Full metadata
Title
Slaves to Fashion: Race, Gender, & Dress Reform in The Sibyl, 1856-1864
Description
This thesis project focuses on the rhetoric of dress reform in The Sibyl, the official journal of the National Dress Reform Association from 1856 to 1864. The American Dress Reform Movement grew out of the women’s rights and health reform movements during the Second Great Awakening. Dress reformers viewed women’s fashionable dress as both a symbol of and reason for their political and economic oppression. They believed that by modifying women’s everyday dress, women’s health (and in turn, the health of their descendants) would improve and they would have more opportunities outside of the home. Close reading of The Sibyl reveals that dress reformers gravitated towards the rhetoric of slavery, comparisons to non-Christian nations, and the characterization of women as weak to advocate for their cause. I argue that this rhetoric disempowers women and promotes racist and xenophobic ideas, which ultimately undermines the movement’s goals.
Date Created
2024-05
Contributors
- Wise, Catherine (Author)
- Soares, Rebecca (Thesis director)
- Looser, Devoney (Committee member)
- Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
- School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
- Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch (Contributor)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
35 pages
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Series
Academic Year 2023-2024
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.192089
System Created
- 2024-04-04 07:38:04
System Modified
- 2024-04-08 01:11:55
- 7 months ago
Additional Formats