Hoodie Today, Gown Tomorrow: An Ideological Rhetorical Analysis of Gender-Neutral Clothing

Abstract

The fields of psychology and sociology have long understood the importance of clothing in self-formation, this study extrapolates this social-science understanding into the realm of rhetorical analysis. This study looks at gender-neutral clothing and its role in meaning making and self identification for women. With a rhetorical basis from Richards and Ogden, this research uses the feminist works of Brummett and Butler to uncover both the positive and negatives effects of gender-neutral clothing on a woman's self-identification and perceptions. Through the presentation of a diffuse narrative and evaluation of the same, gender-neutral clothing is read and decoded for meaning. This research shows that meanings from gender-neutral clothing are inherently perception based and calls for better personal and corporate understanding of perception in meaning making and evaluation.

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