- Hardcover: 232 pages
- Publisher: Reaktion Books (6 Oct 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1861890044
- ISBN-13: 978-1861890047
- Product Dimensions: 24.3 x 16.2 x 2.3 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 921,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Why, at a time when women's liberation was gaining force and momentum, did the corset become more cinched and restricting than at any time during the entire preceding century? Why was bra burning a political statement for the feminists of the 1970s? How far is the harnessed and restricted female form an outward symbol of Victorian and middle-class ideas of discipline and self-control? In what ways are women forced to conform to a 'feminine ideal'? In "The Feminine Ideal", Marianne Thesander examines the significance of the female body, beauty and culture. She shows how the female body is constantly being changed, and by various sometimes punishing means made to fit in with current feminine physical ideals. The use of corsets, bras, make-up, cosmetics and body decoration either emphasizes or plays down specific aspects of the female form. Marianne Thesander considers: sin and virtue; the forbidden, the concealed, the alluring body; and, woman as object, fetish and erotic sign. With extensive use of illustrative material, she examines the fashion history of underwear from the eighteenth century to the present day, exploring the significance of changing 'models' of the feminine.
About the Author
Marianne Thesander is an ethnologist and lives in Copenhagen.
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4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The horror! The horror!, 9 Jun 2005
By Amanda Chesworth - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Feminine Ideal (Picturing History) (Hardcover)
_Feminine Ideal_ is quite an impressive book. Like all Reaktion Books in this series, the volume is very well illustrated and the author is an expert on the topic.
Thesander's writing is very matter-of-fact and in many ways it lacks a certain element of storytelling. Neverthless, the information she presents is fascinating in and of itself and she knows her subject well.
The book concentrates largely on the female body through fashion rather than the shape of the body itself or what shape of body is deemed popular in a particular time period. However these subjects are also broached.
The reality that fashion marches to its own drum is well documented by the often unhealthy and over-the-top types of fashion created for the woman. The role of men in dictating these ideals is clearly established though with the women's movement this begins to change. The somewhat depressing note that those of us who do not fit into the ideal shape of women at any given time is explored but fortunately the results aren't so devestating for those of us living in modern times. The many arguments surrounding the feminine ideal are presented and especially in the 20th century, the diversity of female forms, are laid out, argued over, but all in all, shown to be representative of our freedom of choice rather than oppressive to some, liberating for others.
The corset is one of several key fashions explored in this book as is the tendency of women to begin dressing like men during the women's rights movement. I was surprised to learn that a woman was actually behind one of the first brassiere creations, having been told they were a product of men.
I expect this book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the evolution of fashion, the role of women within society, and the ideas on attractiveness as largely dictated by men. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and learned an incredible amount on a subject I knew very little about.
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