To me, intersectionality is a combination of physical, social, political, or economic characteristics that make up a person. Being the intersection of gender, sexuality, “race” & ethnicity, religion, astrological sign, age, class, or nationality, intersectionality has become a blanket term that expresses anything with a complex makeup, that can be defined by multiple categories. For example, it is like saying one is multilingual, yet failing to provide the necessary details to the statement such as what other languages you know or how many others.
The concept of intersectionality derives from feminist theory and has become an important aspect of feminist and gender studies. It began as a term used to connect gender and race subject positions to demonstrate their combined effects on inequality. In the text Fashion and Cultural Studies, the term is considered a “useful word, providing a framework for discussing broader patterns of oppression, power, discrimination”(Kaiser, 2012, 33). Kimberle Crenshaw, law professor and critical race theorist, explains intersectionality through a traffic example: in which she claims that at an intersection of multiple roads, or in this case subject formations, “danger can hit you from either side”(Kaiser, 2012, 36). Today, through style-fashion-dress we are able to connect a variety of subject positions and “explore ways of being and becoming subjects”(Kaiser, 2012, 37) that are otherwise difficult to express. Intersectionality is a term that defines any two points that meet on the subject position map.
The subject positions of my life that are most prevalent in my daily dress preferences are my gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, sexuality, astrological sign, economic status, and professional aspirations. Considering I am a 19 year old, Greek-American female majoring in fashion designer at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan, my wardrobe is primarily revealing, girly, but always balanced with something more understated, mellow, and sophisticated to protect my professionality as a designer. As a young female I feel the need to show off my tight, youthful figure, but also as a young designer with big aspirations for her future in the industry, I cannot allow myself to be exploited, or to be seen as immature, or unprofessional. Pearls are always classy and silver chokers are youthful, but elegant. I often wear a tight pant for comfort and to show off my legs, and then a flowy top to add a female element and create contrast in the silhouette, without compromising my professionalism. As a fashion student it is most logical that I would wear sneakers, leggings and a sweatshirt while sewing, due to the process’s time consuming nature and its ability to easily incite maddness upon its conductor, but also as a heterosexual female I am drawn to my lowrise skinny jeans and suede booties.
I am a Greek Orthodox Christian, a religion and culture. This aspect of my life has influenced my taste. Growing up in a Greek household, I was always taught to love my feminine curves, but dressing up provocatively is unacceptable behavior. Therefore, even though I enjoy wearing things that show off my youthful body, my upbringing in a strict, upper middle class, cultured household taught me to protect my reputation, especially within the tight-knit Greek community. I also wear my Meditteranean heritage in my dress by sporting lighter, highly embroidered or intricate textiles in my wardrobe. My American nationality, which is best expressed through my 12 years of public schooling, translates to my value of comfort in my wardrobe. This has meant wearing lots of jeans, leggings, sportswear, underarmour, sweatshirts, sneakers etc.
My upper middle class economic status prevents me from being able to afford luxury items, therefore I focus my energy on classic pieces in my wardrobe that are comfortable and trendy. Growing up in preppy Wilton, CT has taught me the value of looking respectable, such as wearing clothes with greater quality over quantity. I also believe my disinterest in brand name goods is a likely connection to my greek heritage, that has little care for mass marketed material goods. More pride is taken in hand made products. Greeks care more for quality of clothing construction and fabric than brand.
My astrological signs further confirms my clean, classic, and refined style. As a Virgo, I value looking sophisticated, strong, reliable, and diligent. Therefore, my image of myself in a “power suit,” or oversized blazer on my intersectionality map, suggests I am always “dressed to impress.” Though my aspirations are large, I never forget my feminie roots: bright colors, floral prints, silks, and lace. In addition, my age of 19 years old, just on the cusp of adulthood, suggests I am interested in looking older, but by dressing in bright, respectably, youthful pieces such as overalls, and flouncy tops, head wraps, prints, etc.
My sexuality also plays a part in my daily dress choices. Some days I wear grunge, other days I wear a borderline school uniform. My style changes rapidly. As a heterosexual female, I tend to always reveal a little cleavage, straighten my hair, and wear garments that hug my feminine curves, all likely preferences of the typical generation Z heterosexual male in order to draw their gaze.
