This week when reading Flapper by Joshua Zeitz, I learned about how clothing changed from the early 1800s to the 1920s and the trend of the flappers. The quote I chose is on page 169.
"...the copies you buy in regulation sizes probably will be better made and fit than any bought at the original Paris shop...after having spent a large sum for a particularly smart frock, to find that the tiny hole-in-the-wall next door happens to know the same wholesaler patronized by your specialty shop, and is able to sell it for half the price you paid..." This quote stood out to me because usually when I think of knock off products, I think of products of poor quality, but in this case it was actually cheaper and better fitting. It went from women making their clothes at home and altering their clothes according to magazines, to buying mass produced knock-offs of French clothing that fit them better and were cheaper. It was such a big change because in the 18th century, having fancy silk, chiffon, and velvet clothes was something only upper class women can do, which meant only rich women could participate in fashion trends but after more people started making copies of French clothing like Chanel, even farm girls could afford to buy nice clothes and participate in the flapper trend. This wasn't just for clothes either. People also wore "costume jewelry" which were imitations of gems made of glass or plastic. It became accepted and popular to wear after Coco Chanel accepted and sold her own version of it, which led to rich women wearing fake jewelry despite having the money to buy real ones. I think this connects with American culture today for a lot of different reasons. The first reason is that nowadays, you can buy things online from websites such as amazon and ebay. If you scroll around for clothes, makeup, or any item really, you can find cheap knock-offs very quickly. Sometimes you find them by looking at reviews on products with customers explaining that the item is made from cheap material or doesn't do what its supposed to and is something to be avoided. Personally, I've always associated knock-offs with bad quality products that aren't worth my money so it's really strange for me, personally, to see an instance where "knock-off" products were not only better than the original but actually helped women express themselves and improve women's rights. Another way I think the quote I chose connects with American culture today is that even today, nice, mass produced clothes are a lot more accessible and affordable to people compared to the early 1800s. I think it shows how much it blurred the line between social class in terms of appearance but there is still a divide when it comes to income, which is something that never changed even since the 18th century. I wonder if the line between social lines will continue to blur in the future or if it will become more visible. Will it happen because of clothes or something else?
0 Comments
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |