Is all that is feminine becoming history?

Only a few years ago, the phrase “dressing chic” would conjure up images of smart, ladylike clothing. Chic was equivalent to elegance. Matching down to the smallest detail, the clothing making up a woman’s outfit emphasized femininity and the quality of being refined. Classy blouses accompanied beautiful skirts that were each more lovely than the next with their fabric, cut and design. Jackets and dresses were similarly elegant. Their pleats, cut and details emphasized that which was feminine, not tomboyish. Women’s clothing meant an elegant appearance, down to accessories, cuts, fabrics, style and combinations. Women would dress elegantly like real gentlewomen, and men would dress like gentlemen. But today the concept that we refer to as “chic” has changed, with a style emphasizing freedom taking over. The clothing that used to represent the image of a gentleman or a lady is now history, replaced by clothing that does not distinguish between gender, markets or age and is supposedly dynamic and in keeping with the times.

The fashion of sporty clothing, led by American designers, has spread from high school campuses to every level of society and every age group. The slogan “If you’re young, you should wear jeans and a T-shirt” has been accepted as the latest trend by all of society. As a marketing tool, the words youth, dynamic, free and equal have been introduced to the world of fashion. The well-maintained women of the old days have been replaced by women who wear uniform clothing in the name of freedom, leaving behind the clothing that used to distinguish them as ladies.

Clothing of which we say, “Well, it’s practical,” has in a short space of time taken over our closets. Hangers organizing skirts have been replaced with shelves for jeans; in place of classy blouses, smart dresses and detailed cardigans, we now wear the combed cotton shirts that used to be reserved for sleepwear. Even going to work, we wear jeans and T-shirts. With these articles of clothing that we feel we can wear 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we think that we’re fashionable. However, it’s of undeniable importance to be able to distinguish between the relationships between fashion and clothing, social structure and culture.

The middle-aged used to dictate the rules of fashion, but now the idea that youth determines fashion and everyone else follows has taken over. Years ago men working in mine shafts were the only ones who wore jeans and undershirts, but with the newfangled style of comfort and freedom, even the most fashionable of women have filled their closets with these items. Above all, this wearing of sporty clothing instead of professional clothing showed an increase in postmodernist sentiment -- those jeans, cotton shirts and tennis shoes that commercials, fashion magazines and movies portrayed as a symbol of women’s freedom.

Fashion has met marketing in a big way. Each year, what lies beneath the preparation of several different collections and the need to remain abreast of these is marketing. This tactic is also the reason that the ladylike clothing of the past -- smart skirts, elegant blouses, low-heeled shoes and unexaggerated outfits -- have been forgotten. Women are being masculinized by freedom in a sense; their femininity is being ignored in a push toward uniform clothing. The identity of being a woman, being female through clothing is either pushed aside entirely or emphasized to the extreme, so that the image presented is far from elegant. The easy way out, practicality, fashion, freedom -- this has led us to ignore what is refined when making our clothing choices. Wearing the same type of clothing to work, to school and when out having fun is now interpreted as dressing well.

But a lady knows how to dress appropriately for different occasions and different venues. She knows that her school clothing is not for wear at an evening party, that she should choose professional clothing suitable to her profession and that when paying a friend a visit, it is better to dress sharply than to show up in sports clothes.

You don’t have to resign yourself to characterless clothing

Yes, dressing comfortably is mandatory given the standards of our age. But this doesn’t mean that jeans and cotton shirts have to take over our lives. Clothing that we select ourselves to reflect our inner nature is the first step toward a ladylike appearance. And I’m not talking about exaggerated apparel… I’m talking about smart skirts, quality pants in non-drab fabrics that aren’t tattered or torn, elegant blouses, dresses and jackets. It’s high time to distance ourselves from the “fashion” of jeans that look torn up or even stained, T-shirts full of slogans, clothing that looks patched up but sells for hundreds, articles of clothing that are unisex and lack any character or personality. The best clothing for women isn’t that which reflects the economic and social trends of the age, but that which truly reflects and enhances her personality, gender and respect for herself.