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In the 1930s and ’40s in New York, certain cafeterias on Christopher Street at Sheridan Square-near where the Stonewall Inn operated decades later-provided a place where gay men could publicly gather. That makeup tends to be associated with women means it can be a particularly strong touchstone for feminist protest. By enforcing these laws in a way that reinforced straight cisgender society, police targeted those who didn’t conform. In practice decades later, police used a guideline of enforcement of the law by targeting people wearing fewer than three pieces of clothing “appropriate to their sex” as a way to discriminate against LGBTQ people and businesses that served them. The law was enacted in 1846 and was meant to prevent tenant farmers from protesting their landlords, which they sometimes did in disguise to hide from authorities. A preexisting New York City law made illegal anyone “masked or in any manner disguised by unusual or unnatural attire or facial alteration,” or anyone who congregated in a public place with people masked or disguised, except for authorized masquerade parties and parades. In the years leading up to the Stonewall anti-police riots in 1969, makeup became both a target for law enforcement and a way to rebel against laws that restricted gendered appearance. A way to change society’s standards-and therefore people’s treatment in society when they don’t fit into those standards-is to act out against them, and makeup can be a tool of resistance both when those standards have to do with appearance and when they don’t.
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In addition, because makeup can be accessible or created at home, is such a bright visual signal, and is a flexible medium people can wear or remove as they choose, it can be an especially powerful form of resistance.
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But when people use makeup to break the system instead of conform to it, it can turn from a tool of the oppressor to one that strengthens the oppressed. Makeup trends may act as a vise, strictly holding women in place to enforce beauty standards the way a woodworker slowly and carefully shapes a block of wood into something smooth and perfect. Traditional reproduction men’s socks can be found a Simon James Cathcart.Photo above: Marsha P. I can assure you that the novelty will wear off faster than the holes begin appearing. If you’re searching for a good everyday sock though, then I would recommend Merino wool.Ī word of warning, though - please do beware the danger of novelty socks. Cotton is cooler, so it’s best for summer months and of course, wool will keep you warm in winter. They are lighter and finer and just feel fantastic. If you have a black tie function coming up, do try some dark silk dress socks. There are some truly exquisite socks still available today. They keep my socks perfectly in place, and the look of an unwrinkled sock is always better - especially as shorter length socks can occasionally slip down and bunch up at the heel. I believe that socks offer men a chance to really experiment with color and be a little braver in their personal style choices. Today, I like to have fun with my hosiery like the men of yesterday seemed to do. 1967 Sport Socks and Dress Socks Socks Today