Fashion, Women and Power

A critique of the politics of dress for women in power.

What is the relationship between fashion, women, and power? As never before, women in positions of political power find themselves facing the maelstroms of mass media regarding both their fashion and their right to govern. In this book, contributors offer a wide set of perspectives on women and their fashions when taking up powerful positions in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States as well as emerging women leaders in Asia. This book questions the relationship between women and dress and interrogates how this conversation informs and articulates how women are viewed when taking up public office. The book critiques the interplays between politics, power, class, race, and social expectations concerning the politics of getting dressed. 

'The anthology grew out of a 2018 seminar on the politics of dress held at the University of Adelaide, South Australia, and almost all of the contributors are Australian. The ‘down under’ perspective, which looks to Asia as well as to the West, is refreshing. [...] This anthology contains many compelling glimpses of the ways the media has treated female politicians and the way individual women have found to negotiate their fashion choices. [...] A valuable work. Theoretical perspectives are offered, the case studies are informative and several of the essays offer frameworks for looking at fashion in political context. While readers will have to do their own synthesis, the composite look at the impact of the media is both important and instructive. Similarly, the composite bibliography – found in the introduction and the separate essays – is extensive and will prove helpful to future scholars.'

Dr Denise N. Rall is an adjunct research fellow in the School of Arts & Social Sciences at Southern Cross University, Australia. Her research over the last ten years has explored the meanings of dress during global conflicts and in politics.

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