Its anniversary is this week, Gentle Reader, so I would like to mark 101 years since the Suffragettes really showed us the power of protest.
On March 1, 1912, British Suffragettes protested their lack of vote by attacking several shops in London’s West End shopping district. I am quite familiar with this, as it marks a huge moment in my “bookertation” (that is, the book developing from my doctoral dissertation). Fashion and protest are incredible parts of my work and my academic life, but also, incredible and important parts of my personal life, as well.
We have to remember that fashion and shopping are not feminine weaknesses or signs of silliness but are, in fact, quite important indeed. A multi-billion dollar industry now, it was a multi-million dollar industry 100 years ago. And they showed their dissatisfaction both by attacking fashion boutiques and by wearing fashionable clothing while doing so.
Erika Rappaport’s Shopping for Pleasure concludes with an Epilogue “The Politics of Plate Glass,” in which you can find a wealth of information about this topic.
What other parts of women’s history would you like to see discussed here, Friends?
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