|
How black lingerie became an erotic symbol? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Doug Hoagland, MCT
|
|
Thursday, 02 August 2007 |
|
|
|
|
 So, how did black lingerie become an erotic symbol?
Fresno State history professor Jill Fields tackles that question in a just-published book, "An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie and Sexuality."
The 375-page tome explores how women's undergarments have shaped their bodies while also reflecting social attitudes toward femininity and sexuality during the last two centuries.
Open-crotch drawers. Whalebone corsets. Uplift bras. These and other intimate apparel get scholarly treatment in the book, which has nabbed high-profile reviews while showing that the boundaries of historical inquiry are broad indeed.
Fields is understanding of people who think lingerie is an unusual topic for a history professor's research.
"Well, they might be right," she said.
But, the history of glamour has intrigued her for many years, and she said, "I thought the best way to write about glamour was to write about something concrete. The first thing that popped into my head was lingerie."
As a graduate student at the University of Southern California, Fields wrote her doctoral dissertation on lingerie. And later at California State University, Fresno, where she has taught since 1999, she reworked the dissertation and added to it to produce her first book.
Acknowledging that some historians write books on war and politics, Fields calls herself a social historian who explores the lives of ordinary people, and she said she's particularly interested in women's history.
Fresno State colleagues praise her efforts.
"I say, 'Kudos to Dr. Fields,'" history professor Ephraim Smith said. "Fresno State and the community should be proud of her. From what I've seen, this book is an extremely well-researched and sophisticated volume."
As to the subject matter of Fields' book, Smith said, "I think there are no limits to historical inquiry."
Jeri Echeverria, Fresno State's provost and herself a history professor, said that in the past 50 years some historians have opted to research specific topics rather than concentrate on "mega-history" — big, sweeping political events.
"Highly specific topics might tell us more about the individual lives of people in the past than larger, grand history," Echeverria said.
Fields' book takes readers on the intimate journey beginning in the 19th century when women wore breezy drawers. Long and loose-fitting underpants, designed with an open crotch, made it easier to answer nature's call when a woman was padded by pounds of petticoats and bound in a corset stiffened with whalebone.
The book offers similar historical and sociological takes on corsets, girdles, bras and black lingerie.
The latter became an erotic symbol in the 20th century, Fields says, because of three forces: white men's misperceptions that black women were overly sexual, popular culture linking sex and death, and the power of black clothing, originally a symbol of mourning.
Released in early July by University of California Press in both hardcover and paperback, "An Intimate Affair" already has been reviewed in the Washington Post and other publications. The Post reviewer wrote that the book "offers a rich and nuanced understanding of how pieces of every-day clothing reflect the changing historical context of women's lives. ..."
The reviewer's one criticism: The book doesn't address "the changing cultural meanings of underwear in all aspects of popular culture since the 1950s."
The book's photos are historic and modest by today's racy standards — a fact noted in a reader review posted at Amazon.com.
That review said readers looking for titillation should go elsewhere: "This work is scholarly and informative, but salaciousness or even mild stimulation is not its forte."
Fresno State student Suzanne Martinez said Friday that history always seems dull, but that she might read Fields' book.
"I do like to see how perceptions of women have developed over the years," said Martinez, a 19-year-old biology major from Fresno.
Fresno State student Jesus Mendoza, a Chicano-Latino studies major, said the title of the book misled him into thinking it was either a novel or a textbook for a sexuality course. But Mendoza, 30, of Fresno said he's interested in history and might read it anyway.
"It seems like it has to do with feminists," Mendoza said. "I like to see things from a different perspective."
Fields said her book can be used as a college textbook, and she plans to require it as one of nine or 10 textbooks in a graduate class she'll teach this fall at Fresno State. She said she's not expecting to make a lot of money from book sales, but using her book will give her students a different classroom experience.
Said Fields: "It's an opportunity to discuss the book with the author." | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
