Clothing Later Victorian (1870-1890) Essay Example for Free

Clothing Later Victorian (1870-1890) Essay After the death of her husband in 1861, Victoria went into seclusion, and though still deeply respected as sovereign of a great empire, she ceased to influence fashion as directly. The somber colors that came into fashion are attributed to the fact that the British Court remained in mourning. Black became a popular fashion color in this period, not only worn for mourning. However dress forms changed significantly. After decades of full skirts, a new silhouette appeared that accentuated the body while still covering it. The tightly fitted bodice remained, but now the full skirts were swept back, leaving a tight narrow skirt in the front, with all the fullness arranged in the back. The chief feature of this period was the rear emphasis in dress, typified by the bustle, a padded arrangement of drapery that accentuated the buttocks. The bustle was at its largest in the mid 1870s (above right), but would develop in a more tailored form in the mid 1880s (left). However, throughout the period, the narrow silhouette and rear emphasis was a constant. Although the new look was decried as immodest because it revealed, even exaggerated the female shape, it was also an extremely restricting style that required exceptionally severe corseting. This was a period in which more women were coming out of the home and into the community to participate in volunteer work and other public activities. In this period the womens rights movement (which included suffrage, protection for working women, and dress reform) gained momentum. Both the revelation of the womans body and the protest against the restrictiveness of the garments reflected the changing times. In addition to factory work, long done by poor women, the typewriter and the sewing machine were now creating work opportunities for middle class women who needed income. Since fashionable dress limited mobility, changes in dress were called for to accommodate these new realities. Art Nouveau (1890-1911) The Art Nouveau silhouette, particularly that of the 1890s, in some ways echoed the look of the early Romantic period. The Full leg-o-mutton sleeves and flared, moderately full skirts were similar (left). However, the hour-glass figure with its erect posture, stiffly boned collar band, and high shoulders suggested a more formidable image than the slope-shouldered decorative butterfly of the 1820s and 1830s. Increasing numbers of young unmarried women now worked in shops and offices, and housewives were often active in church work and other community voluntary activities. Women also began to appear socially in public, in restaurants and even at the beach. Sportswear -specialized clothing for strenuous activity- had begun to appear as early as the 1860s but in the 1890s the advent of the bicycle put women into pants bloomers in public for the first time. Tailored (but skirted) suits for women, similar to mens suits in cut, were now part of every womans wardrobe (right). A example of a dress by the House of Worth, beautifully shows the relationship of fashion design to design in the other decorative arts in this period. After 1900 the silhouette shifted to the s curve of the new corset style (left), recommended by reformers as a healthier alternative to the hour-glass silhouette. Soft, gauzy fabrics combined with lace became the style, and for special occasions, lightweight white lacy cotton dresses were worn by every one. The sinuous lines and soft materials and colors were consistent with the Art Nouveau style as we have seen it in furnishings and architecture. These soft dresses, particularly those worn near the end of the period, were also reminiscent of the classical styles of the revolutionary period a century earlier. Suits and tailored dresses also continued to be part of the daytime repetoire, however. On the whole, clothing was becoming more relaxed as womens lives continued to expand. Romantic (1815-1840) After 1815 womens dress became increasingly fussy and decorative, as skirts became fuller, and the waistline gradually descended to the natural waist. Severe corseting also returned, as did layers of petticoats. In this period, women were pushed back into a more modest role, befitting the weaker sex, often described as delicate, fragile, and decorative. The intellectuals and artists of the Romantic movement valued emotion and sentiment, in contrast to the cold reason that was perceived to have driven the revolutions of the 18th century enlightenment. Women, believed to be more emotional than men, were idealized as the muses of artists. Some, like Elizabeth Barret Browning and Mary Shelley, achieved recognition as artists in their own right. Women were also placed on a moral pedestal, and looked upon as the guardians of family and community virtue, and the educators of the children. This moral elevation of women would eventually lead some to suggest that women deserved a wider role in public affairs. However, for now, dress reflected the perception of women as weak and decorative. The slope-shouldered, full sleeved silhouette suggested a weak body, and a butterfly-like decorative quality. Later in the period, the look became increasingly subdued and modest. Early Victorian (1840-1870) The young queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, and would rule England until 1901 during the height of the British Empire. During this period she became a happily married mother of nine children, and represented the ideal of womanhood for her age modest, devoted to family and duty, and the guardian of morality. Her tastes in clothing were also influential, reflecting her values, and those of her times. The major characteristic of the dress silhouette in this period was the exceptionally full and long skirts that completely shrouded the lower body . The skirts became so full that by the late 1850s hoops were needed to support the skirts, as the heavy layers of petticoats could no longer achieve the desired effect. The bodice and shoulders were very narrow, accentuating a weak upper body silhouette and tiny waist accentuated by the voluminous skirts. In the 1840s and 1850s deep bonnets were worn that modestly hid the face and neck except when the wearer looked directly at the viewer (above, right). In fact, except for evening wear, clothing covered virtually every bit of skin except the face (left). However, it was also in this period that the first protests against this restrictive form of dress appeared. Dress reform was associated with concern for protecting the health and welfare of women, which included the womens suffrage movement and the temperance movement. The restrictive fashionalble dress of the day was seen as both unhealthy and as a restriction on womens activities. An alternative costume was promoted that was based on loose-fitting pants borrowed from traditional Turkish womens costume. This costume became known as Bloomers, because it was popularly associated with activist and editor Amelia Jenks Bloomer. However, this costume was not widely accepted at the time for street wear, although bloomers were gradually adopted for girls and womens physical education activities. In the 1860s, though skirts reached their fullest, hats became smaller.Decoration became more geometric, and striped fabrics were also popular. By the end of the period, the full skirts became asymmetrical, with fullness pushed to the back, a precursor of the next major fashion shift. In this period the sewing machine was invented, revolutionizing the manufacture of clothing. By the mid 1850s sewing machines were appearing in private homes, and began to account for a substantial proportion of domestic clothing production. This invention also made possible the rise of the ready-to-wear clothing industry. Charles Frederick Worth became established in Paris in this period as the first true couturier that is the first dressmaker who would set fashion, not merely follow the instructions of his wealthy clients. His premier client was the French Empress Eugenie. By the 1870s the well-to- do women of the world came to his salon to be dressed by the great Worth.

Shakespeares Othello - Troubled Iago Essay -- Othello essays

Troubled Iago        Ã‚   Unquestionably the most perfidious character within the cast of Shakespeare’s Othello is the cunning Iago. He spends his life, it would seem, taking revenge on the general and destroying nearly everyone around himself. Helen Gardner in â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune† elaborates on Iago’s exact function and place in the play: . . . Iago ruins Othello by insinuating into his mind the question, ‘How do you know?’ The tragic experience with which this play is concerned is loss of faith, and Iago is the instrument to bring Othello to this crisis of his being. His task is made possible by his being an old and trusted companion, while husband and wife are virtually strangers, bound only by passion and faith; and by the fact that great joy bewilders, leaving the heart apt to doubt the reality of its joy. The strange and extraordinary, the heroic, what is beyond nature, can be made to seem the unnatural, what is against nature. This is one of Iago’s tricks. (143) Iago’s very language reveals the level at which his evil mind works. Francis Ferguson in â€Å"Two Worldviews Echo Each Other† describes the types of base, loathsome imagery used by the antagonist Iago when he â€Å"slips his mask aside† while awakening Brabantio: Iago is letting loose the wicked passion inside him, as he does from time to time throughout the play, when he slips his mask aside. At such moments he always resorts to this imagery of money-bags, treachery, and animal lust and violence. So he expresses his own faithless, envious spirit, and, by the same token, his vision of the populous city of Venice – Iago’s â€Å"world,† as it has been called. . . .(132) Iago is the â€Å"perfect† bad guy in the sense that his type is just what ... ...is. â€Å"Two Worldviews Echo Each Other.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Shakespeare: The Pattern in His Carpet. N.p.: n.p., 1970. Gardner, Helen. â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from â€Å"The Noble Moor.† British Academy Lectures, no. 9, 1955. Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos. Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"The Engaging Qualities of Othello.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Introduction to The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. N. p.: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1957.

Peter Pan Syndrome Essay

Peter Pan syndrome, is exactly how it sounds. It’s a disorder that is derived from the novel Peter Pan written by J.M. Barrie that defines those who appear as an adult but their actions are quite childlike. The ‘Peter Pans’ of present society â€Å"see the adult world as very problematic and glorify adolescence, which is why they want to stay in that state of privilege†, according to Humbelina Robles Ortega, professor of the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment of the University of Granada and an expert in emotional disorders. Although it can affect both men and women it is often seen in the male population. The syndrome is developed through environmental factors, and cannot be genetically inherited. â€Å"What causes Peter Pan syndrome?†, you may ask. According to top psychologist, it is do to overprotective parents. What this is exactly is that the parent is so overprotective that it does not allow the child to have their own life experiences to grow up and learn on their own, so the â€Å"child† is in need of constant parenting. Dan Kiley, who defined Peter Pan syndrome in 1983, also suggests behind every â€Å"Peter† there is a â€Å"Wendy†. Thus creating the term â€Å"Wendy syndrome†, which is used for women who shadows their companions as a motherly figure. Women with â€Å"Wendy syndrome† The consistent parenting figure in the person’s life with PPS, Peter Pan syndrome, never gives them a chance to grow up. The typical PPS victim experienced a great deal of permissiveness in his upbringing. This led to a lack of self-discipline, demonstrated by laziness and irresponsibility, along with the inability to learn how to control their emotions. PPS may be diagnosed once the person begins to show symptoms and signs. Certain symptoms are outbursts of emotion, expressing anger to the point of wrath, happiness that turns into extreme panic, frustration that leads to self-pity and/or depression, and they always feel guilty. The use of anger is used to push the person away that is trying to push reality upon them. People diagnosed with this also show difficulty relaxing and can be really undependable considering their childlike characteristics. They are also narcissistic with dependency and manipulation tendencies. Basically, this syndrome characterizes the personality of an immature person and also includes narcissistic behavior. Another serious problem people with Peter Pan syndrome have is developing relationships. Referring back to the person’s relationship with their parents, men often find themselves fixated on their mother. Usually because of their fixation with their mother, this is when they develop feelings of anger and guilt due to their conflicting feelings for their mother. The relationship with the father is at odds since the person diagnosed believe his love and approval is off limits. The hang up on their mother is what will cause difficulty in future relationships. Individuals with this syndrome have a hard time building relationships with peers. As a result they become depressed and feel desperately alone in their attempt to belong. They often don’t fix the problem though because their solution to any problem is to ignore the issue and until it disappears. Most people, especially men, with this diagnosis cannot have a real connection with friends because they believe they can only be bought. When they do get friends, they often ‘drag their feet’ and cause a delay when hanging out because they share characteristics of the condition called narcissistic personality disorder. Males with PPS have trouble keeping a love life as well. They tend to become easily extremely jealous and exhibit violent outbursts. If the woman tries to assert her independence, the male becomes easily provoked to fits of anger. They fear if the woman asserts their independence, then they’ll appear weak and not like a man in front of friends. This often causes the male to refuse to share feelings. This may result to having difficulty expressing love, especially when it comes to being sensitive. Men often pick younger women to have relationships with because that way they don’t have to worry about responsibility such as settling down and having a family. People with the disorder could live a normal life. There is no physical or brain function change for those with this disorder. It may take energy from their partner, but with dedication they could show them having a committed relationship can be worthwhile too. If their partner begins to suffocate them then they’ll scare them off, so it’s better to give them their own space. If it is a man, then make sure they still get their â€Å"man cave†. As long as both partners are understanding of the person’s needs with PPS then it’ll work out. The only thing that could stop them from having a bad life would be the narcissistic characteristics of Peter Pan syndrome. They tend to be absorbed with imaginative comfort in their minds which attracts them to introspection. This leads them to be imprisoned by childhood fantasy, not the realities and difficulties of life that they need to overcome. In an attempt to avoid the realities of life, it could cause them to use prohibited drugs and abuse alcohol in an attempt to escape the obstacles of life. The only major complication of Peter Pan Syndrome for individuals having the disorder is not being able to build strong relationships. However, they remain unsuccessful at facing fears and responsibilities, and may also acquire other psychological disorders. According to research, people having Peter Pan Syndrome have very low self-esteem and are unmotivated leaving them feeling depressed. Individuals having Peter Pan Syndrome do not usually exhibit the self-confidence, motivation and determination that are keys for being successful. Treatment for Peter Pan syndrome is uncertain. Peter Pan syndrome is still unrecognized as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association and WHO, which is why there is no specific treatment. There are therapies such as the wilderness therapy, which covers psychodrama, cognitive behavioral therapy, strength-based therapies, solution-focused therapy, trans-personal counseling, and family therapy. There is other treatment modalities as well, such as: The Healing Sound of Silence, Embracing The Twelve Step Philosophy, and Transforming Into An Effective Adult. The Healing Sound of Silence helps the individual keep away from refocusing their addiction on something else such as: watching TV, computer games, drugs, etc. Instead, they put the focus on themselves and their issues in an attempt to get their life back on track. It allows them to learn the basics on how to face the real problems of life. The Twelve Step Philosophy is a camping therapy. It’s a twelve-step program that helps them recognize the importance of a support system. They learn that every individual has a role and purpose. They also learn self care. The transformation into an effective adult is when the Peter Pan-like person begins taking responsibilities. Even though there is no established cure for the disease, the only time that the person with Peter Pan Syndrome is treated is when the individual shows willingness and awareness of their disorder. Since Peter Pan Syndrome is a disorder caused by factors during childhood, any prevention measures should be directed at parents and their awareness on how to raise a child. Parenting discussions should be organized, especially for teenage parents so they are aware of techniques to teach their children about responsibilities. Also, the environmental factors still need to be considered when raising a child. The right role models should always be around as well for positive influence.

Financial Trends of Laird Plc Free Essay Example, 2500 words

Laird plc has followed several acquisitions and divestment strategies over the years, which has changed the company s product portfolio and has also led to its growth. In 1898, the company merged with Charles Cammell and Co. Ltd. and formed Cammell Laird and Co. Ltd. The company manufactures submarines and navy ships. In 1970, the UK government overtook the shipbuilding operations, and half of the company s shares were nationalized. After that, the company was renamed as Laird Group Ltd. In 1994, the company changed its product portfolio and started developing a series of EMI shield types of equipment. Laird acquired APM in 1996, which allowed them to manufacture specialized metal coated EMI shields. In 2010, the company acquired Cattron, which manufactures wireless control and automation types of equipment. In the next year, the company acquired Kluver, which manufactured cooling system for medical pieces of equipment. In 2012, Laird made an acquisition of a leading microwaves abso rber equipment manufacturer known as Microwaves Materials Group. In the same year, the company entered into the M2M wireless communication market by acquiring Summit Data Communications. In 2013, Nextreme Thermal Solutions was acquired, which is a thin film thermometric technology developer. We will write a custom essay sample on Financial Trends of Laird Plc or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now This acquisition allowed Laird to have a strong foothold in the thermal management market (Laird, 2014f). The above chart shows a steady rise in gross margin in the year 2009 to 2012. However, in the year 2013, the margin growth has slowed down. According to the data of Morningstar (2014a), this trend can be explained by the reduced cost of sales. However, in 2013, the rise in the price of the raw materials has slowed down the margin growth. From the above graphs, the profitability of the company has dropped severely since 2009 and has reached to the negative value in 2011. Then again it has gone up in 2012 and has fallen slightly in 2013. The fall in profit in 2013, is due to the rise in the price of raw materials (Laird. 2014e).