An Analysis of Women’s Dress as Related to Ideals of Beauty and Social Status

A paper submitted to the Department of Theatre and Communication Arts of Gannon University. Fall 1999. — 17 p.This paper will focus on the aesthetics of form, the undergarments and costumes that mold the body, and the societal implications of form and function, which are created by fashion in four major periods. These include Greek, Renaissance, 19th Century, and present day dress. This paper will conclude that costume has not served to flatter the feminine form, but rather to change it and render it functionless resulting in the objectification of women.