Gender and Social Change

So What? The Impact of Fashion on Women's Health Today

Clothing and Mental Health

          Because of the importance that is placed on the way women dress in society today, fashion has a major impact on women’s mental health. Women in the workforce are often expected to look a certain way, and are judged based on the way they dress.[1] This can put an added level of stress on a woman to dress appropriately while still holding on to their femininity. Women who dress more provocatively are often seen as more desirable yet less intelligent, and there have also been positive correlations between women who dress provocatively and sexual assault.[2] In a world where fashion is a major way in which people in general express themselves, it is unfair that women have to pay extra close attention to how they dress in order to fit into society.