Feminine Subtlety or Masculine Boldness?

An Exploration of the Relationship between Watch Chains and Special Attire from the Perspective of Cultural Studies

Abstract

This article presents a verification of the common opinion that the watch chain belongs only to the world of men’s things. The issue was examined by tracing the formal and semantic relationships between these items and the gender of the wearer, the clothing worn and the profession practised. The main source for reconstructing the history of watch chains in this context was the study of selected historical objects and the analysis of source materials, descriptions from fashion magazines, mentions in memoirs, and paintings and photographs. It should be noted that the symbolic meaning of the watch chain has not yet been the subject of consistent scientific research. Due to the specific nature of the issue, the research methodology is interdisciplinary. In addition to the main strands of cultural studies and art history, which form the basis of the chosen methodology, elements from the fields of socio-cultural anthropology, anthropology of objects, sociology, heritology and memory studies were also used for this purpose. Consequently, the watch chain, primarily associated with 19th-century men’s vests, was presented as a separate item with its own history and typology. The most important conclusion from the analyses carried out is that over the centuries, the watch chain has retained a certain autonomy from changing men’s and women’s clothing – contrary to popular opinion, exceeding the framework given to it by its definition as a piece of costume jewellery. It performed various roles in culture through its ability to combine with other elements while maintaining its formal and semantic distinctiveness. It constituted an element of individual, group, class, and gender identity. However, its potential feminine or masculine character was determined by a number of factors. This object was always ready for change, responding to the changing culture and dynamics of historical events, eluding any unambiguity and categorisation.