Original Garment

Sketches

 

Draft

 

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Final

I wanted to speak to the ongoing issue of women specifically in a professional setting are still getting judged by their appearance as their appearance  is somehow a signifier of their capabilities/skills to be successful. Looking at the media we often see headlines that objectify powerful women into nothing more than what they are wearing or what they look like. I was especially interested in this topic after following the presidential election and see Hillary Clinton have to struggle with the constant attacks from the media for being too masculine by wearing pantsuits. Serena Williams also faced backlash on what she wore while playing despite, her overall success as an athlete. This degrading of women can especially be found in the workforce. Many women feel an obligation to dress stereotypically more feminine and wear makeup to fit in their hostile work environment. While, women often in high positions feel obligated to dress in a more masculine manner and to tone down their sexuality to be taken seriously.

After deconstructing the garment that is a men’s shirt I decided to reassemble it into a garment that is specifically designed for women. I kind of played around with the deconstructed pieces to make a form of a deconstructed blazer. I added safety pins and buckles for my own aesthetics and to make the wearer feel more secure and protected.