The issue of formality in Rio de Janeiro clothing in the early 20th century

Abstract

This article discusses formality in clothing and its relationship with social practices, as portrayed in a series of family photographs taken in Rio de Janeiro in the early decades of the 20th century. Based on the identification of the prevailing standard in etiquette manuals and the analysis of the clothing in 149 photographs taken between 1890 and 1955, the objective distribution of clothing consumption by segments of the urban middle classes in the Brazilian capital was identified. Based on the theoretical and methodological assumptions of Bourdieu (1979) to identify the social stratum of the family group, and Ruffié (1982), Barthes (1988) and Eco (1991), who understand clothing as non-verbal language, we employed a methodology based on the concepts of Ostrower (1983) and Mauad (1996) to carry out the analysis. Formalism emerges as a central theme, linked to the boundaries between public and private life, illustrating the ritualisation of everyday life in clothing habits over fifty years. With this, we seek to contribute to the historical study of clothing styles in Brazil.