It’s funny how many things we consider fashionable or attractive are just displays of wealth. Things like those ridiculous sleeves or those white pants seem to mostly function as a way to demonstrate your lack of need to do any sort of manual labor.
The switch from pale skin to tanned skin in western countries is an interesting example.
When most labor worked outside, pale skin was in. Once labor shifted to working in factories, having the means to travel to sunny destinations and get a tan became the signifier of wealth.
The irony of it is that nowadays pretty much everyone gets to own MUCH more clothing than in ye olden days. Your work clothes can be different from your free time clothes. You can be a manual labourer and still wear the white trousers. I know I’ve done it.
This is basically the purpose of those eeeeeextra long finger nails some ladies wear. They are nearly impossible to do most things with, and are thus a show that you don’t work with your hands.
Watching people at work struggle with them is interesting tho… I’m sure the irony is lost entirely on them.
You can tell just by looking that the lassie in the pic doesn’t have to do any manual labour cos she only sells her special essential oils and crystals to her friends
Excess cloth and fine cloth are still displays of wealth, and have been since clothing became a thing. “Lookit Urg’s loincloth, he has beads hanging from it. Must be rich…”
It’s funny how many things we consider fashionable or attractive are just displays of wealth. Things like those ridiculous sleeves or those white pants seem to mostly function as a way to demonstrate your lack of need to do any sort of manual labor.
Thats true for a whole ton of age-old fashion trends. Pale skin is one example, white dresses or ridiculous hoop skirts another.
The switch from pale skin to tanned skin in western countries is an interesting example.
When most labor worked outside, pale skin was in. Once labor shifted to working in factories, having the means to travel to sunny destinations and get a tan became the signifier of wealth.
The irony of it is that nowadays pretty much everyone gets to own MUCH more clothing than in ye olden days. Your work clothes can be different from your free time clothes. You can be a manual labourer and still wear the white trousers. I know I’ve done it.
This is basically the purpose of those eeeeeextra long finger nails some ladies wear. They are nearly impossible to do most things with, and are thus a show that you don’t work with your hands.
Watching people at work struggle with them is interesting tho… I’m sure the irony is lost entirely on them.
Those nails don’t have the intended effect on me. They make me think that the woman wearing them is going to turn me into a newt
You can tell just by looking that the lassie in the pic doesn’t have to do any manual labour cos she only sells her special essential oils and crystals to her friends
Excess cloth and fine cloth are still displays of wealth, and have been since clothing became a thing. “Lookit Urg’s loincloth, he has beads hanging from it. Must be rich…”