Slaves of Fashion by Oscar Wilde
The work critiques the extreme lengths to which women go to conform to the dictates of fashion, particularly regarding body modification and clothing styles that cause physical harm. It begins with a discussion of historical practices, highlighting the torturous methods women have endured, such as tight corseting and other forms of bodily constriction, to achieve an idealized figure. The author references various historical accounts of women subjected to these practices, illustrating the absurdity and danger of such trends. The text argues that the pursuit of a fashionable silhouette, particularly the exaggeratedly small waist, distorts the natural proportions of the body, leading to an unflattering appearance. It emphasizes that the current fashion trends not only compromise health but also aesthetic sensibility, as they often result in a lack of grace and elegance. The author advocates for a return to styles that respect the natural form, suggesting that the Directoire style offers a more flattering and sensible alternative. The critique extends to the broader implications of fashion, suggesting that the obsession with appearance often leads to a lack of common sense. The author challenges the notion that suffering is a necessary component of beauty, positing instead that it is foolish to endure pain for the sake of adhering to arbitrary standards. Additionally, the work addresses the role of fashion in society, acknowledging its significance while also condemning the harmful practices it can promote. The author expresses a commitment to documenting fashion's evolution, not as an endorsement of its more extreme manifestations, but as a means of understanding its impact on women's lives. The text concludes with a call for women of culture and position to reject harmful fashion practices and embrace styles that enhance rather than distort their natural beauty.
By Oscar Wilde · First published 1892 · Genre: Essay, Social Critique, Non-fiction · 944 words
First lines
MISS LEFFLER-ARNIM'S statement, in a lecture delivered recently at St. Saviour's Hospital, that "she had heard of instances where ladies were so determined not to exceed the fashionable measurement that they had actually held on to a cross-bar while their maids fastened the fifteen-inch corset," has excited a good deal of incredulity, but there is nothing really improbable in it. From the sixteenth century to our own day there is hardly any form of torture that has not been inflicted on girls, and endured by women, in obedience to the dictates of an unreasonable and monstrous Fashion. "In order to obtain a real Spanish figure," says Montaigne, "what a Gehenna of suffering will not women endure, drawn in and compressed by great _coches_ entering the flesh; nay, sometimes they even die thereof! " "A few days after my arrival at school," Mrs. Somerville tells us in her memoirs, "although perfectly straight and well made, I was enclosed in stiff stays, with a steel busk in front; while above my frock, bands drew my shoulders back till the shoulder-blades met.
What this Textopian page supports
Slaves of Fashion is listed on Textopian as a short story by Oscar Wilde, dated 1892 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Oscar Wilde
- Date: 1892 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Essay, Social Critique, Non-fiction, Satire, Cultural Commentary
- Length: 944 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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Similar titles
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- Womans Dress by Oscar Wilde
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- More Radical Ideas Upon Dress Reform by Oscar Wilde
Genres
- Essay — The work is a critical examination of fashion and its societal implications, characteristic of essay writing.
- Social Critique — It critiques societal norms and the pressures of fashion on women, highlighting issues of body image and conformity.
- Non-fiction — The text presents factual observations and historical references regarding fashion practices.
- Satire — Wilde employs wit and irony to mock the absurdities of fashion and societal expectations.
Tags
Social Commentary · Satire · Fashion Industry · Class System · Morality · Critique of Society · Humor · Irony · Societal Hierarchy · Materialism · Consumerism · Identity