Someone clever once said
Dangerous Coats, by Irish poet Sharon Owens
Women were not allowed pockets
In case they carried leaflets
To spread sedition
Which means unrest
To you & me
A grandiose word
For commonsense
Fairness
Kindness
Equality
So ladies, start sewing
Dangerous coats
Made of pockets & sedition
Test Yourself
CHALLENGES
One of the main arguments of Brumberg’s book, and she is explicit about this in the last paragraph of the section that we read, is that girls are increasingly objectified and sexualized. Take a look at the underwear section of a store like Justice, or visit LaSenza Girl and make your own conclusions about the possible sexualization of girls bodies.
This summary for the Fashion and Gender module begins with a poem by Sharon Owens. Owens draws attention to pockets – or rather to the lack of pockets in women’s clothing. For this challenge, check out your clothing for pockets. Ask your friends and colleagues about the pockets on their clothing. What can fit in small pockets? What can fit in large pockets? Do you think that clothing can be – as Sharon Owen suggests poetically – dangerous?