Trousers, miniskirts and bikinis: fashion, law and women’s emancipation at Como’s Silk Museum with the “Dressing for Freedom” series

Three garments, three significant moments in the history of fashion, and three opportunities to reflect on women’s rights. Entitled “Dressing for Freedom. Fashion, Law and Women’s Emancipation”, the third edition of the “Fashion Tuesdays” series features a programme of public lectures promoted by the Como Silk Museum in collaboration with the University of Insubria, the Unesco Chair on Women’s Rights and the Unesco Creative City of Como.

The speaker will be Barbara Pozzo, Full Professor of Comparative Private Law at the University of Insubria, holder of the Unesco Chair “Gender Equality and Women’s Rights in the Multicultural Society” and a member of the Accademia dei Lincei.

Following two previous editions dedicated to leading figures in fashion, the new series takes garments as its starting point to explore the social and cultural transformations that have accompanied women’s emancipation. Trousers, the miniskirt and the bikini become a lens through which to examine the relationship between clothing, individual freedom, stereotypes and equality. The series highlights how fashion is not merely an expression of style, but also a reflection of social change, and how clothing choices can tell the story of achievements, conflicts and transformations on the path towards a more equitable society.

The lectures will take place at the Silk Museum, Via Castelnuovo 9, Como, from 6.45 to 7.45 pm, with time at the end for questions from the audience.

The first event, “Women in Trousers: Fashion, Law and Equality”, is scheduled for Tuesday, 20 October. “The Revolution Above the Knee: The Miniskirt Between Emancipation and Stereotypes”, on Tuesday, 3 November, will focus on a garment that has profoundly shaped the collective imagination and the debate on women’s freedom. On Tuesday, 1 December, the series will conclude with “The Bikini and Women’s Bodies: Freedom, Morality and Law”, an opportunity to explore the relationship between self-determination, social conventions and the representation of the female body.