
UnitedStates.Toachievetrueequality,thereforeanequalitythathasmorethanaostensible
appearancesocietyasawholemustrelinquishitsholdonabinaryrepresentationofmenand
womenandratherembracetheconceptofgenderneutralityinfashion,inwhichsocial
expectationsdonothinderordebaseapersonforhisorherclothingchoices.