Arts & Culture

How fashion police have been walking beat for centuries

Photos by Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer

Samantha Laine Perfas

Harvard Staff Writer

September 23, 2025

4 min read

Houghton Library exhibit highlights attempts to regulate what women wear through literature, art

Fashions have changed over the centuries, but one thing has not: attempts to police what women wear.

“There are tons of examples [throughout] history of mostly men objecting to various kinds of women’s appearance and self-expression and the messages that those things communicate,” said John Overholt, the curator of the Donald and Mary Hyde Collection of Dr. Samuel Johnson and Early Books and Manuscripts.

It’s one of the reasons he co-curated the exhibit “Fashion Police: Social Regulation of Women’s Appearance,” which is currently on display at Houghton Library. Overholt pointed to the Shakespearean quote, “The apparel oft proclaims the man.”

“That’s a very powerful observation about the way we present ourselves and the way that others perceive us, based on something as simple as the clothes that we’re wearing,” he said.

Christine Jacobson, the other co-curator and the associate curator of modern books and manuscripts, said that for women, fashion is particularly fraught.

“Clothing sends a powerful message,” she said. “But I think it’s always charged for women, what they choose to wear — that’s a very timeless thing.”

“Clothing sends a powerful message,” she said. “But I think it’s always charged for women, what they choose to wear — that’s a very timeless thing.”

The exhibit features examples of discourse and art that aimed to police women’s styles in various ways from as early as the 17th century.

A royal decree articulates what noble women — based on their status — can or cannot wear to a coronation. A satirical illustration from the 18th century called “The Extravaganza” pokes fun at female hairstyles of the day, showing a hairdo nearly as tall as the woman it adorns.

One of Overholt’s favorite pieces, a book titled “The Enormous Abomination of the Hoop-Petticoat,” is the piece that inspired the exhibit.

“[It] was such a such a wonderfully over-the-top title, to be that upset about women and their skirts,” he said. “I thought that was a very clear analog to men not wanting to see women as taking up too much space or garnering too much attention.”

When Jacobson thought about policing women’s fashion, she said the first thing that came to mind was “the great corsetry debates” of the 19th century. Corsets were all the fashion, but physicians at the time debated whether they were beneficial in improving women’s posture and respiratory systems or hazardous to women’s health.

Robert Dighton, Life and Death Contrasted, or, An Essay on Woman (1793).

William Henry Flower, Fashion in Deformity, as Illustrated in the Customs of Barbarous & Civilised Races (1881).

Mrs. A. Walker, Female Beauty: As Preserved and Improved by Regimen, Cleanliness and Dress (1830).

His Mulier, or, The Man-Woman: Being a Medicine to Cure the Coltish Disease of the Staggers in the Masculine-Feminines of Our Times (1620).

William Henry Flower’s “Fashion in Deformity”— included in the exhibit — makes the case that corsets have a deforming effect on women’s bodies. His book includes illustrations of a woman’s rib cage before and after donning one.

One pervasive theme involves the importance of ensuring that women avoid taking too much pride in their clothing and makeup. It’s a lesson that begins early.

Jacobson was curious about how girls and young women were being taught to dress.

Her search led her to “The History of Little Fanny,” a book published in 1810 that is one of the first examples of printed paper dolls. The cautionary tale follows Little Fanny, who begins her life as a vain child preoccupied with her elegant clothing.

The History of Little Fanny, Exemplified in a Series of Figures (1810).

Eventually, she loses her family, becomes an orphan, learns humility, and gains industry. Her wardrobe changes throughout the book, with her ending up dressed in a plain frock.

“I hope people realize for as long as women have been using fashion and clothing as a method of self-expression, it has also been a source of criticism and derision,” Jacobson said. “It’s unfortunate how little has changed.”

The curators worked with local designer Bella Bennett, who scanned paper dolls from other parts of Houghton Library’s collections and incorporated them into the design for the exhibit.

Both Overholt and Jacobson said that they hope viewers enjoy looking at these unique finds. The library is often known for its books and manuscripts, so this gives viewers an opportunity to engage with some of its lesser-known materials.

“I think this show has teeth to it and has an important message, but it’s also just fun,” Jacobson said.

The exhibit will be on display until Dec. 18. The library is open to the public during its regular hours.