Author Regina Root was interviewed this month by Página/12, one of Argentina’s most prominent newspapers, about the ultimate symbol of female independence in postcolonial Argentina: the comb. Root tells the paper:
“This accessory, whose popularity lasted nearly two decades, became an emblem. There is no doubt that women with combs were seen as participants in public policy and that their presence disturbed various sectors of the population. As women were supposed to play a participatory role in building an independent nation, the combs envisioned this goal and provided public recognition.”
Catch the English-translated article here (please note that some of the translation is shaky), or the original version here.
Root is author of Couture and Consensus: Fashion and Politics in Postcolonial Argentina, which will be out later this month. The book is part of UMP’s Cultural Studies of the Americas series.
Follow Root on Twitter (lots of great links on sustainable fashion!) at @DrModa.