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Richard Thompson Ford: A tailored history of who wears what — and why | TED

From puffy trousers to pantsuits and everything in between, law professor and author Richard Thompson Ford takes us on a fascinating tour through the history of fashion and the evolution of dress codes that still influence style today, tracing the real consequences people face for the way they dress. He offers an insightful and eye-opening…

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From puffy trousers to pantsuits and everything in between, law professor and author Richard Thompson Ford takes us on a fascinating tour through the history of fashion and the evolution of dress codes that still influence style today, tracing the real consequences people face for the way they dress. He offers an insightful and eye-opening explanation about why people care so much about what others wear — and explains why you should think twice before calling the fashion police.

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53 Comments

53 Comments

  1. Twuan Dixon

    December 10, 2021 at 4:06 pm

    “and how I can apply and twist my current social media age politics to it” there ya go. Most entitled delusional time in history. Also these instances are EXTREMELY rare in 2021. Literally go in public and look around lol

  2. THE CRAZY SCIENTIST

    December 10, 2021 at 4:09 pm

    This is why i never wear anything

    • Silvia Hoffmann

      December 10, 2021 at 4:15 pm

      😆

  3. emy w kosha

    December 10, 2021 at 4:11 pm

    Beautiful my friend🌹🌹🌹🌹

  4. Silvia Hoffmann

    December 10, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    Very interesting. Sorry its over.

  5. Orenoryori

    December 10, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    You can’t see it, but this video will be ratioed.

  6. IKEMEN Osaka-ben!【大阪弁】

    December 10, 2021 at 4:20 pm

    This is so interesting. This is why I wear kimono.

  7. Shloomy Shloms

    December 10, 2021 at 4:31 pm

    2:16 good for him
    6:20 bill wasn’t covering up a body brace.
    8:05 because that is proper attire.
    8:30 they are silly.

    why does he talk Like he’s begging mommy for a cookie.
    also that is not proper “ted hands” use
    he stands like he’s going to make a break for it at any second or drop one.

    you’d never know from my dress that I am super successful. in fact you probably won’t even notice me.

    • djoecav

      December 10, 2021 at 4:46 pm

      Is there some kind of worldwide gas leak? I’ve been reading the strangest stuff online these last few days. WHAT are you talking about? Or have I suddenly lost my ability to understand the written word??

    • Shloomy Shloms

      December 10, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      @djoecav the latter it appears.

  8. Steve Deasy

    December 10, 2021 at 4:34 pm

    This speaker was not able to accomplish what he is asking of us. He insulted the gentleman with the green clothing.

  9. Ferdie van Schalkwyk

    December 10, 2021 at 4:35 pm

    Or the oppression of woman by hiding and subverting their identity.

  10. logicalempiricist

    December 10, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    I’d like to read more of this professor.

  11. Jimmy Early

    December 10, 2021 at 5:53 pm

    Denzel should play this guy in the movie lol

  12. landofthelivingskies

    December 10, 2021 at 6:12 pm

    Very interesting.

  13. Angela Sealana

    December 10, 2021 at 6:31 pm

    Wonderful presentation

  14. Ryan Pearce

    December 10, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    Dislike

  15. Daniel Kelly

    December 10, 2021 at 7:06 pm

    It goes back much further than Medieval times! Ancient Greeks and Romans wore very simple clothes draped around the body or fastened with clasps and brooches. Usually made of wool or linen, the tunic was the most basic item of clothing for men, women and children.

    Only male citizens of Rome were allowed to wear togas, a large piece of cloth made from wool around 18 feet long and 6 feet wide, worn over a plain white linen tunic it was draped across the shoulders, around the body and over one arm, togas were extremely expensive and not a very practical garment but it was Roman.

    The Ancient Greeks and Romans never wore pants and equated the wearing of pants with savagery. Pants were originally associated with the Persians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Eastern and Central Asian peoples. Romans thought that wearing pants was a sign of barbarism and found them so ridiculous that in 397 CE, pants were declared illegal in the city of Rome by the Senate. The ban was repeated twice, and dire penalties were threatened against anyone depraved enough to wear trousers in public. they felt the same about closed toed shoes as their traditional shoe was the sandal.

    • Reva Fowler

      December 10, 2021 at 9:52 pm

      Thank you! You answered some questions that I have had for YEARS. 😁

    • Daniel Kelly

      December 11, 2021 at 1:29 am

      @Reva Fowler Happy to have assisted! 😁😁

  16. Suhrd Joshi

    December 10, 2021 at 7:23 pm

    You look at the US politicians, especially ones that are male, they all wear the exact same thing. In comparison, look at the politicians in the Indian parliament.

  17. hoppy564

    December 10, 2021 at 7:36 pm

    The province of Quebec has a law preventing women from wearing hijab. A teacher was forced to leave her teaching position due to this Quebec law.

    • Artemius

      December 10, 2021 at 8:59 pm

      Great law. You should be ready to assimilate if you chose to become a citizen of another country.

    • Jim Bean

      December 11, 2021 at 7:12 am

      @Artemius I agree.

  18. Elvy Tan

    December 10, 2021 at 7:45 pm

    My birthday suit is the best. Yours too.

  19. DaMoTree

    December 10, 2021 at 8:32 pm

    No one cares about your middle name lol

  20. R

    December 10, 2021 at 10:28 pm

    He avoided talking about religious dress codes.

