Find in Library
Search millions of books, articles, and more
Indexed Open Access Databases
A Matter of Public Interest: Press Coverage of the Outfits of Women MPs 1918–1930
oleh: Krista Cowman Cowman
Format: | Article |
---|---|
Diterbitkan: | Open Library of Humanities 2020-10-01 |
Deskripsi
This paper considers media coverage of the clothes chosen by early women MPs. Opening with the very recent case of public outrage sparked by the dress choice of Labour MP Tracy Brabin, it suggests that a disproportionate attention to what women wear in Parliament rather than what they do there is a longstanding phenomenon. Looking at examples from the 1920s, the first decade of women MPs, it demonstrates how political women have consistently been described in terms of their appearance much more than their policies. The article considers the extent to which a tendency to present women MPs as a unified group added to this, and the challenges of agreeing on a suitable feminine parliamentary dress code as well as a landmark legal case which viewed their dress as a matter of legitimate public interest.