Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic brings into sharp relief the performative aspect of the way we dress. Staring at one’s own face among many others during the online meetings and classes requires new make-up and dressing routines. Combining nice tops that are in view with sweatpants for the part of the body that (hopefully) no one can see, reveals that dress is, after all, performative: we dress not only for ourselves but also for others; for the public gaze. In this Introduction to the issue of Critical Studies of Fashion and Beauty (December 2020), Anneke Smelik and Susan Kaiser explore the theme of performance and performativity. Performance pertains to the theatrical such as the fashion show, fashion film or fashion shoot. It also refers to embodied behaviour, i.e. to the ways in which individuals imagine how they appear to others. Goffman’s metaphor of the stage as presentations of self in everyday life is particularly apt for the study of clothing and appearance. The concept of performativity derives from philosophies of language. The idea of performative agency as developed by Butler has resonated deeply in gender studies and queer studies, because it offers possibilities for change and transformation. The act of dressing is an important part of performing one’s identity. The articles in this issue show how performance and performativity are intricately interwoven within the field of fashion.
