American Costume, !915-1970 by Shirley Miles O'Donnol (pg. 1-50)

Summary

The book starts off the fashion before the first world war in America. The first world war was ironically the inspiration for the new fashion revolution that took place. While some of the men were away fighting in the war, the women started to take the jobs of the men. Some of the jobs that women took over were running the elevators and driving automobiles. And that required them to dress like the men used to in order to move more efficiently and get more things done. This included the women to wear trousers, mens' jackets, and manly shoes. With the ever changing weather, fashion evolved to accommodate whatever the seasons brought. These fashions included day wear, evening wear, sportswear, coats/wraps, and uniforms. The uniforms were especially important since there was a war going on. The uniforms were made so the soldiers would be able to move, have easy access to anything, and feel relaxed in it. A new wave of fashion rolled in during the 1920s. Jazz music inspired what everyone started to wear. The music brought an urge to want to do something you wouldn't normally want to do. For example, men began to wear larger pants than before, dressing more formal to go play golf, and were very daring when they started wearing the color black more. As for women, they began to dress more masculine. for example, they would wear men shirts usually with a belt, the size of their heels increased in inches, and they were also more involved in more sports which called for women sportswear. The 1920s flourished with every type of fashion.

Quotation

" one might almost say that the idea of equality with the male had gone to a girl's head as she bobbed her hair to look like his; borrowed his shirt, tie..."(O'Donnol 33).

Reaction

The quote is basically trying to say that Women are becoming more evolved. And along with their evolvement, they are starting to take more roles of male. So if they could look like males, they could perform like males. And it doesn't hurt to look good while doing it either. Metaphorically speaking women dressing like men, means women doing what men do, and doing it better.