Feminist Theory of the Dressed Female Body

Abstract

The purpose of this analysis was to synthesize diverse theoretical positions advanced within contemporary feminist literature on the dressed female body and to consider the varied ways in which these theoretical positions may have bearing on the field of textiles and clothing. Feminist perspectives of the dressed body are discussed as related to (a) modern feminist readings of the body, (b) postmodern feminist readings of the body, (c) feminist musings about the possibility of the body as a vehicle for empowerment, and (d) feminist perspectives on ambivalence and the body. Throughout the discussion, feminist theories of the dressed body are compared and situated with respect to broader feminist ideologies and assumptions. Concluding this work, suggestions are provided for future applications of feminist theory of the dressed body to textiles and clothing scholarship.