Subtext Magazine » History

London Fashion Week’s Flight of Feminism: Tatty Devine

Charlotte — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:00:23 +0000

As fashion week and new seasonal wardrobes get all up in your face and over magazines it’s worth pulling out the little bits of interest to feminists — today, the Tatty Devine designed ‘Age of Blazing Trails’ amazing women-based jewellery.

“Are you an aviatrix navigating new gender roles in goggles and lipstick, a flapper winning the vote in pearls and crystals, a cowgirl breaking wild horses in a western shirt and gingham neckerchief, or a lady striding defiantly into the gentlemen’s clubs with a pipe and a pocket watch?“

Well, it’s quite possible we’re not any of those exciting things, but I’m sure we’ll be damned if we don’t want to celebrate them. Looking at the calendar of historical events you may not be shocked to see that women are sadly lacking – it’s something we all wax lyrical about a lot so it’s lovely to see something this fun with a bit of feminist flair cocked towards appreciating women’s work and groundbreaking action.

Even better, the two designers that set up the company 10 years ago and run the show today are both women, have a workshop filled with women and celebrate an irreverent kind of fashion that doesn’t demand serious contemplation and contempt for fun.

See the full collection Here.

Watch this programme on the iPlayer about Spirfire Women

The British Family

Laura — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:17:38 +0000

As part of the BBC 2 four-part series presented by Kirsty Young, this week focused on ‘Sex’, particularly the impact of women’s changing attitudes to marriage and the impact of feminism in post-war Britain. The episode should be available on BBC i-player and is certainly worth a watch.

Fifties Women – The Daily Mail

Laura — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:10:45 +0000

The Daily Mail this week has been featuring extracts from a new book on fifties family life. This particular extract caught my eye. Though the piece is probably meant to draw attention to the changes in women’s position and highlight how things have ‘got better’, the whole thing stinks of misplaced nostalgia. The scene is set in the opening paragaph when we are told about Britain in the fifties being a “country where doors were left unlocked, children played in the street and crime levels were low and falling – in fact, a Britain that has long since disappeared”. The fact this is then followed by a look at women’s position is perhaps now coincidence. Aren’t the New Right guilty of looking back to a golden age which never existed, eager to claim a correlation between single/working mothers and juvenile deliquency?

Derek from Kent in the comments seems to have also picked up on the underlining messages promoted in this piece…

This article proves yet again that women should be AT HOME, not at work. It would solve the unemployment crisis instantly. Also a man will be happier at work knowing that there is a nice hot meal waiting for him when he gets home.

…and to think all we need to do to solve unemployment is to get women back into the home. Now why didn’t we think of that?

Only in The Daily Mail.

Laura

100 years of Girl Guides

Laura — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:48:00 +0000

This year is the centenary of the Girl Guides. I was a Brownie but never made it as far as the Girl Guides (the association seemed at odds with my increasing desire to become a rock star). I did love being a Brownie though and I think part of this was because it challenged preconceptions of what it meant to be a ‘little girl’. At times yes, we indulged in activities and chores deemed female but there was a balance as we also were encouraged to take part in things that perhaps in our homes, or at school, would be seen as boyish (such as orienteering, camping, climbing trees). Brownies went well with my Enid Blyton world I guess, my nostalgic side sighs at the moves to modernise the association.

Where you a Brownie or Girl Guide? What are your thoughts?

Laura

For more on the Girls Guides Centenary see here.

Recent newspaper coverage at:
The Daily Express
The Guardian
The Independent
The Telegraph

HerStoria, History With Visible Women

Charlotte — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:18:00 +0000

Despite David Starkey’s pompous accusation that history is becoming “feminised” it is actually becoming equalised – in that it is no longer the mirror with which white men can see themselves as main players, but one which shows all of the nuanced characters of our times.

HerStoria, the recently launched history magazine giving voice and visibility to the lives and lifestyles of women through history, is papery proof of this change.

Covering Victorian Lady travellers, women’s workhouse experiences, reactions to great changes in society and a look at women missing from the retelling of history, it is a bastion of academia and general interest and I recommend you check it out.

Charlotte