Fashioning the second wave: issues across generations

Fawcett, H. 2006, ‘Fashioning the second wave: issues across generations’, Studies in the Literary Imagination, vol. 39, no. 2, Fall, viewed 19 May 2014, <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA172906653&v=2.1&u=rmit&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=b41a20aa50060b0a9ea72569664ee48f>.

This article details the relationship between fashion and feminism, chronologically charting developments throughout the decades from the 1960s into the 2000s. Fawcett explores the disconnect between popular images and understanding of the 1960s, particularly in relation to sexual liberation, and the reality of the decade for a lot of working- and lower-middle class women, with particular focus on the UK. Nostalgia within fashion for the 1960s era often ignores the politics of representation that were the focus of Second Wave feminism in the 1970s. Instead, through an examination of popular culture and various magazines through the decades, Fawcett argues that fashion’s continuing obsession with 1960s ideas of femininity raises concerns when coupled with current attitudes of sexual permissiveness, consumer culture and the objectification of women. The author’s voice and personal experience is evident throughout, and she acknowledges her position within the historical period being discussed. The article include endnotes which provide additional background information for those unfamiliar with the era or people discussed, as well as list of references for further reading.