Fashion can be liberating, a form of expression of one’s identity and even a symbol of rebellion but at the same time it can be a form of oppression, institutionalisation as well as control.
On Friday June 17, I attended the screening of the documentary Burning Bikinis, produced by Aditus, during the Valletta Film Festival.
The Aditus foundation is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental organisation established in 2011 by a group of young lawyers dedicated to ensuring human rights access in Malta.
I commend Aditus for its endeavour; the production was an enlightening example of how fashion can be used to oppress and control and the courage of the few in the struggle for emancipation.On the other side of the gender balance, a group of British boys showed that social conventions can be oppressive for males as well. The boys were not allowed to go to school in shorts despite the heatwave the UK was experiencing. As girls could alleviate this by wearing skirts, the boys decided to fight this discrimination by turning up in skirts as a sign of protest.
This reminded me how fashion can oppress men as well. Last August I had to attend a local tribunal sitting and it was clearly written that men had to turn up wearing a jacket and a tie. The policewoman in charge not only made sure this was respected but also chided men who had a little bit of their shirt untucked, and made them tuck it in, in respect of the court.
The Western world is obsessed with denouncing Muslims for oppressing women by forcing them to cover their head but sees no contradiction in the fact that males in the Western world are expected to conform to the ‘corporate look’ during formal occasions, such as weddings, as well as at the workplace and at schools. This type of wear may be suitable for the cooler Northern countries but is definitely not appropriate for hot climates like ours.
I encourage a change of mentality where fashion is a matter of choice, not social convention, and the authorities (be it work, school or court) to be more flexible in their outlook and adapt their dress codes according to the climate.
At the end of the day, as the Italian proverb goes “L’abito non fa il monaco” (“The outfit doesn’t make the monk”).