Consider Why Fashion and Shopping Have Since the 19th Century Been Considered Mainly of Interest to Women. Discuss with Reference to the Development of the Fashion Industry and the Ride of the Department Store. Is This Still True Today ?

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Introduction: For the past centuries and today fashion and shopping have always been mainly of interest to women, however men did also play a huge role in the industry of fashion. The department stores grew bigger and bigger on the influence of women but were run by mostly men. 'Women belonged to the world of leisure and men to the world of work.' Fathers, husbands had a role to earn the money which their daughter/ wife can spend on shopping to show their status. The Department stores were a perfect place to be at during the 19th century. It supplies all the facilities women would want to enjoy themselves without their husbands or children; shopping, leisure, social life and entertainments. Main Body: ' On the one hand, woman's role was to be beautiful, dressed in clothes which expressed the social status of her husband or father and her own desirability.' ( ballaster etal.1991:89-90) Woman's role in the nineteenth-century was to represent their family's wealth in the beast way possible which was fashion. They were constantly looking at the new trends and made sure they looked outstanding. ' All the things that adorn woman, all the things that go to enhance her beauty , are part of herself...making...the woman and her dress, an indivisible whole.' ( Baudelaire 1972:423-4). Important figures in the community would influence the lower classes which is perfectly shown in 'The Paradise'. It is a tv series where we can see women's lifestyles in the first department store called 'The Paradise'. When Katherine chose the moonlight ink fabric for her wedding dress everyone else wanted at least a small piece of it even though it was not a good quality. This proves how much someone of a high status is important in fashion trends. Also, large scale industrialization in textiles let lower classes copy their favourite icons for much cheaper. Whilst women enjoying

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