What fashion statement is being made?

Having read Silverman's "Fragments of a Fashionable Discourse," I was amazed at how well Silverman incorporated very simple, well-known observations about the world into such an insightful, compelling argument relating to gender roles. While the saying goes, "Do not judge a book by its cover," the fact remains that we all do, and fashion is an integral part of our book-covers. Male or female, we have all learned that we must modify our cover for different situations, for our fashion explicitly represents us. While going to a job interview with a messy beard or unkempt hair and wearing shorts, flip-flops, and a graphic t-shirt is inappropriate, going to watch the football game in a suit is just as laughable. Fashion rules have been constructed based on social ideologies. Since social ideologies are fluid, so is fashion. 17th century Europeans who somehow visit contemporary United States would not be so surprised by men with long hair and dress robes, but they would be somewhat appalled by women wearing pants.

I enjoyed reading Silverman's analysis of fashion and what it says of social ideology, especially in the realm of gender roles, as she validly points out that "Clothing and other kinds of ornamentation make the human body culturally visible." When she explained that women's fashion became a display of their husband or family's wealth, I could not help but think about the many times I have seen shows or movies where mothers criticize their daughters for wearing something inappropriate, following with a remark that is something along the lines of: "Don't make the family look bad." Our fashion not only represents our individual identities, but also our families and our culture as a whole. In fact, fashion probably represents culture far more than it does individuality.

Nevertheless, there are many examples of people who have utilized fashion against cultural norms and as a means of expressing one's identity. The first person that comes to mind is Lady Gaga. Her fashion, rather than her songs, is boldest marker that sets her apart from the masses. Lady Gaga has proven that an individual can use fashion to make statement instead of allowing fashion to make an individual a cultural statement, which as Silverman points out, has happened for centuries.