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A review by edent_
A History of Women in Men's Clothes: From Cross-Dressing to Empowerment by Norena Shopland
5.0
This book is hilarious and horrifying. Did you know that women were banned in France from wearing trousers? If they wanted to wear “male” clothing they had to apply to the police and pay for a permit. The ban was overturned in… 2013!
The whole book is full of maddening little anecdotes about the way society treated (and still treats) women who deviate from societal expectations. At times, all you can do is to laugh to stop yourself crying. The book sometimes feels like a catalogue of Fragile Masculinity – as men of the age rage against women encroaching into “their” territory”. The fear that a woman might to as good a job as a man – as an employee or as a lover – is seen as an existential threat which must be crushed.
It is difficult to place modern attitudes on historic figures. Our notions of people’s gender and sexuality don’t always fit with how they thought of themselves. Are these “gal-pals” or lesbians? Is this person wearing men’s clothes out of economic necessity or because they are Trans? We can’t ever know their lived experience, but the author uses great care and sensitivity to describe all those involved.
Because the book is drawn from contemporary news reports, it can get a little repetitive. Tiny glimpses of a life told through a paragraph in a provincial newspaper. But it only serves to reinforce the message that women have always worn men’s clothes. And almost always been subject to ridicule or punishment for it.
The book mostly draws from English-language reports, so is firmly tied to the Anglosphere – with occasional forays into France, Germany, and China. It is meticulously referenced, and contains some images of news cuttings to peruse.
Much like Miranda Kaufmann “Black Tudors”, it is a fascinating book which uncovers a facet of history which is often conveniently ignored.
The whole book is full of maddening little anecdotes about the way society treated (and still treats) women who deviate from societal expectations. At times, all you can do is to laugh to stop yourself crying. The book sometimes feels like a catalogue of Fragile Masculinity – as men of the age rage against women encroaching into “their” territory”. The fear that a woman might to as good a job as a man – as an employee or as a lover – is seen as an existential threat which must be crushed.
It is difficult to place modern attitudes on historic figures. Our notions of people’s gender and sexuality don’t always fit with how they thought of themselves. Are these “gal-pals” or lesbians? Is this person wearing men’s clothes out of economic necessity or because they are Trans? We can’t ever know their lived experience, but the author uses great care and sensitivity to describe all those involved.
Because the book is drawn from contemporary news reports, it can get a little repetitive. Tiny glimpses of a life told through a paragraph in a provincial newspaper. But it only serves to reinforce the message that women have always worn men’s clothes. And almost always been subject to ridicule or punishment for it.
The book mostly draws from English-language reports, so is firmly tied to the Anglosphere – with occasional forays into France, Germany, and China. It is meticulously referenced, and contains some images of news cuttings to peruse.
Much like Miranda Kaufmann “Black Tudors”, it is a fascinating book which uncovers a facet of history which is often conveniently ignored.