Fashioning: American Woman Exhibition @ Metropolitan, NY

photos: Lai Blanco

-FASHIONING A NATIONAL IDENTITY-

1890s THE HEIRESS

One of the first archetypes of the american women to emerge with the rise of the popular press in the late 19th. Century. Strict rules of etiquette governed her behaviour and appearance.

1890s THE GIBSON GIRL

The Gibson Girl was the first to challange European hegemony over accepted standars of styles and beauty, and emerge as a distinct -and distinctive- 'American type'. TGG was depicted as a tall and slender with long limbs, classical features, and thick dark hair caught up. The clothes reflected a modern, liberated femeninity. They play different sports, such as tennis & golf.

1990s THE BOHEMIAN

Demand for greater freedom of personal expression. She liberated woman to venture into the public sphere, but instead of sports she used the arts as ameans to further their development as autonomus individuals. Bohemian involvement in art revolved less around its production thn its consumption.

1910s THE PATRIOT AND THE SUFFRAGIST

Gold, purple, white & green (later purple, white& green) were their specific colors. For the suffragist, fahionable dress was a form of femenin protest. 'Votes for Woman' - 'Mr. President: how long mustwomen wait for liberty'-

1920s THE FLAPPER

Archetype of femeninity that redefined the concept of freedom as sexual rather than political. As they rouged their lips, bobled her hair, drank bootleg gin, smoked Lucky Strikes, danced the Charleston and necked in the backseats of Roadsters, the Flapper marked the ultimate rejection of Victorian prohibitions against sexual expression. In appearance she was slim, athletic and youthful. The dress style reflected not only the flappers sexual freedom but also her urbanity and contemporaneity.

1930s THE SCREEN SIREN

Movies. By the 1920s with the raise of Hollywood their influence had become universal and by the 1930s, it was absolute. The idea of beauty was less youthful and more sophisticated. The Screen Siren was womanly and sensuous, slim but curvaceus and glmorous. By the way, I love this decade.