Doesn’t this beg the question: why? Why does society— women, men, our own smaller identity-focused groups— step in to set limits and rules about what we wear? Why is this near universal?
My theory is that it's because signals are really useful for a social species like ours. It allows for "silent sorting" and tribal allegiances and other subtle things that allow us to navigate our hierarchies without (as much) violence.
Great stuff!
Doesn’t this beg the question: why? Why does society— women, men, our own smaller identity-focused groups— step in to set limits and rules about what we wear? Why is this near universal?
My theory is that it's because signals are really useful for a social species like ours. It allows for "silent sorting" and tribal allegiances and other subtle things that allow us to navigate our hierarchies without (as much) violence.