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Question: Why was fashion and shopping in the 19th Century mainly an interest to woman!?
I've got an assignment and would appreciate all the help i can get!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
in the 1800's women often had their set "places" in society!. Working women worked and didn't have to assets to take an interests in fashion and shopping!. Upper class and middle class women were intensely interested in fashion and shopping!. This was a factor for many reasons!. First, these women were not usually allowed to pursue higher education degrees!. Second, women of the middle/upper class often did not work!. it was their husbands role to provide and support the home and family!. Both of these factors limited their sphere to their home and social circles!. When they were limited in their pursuit of their own goals or expression of their discontent in their situation, fashion and shopping became an expression and sense of pride for women!. Clothes represented social class and money, and if a woman had a well put together outfit, it gave her a sense of power and influence!. Fashion also changed drastically over the 100 years of the 19th Century!. Women were interested in the use of fabrics and colors to express themselves!. The role of women in the consumer market greatly affected the capitalist economy!. It was often overlooked how much power women had as a consumer and how much they affected local business!. These women became the reason many could make/provide a living for business owners' families!. Fashion became an idea that was almost soley a womans sphere!. Clothes and adornments became our "thing" that our husbands had no hand in!.

In modern times, we women are still interested in shopping/fashion, but only because its fun to adorn ourselves (just as it was in the 19th) century, but we have other aspects of social interaction now a days!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

I assume the answer is that simply because marriage was considered a woman's only career it was imperative that they looked their best for anyone to notice them at first place!. It was like their shop window and that was really important as the two sexes didn't have much opportunity to really know each other!. So appearance was the half of everything!. The passport to success!.
The other reason I can think of is that dressing at those days was something that betrayed a woman's financial station and therefore dowry!. It was really expensive to make a dress with so much material and be able to change dresses according to the fashions!. Www@QuestionHome@Com