The image above is a great example of the Virgin/Whore social complex. In each case, the woman is held to the demands of men. Women in robes are expected to appear perfectly chaste and insulated from the ravenous male gaze while women in bikinis are expected to be on display for the entertainment of those same men.
The shifting social expectations of a male-dominated social hierarchy decide which set of apparel is rewarded and which is shunned. In neither scenario is the woman genuinely considered free. She is simply subjected to a new set of burdensome social standards.
The image above is a great example of the Virgin/Whore social complex. In each case, the woman is held to the demands of men. Women in robes are expected to appear perfectly chaste and insulated from the ravenous male gaze while women in bikinis are expected to be on display for the entertainment of those same men.
The shifting social expectations of a male-dominated social hierarchy decide which set of apparel is rewarded and which is shunned. In neither scenario is the woman genuinely considered free. She is simply subjected to a new set of burdensome social standards.