The return of bustles are deeper than fashion
Sara Baartman, and African women, became a popular figure in the 1800s Europe because her body was exploitatively displayed. Colonial audiences were curious and infatuated with her body, treating women like Baartman less than human. Black African women with prominent hips, like Baartman, were exhibited in "freak" shows and private gatherings, where crowds staired at these women's bodies out of curiosity, stripping these women's humanity from them. The obsession of these women's body shape lead to the bustle in the 19th century. A bustle is a structure worn by women to exaggerate the back silhouette, which became the idea of "femininity" in this time period. Now in current day, designers like Jonathan Anderson are "reviving" the bustle, but lets not forget the complex history. This highlights the exploitation and racial stereotyping of African women. To some this might just be a fashion tread, but we have to educate and remind people of the deeper historical ideologies and the hurtful implications behind this fashion style.
Thanks for bringing light to this topic!! It's very important because most non-people of color tend to forget where they get their ideas from with fashion, music, movies I can go on forever. But dont want to give credit where credit is due.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea this was the history behind them! Its so tragic how history has covered up black history or suffering for the benefit of rich white people. I will keep this fact in mind when seeing more fashion.
ReplyDeleteHello! Thank you so much for choosing this topic to talk about for this week's blog post. I had no idea about the past of the bustle and cannot believe that it would be related to something of the sort. It now pains me to see how the bustle usage has transcended beyond these instances, whether that is for better or worse. Thank you again!
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