Emilio Razo
WMST 205
March 7, 2019
Suits In Pop Culture
Prompt 1
The cultural artifact I picked to write for my first blog is a mens suit. The reason I chose a suit is because it has been involved in the male culture since the 17th century, making its appearance during the French Revolution. In addition the traditional fashion of the suit has evolved greatly over time. It went from wearing a wig and knee breeches to a blazer, neck tie, and slacks. It seems that lately and a combination of classic and modern looks are becoming more acceptable such as suspenders and different mismatching jacket and pants. Also the rise in women in corporate America as given them their own version of suit evolution and has made it more acceptable to wear was once a male-only cultural object. So who knows where it will change to in the next 100-plus years.
Prompt 2
The social world that revolves around a suit is mainly with elegance and professionalism. Just like wedding dresses, it is a resemblance of wealth. Weather the suit is for an office setting or a formal function, a man with a very expensive, nice fabric, and tailored fit is looked highly amongst others. Not sure how many other men this applies to but I was taught by my dad and other male figures in my life to always to have at least one decent suit. Many are also taught proper etiquette that comes with wearing a suit such as the “sometimes, always, never” button rule. Or how far your sleeves and length of the jacket should reach. The creators/producers of suits are designers such as Burberry, and companies in the wedding industry, and retail chain stores such as Men’s Wearhouse. The receivers of suits are men who need it for work or a special occasion. From a male perspective we want to look back at pictures of that wedding or dance and say the way I looked along with the memories created while wearing a nice suit.
Prompt 3
The world we have lived in as a society has told and sold us that a suit should only apply to males. But as mentioned earlier, trends have changed that has evolved the style of a suit for men and women. Though the appearance of women in business settings is not at the level it should be, it is a lot more than it was 30 years ago. And the result of that is women now wearing more powerful suits and even neck ties. This resembles the strong female appearance in a predominately male industry. But over the recent few years we have seen more members of the LGBTQ community take part in breaking the traditional norm of who and who shouldn't wear a suit. With gay marriage being legal we see many appearances of the women couples wearing a tux. This has caused an uprising in people challenging traditional ideas which is great. I believe change is good and even though many wont support it, society cant stop it. Change is imminent and we have seen it in sports, film, business, and practically every industry possible.
ReplyDeleteHey Emilio
I enjoyed reading your blog and how you analyzed the suit. I know when I think of a suit I do often think of men wearing the suits and how society views them as being tied to professionalism, and perhaps a sense of status. Suits have gone from being seen as business related to now the fashion industry adapting this attire and made it glamour attire. I especially loved that you incorporated Madonna wearing a suit because this is a phenomenal woman who has always expressed herself in ways that are not always seen as the stereotypical female gender role. Another image I thought of is a recent one in where Billy Porter worse a tux-dress to this year’s Oscar awards in where he beautifully incorporated what is seen as both masculine and feminine. It’s really neat to see the shift in how more women are wearing suits as Hollywood is glamorizing as luxury brands are making them for celebrities. As you noted, this is thanks to the LGBTQ+ community who are breaking these stereotypical gender roles and how people choose to express themselves.
Hello Emilio! I agree with you that suits give off a sense of professionalism and are typically associated with wealth. Women wearing suits isn't something that is welcomed by everyone however, I think they look very powerful. A dress shouldn't be required in a work environment because women also wish to feel comfortable and wearing a dress all day just doesn't cut it. I really liked how you incorporated a lot of the rules or proper fit necessary for a good suit. I honestly had no idea, but it is true that you can just tell when a suit looks good. You're right, change is coming and we needed to embrace everyone's individual self because it isn't something that affects our personal lives directly or will chance who we are. Acceptance and respect is key.
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