  21. Eli Nope

    December 11, 2021 at 12:08 am

    Keep ’em guessing, show up naked.

  22. Eli Nope

    December 11, 2021 at 12:19 am

    I like it when girls wear blue jeans and black batman t-shirts. I care.

  23. Ligia Sommers

    December 11, 2021 at 12:48 am

    Very fun and interesting 🙏🏻🌹

  24. bipedalbob

    December 11, 2021 at 3:14 am

    I can see reasons for mandating some ways of dressing, safety, hygiene, indicators of belonging to a groupe, there are practical reasons for it. There can be conflicts, such as the hijab, which can be used to hide ones identity.
    Fashion sence seems to be something you have or you don’t , many don’t so they tend to follow the trends.
    Ironically the trends seem to be created and spread by young people, say 11 to 15.
    At that age they tend to try new style of dress maybe as an attempt to establish an identity, I don’t know.
    But pay attention to what your children wear that is their choice and different.
    It may or may not catch on, but if it does it will move up the age line. This likely happens as older people wanting to appear younger.
    Then there’s provocative clothing, which can cause all sorts of discussion regarding what appropriate or not, what’s offensive or not. Popular opinion often wins out, Hooters restaurant is a good example, the girls working there make very good money in tips which wouldn’t happen is they all wore baggy coveralls.
    There’s practical clothing, many motorcycle riders wear leather, for a reason,
    You come off it a highway speeds you better not be wearing beach attire.

  25. jxj__

    December 11, 2021 at 6:26 am

    They’re upholding the concept it’s acceptable to judge and act against people based on what they wear. A lot can be inferred from someone based on how they dress and I also don’t think rigid standards for what’s appropriate should exist. Zuckerburg is definitely negging there and sounds like he isn’t telling the full story.

    • Jessi Torres

      December 11, 2021 at 7:35 am

      what do you mean by he isn’t telling the full story?

    • jxj__

      December 11, 2021 at 12:06 pm

      @Jessi Torres That might be the story he tells himself and is unconscious of the underlying motivations but the main thing that makes me doubt it’s truth is how he frames it as an altruistic move to serve others when that’s not in line with what I’ve heard about him and I suppose my idea of him is also that he’s dishonest. He could be copying Steve Jobs and he could be like many men who never learn how to dress past college and feel uncomfortable with fashion and he’s opted out of trying. If I were him I’d probably just be hiring someone to dress me and pick out my outfits.

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  27. Jeffry Schmidt

    December 11, 2021 at 3:50 pm

    “…todays enlightened society” a good 1

  28. Marilee Preston

    December 11, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    This was well worth my time. Awesome talk.!!!!

  29. J S

    December 12, 2021 at 1:37 am

    I’ve been a self employed massage therapist for 10 years and have been wearing a black T-shirt and black pants every work day. I never have to worry about what to wear, all my clothes are darks, you can’t see stains and I’m always color coordinated. On my off days I wear a black T-shirt and jeans. What is important to me are my shoes, jackets and hats 🙂

  30. Cristiano Reis

    December 12, 2021 at 1:37 am

    Pensei que fosse o Cirilo.

  31. GOOGLETUBE

    December 12, 2021 at 2:52 am

    Black sneakers, black pants, black Hoodie, done.

  32. OjasHvi Gupta

    December 12, 2021 at 6:04 am

    👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

  33. Brian Karithi

    December 12, 2021 at 9:38 am

    But sagging trousers should really be a crime 😂😂😂no one wants to see your butt

  34. David Shapiro

    December 12, 2021 at 2:31 pm

    Very informative

  35. Rachid MAKHLOUK

    December 12, 2021 at 6:22 pm

    In france dressing is organized by the law…muslims are prohibited to dress their way in public places

  36. Stefan Nikola

    December 12, 2021 at 9:21 pm

    This talk is good, very informative, but the end was kinda weak.

  37. Kyra Gaunt Ph.D.

    December 13, 2021 at 12:44 pm

    Zuckerberg and often men recognize the value of lowering their decision fatigue from having to decide what to wear each morning or day. It’s one less decision to divide one’s attention. The time poverty created by fashion and beauty for women is often overlooked. Same reason why dress codes can be useful in grade schools to limit attention to issues of class and vanity. But dead vodes should be age appropriate and gender inclusive. Even allowing Fridays or pep rally days for freedom of dress expression. Our all or nothing mentality is more of an issue of bias than the code of dress itself.

  38. J. Michael Boland

    December 14, 2021 at 3:07 pm

    When I was in Catholic elementary school so many years ago, uniforms were required for all students. The boys wore khaki pants and shirts with a black bow tie. We looked like little service station attendants in training. If you remember the ‘50’s then you know what I mean, if not then Google it. On the rare days when the rules where relaxed I remember that we all wore pretty much the same thing. T-shirts, jeans and sneakers.

  39. 영어회화

    December 14, 2021 at 11:07 pm

    life expectancy has increased, quality of life has improved, leisure has increased… all of all these situations seem to make people more interested in clothes..The demand for purchasing clothes more reasonably is likely to increase…the value of clothes will be expressed in various ways.. we live in the world where individual expressions are important..the way people express themselves will be imposing their value^^

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