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Taos has long been known for its “Taos Style” when it comes to clothing and fashion, and in the greater fashion world, dresses have changed dramatically. At the beginning of the 20th century, dresses were weighty and full, making movement slow and cumbersome, reflecting the slow progress of women into mainstream society. As the century unfolded and women gained more rights, their clothing matched their evolving freedoms. As the century progressed, and as women’s roles in society expanded, the dress mirrored this increased mobility. Today, in the early part of the 21st century, just about anything goes when it comes to attire. How we are dressed tells a lot about us. Dresses indicate our gender, age and stage of life. They offer information about our professions and social status. Wearing a certain style or quality of dress can tell what part of the world we are from and whether we live in a warm or cool climate. The wearing, or
not wearing, of a specific style or length of dress can identify our religion, tribe, independence, or point to gender indifference. Garments can suggest stereotypes and sexual objectification, morality and virtue. This exhibition intends to expand our notion of what a dress is and can be. This
exhibition challenges the notion of what a dress is and explores ways in which dresses can reveal us to ourselves, be objects of nostalgia, and offer metaphorical meaning in the early 21st century. |