gloves don’t make a lady nor does a pantsuit make a ceo. it’s clear ruth bader ginsburg understood that the traditional black robe she stepped into in 1993 represented a doctored image of male authority; one that loitered behind her ferragamo heels for most of her life, but could never quite catch up to her. so, as she has done many times before, she claimed the image she was expected to accept and rewrote her narrative. the intrinsic values created by rbg’s style are unequivocally linked to her fight for equality; a piece of herstory that is often overlooked. rbg never used style as a superficial spectacle, but rather as a tool to project her own voice as well as that of the voiceless. fellow justice sandra day o’connor recommended rbg wear gloves at public events to mask the shakiness of her hands, a result of chemotherapy. and that’s when a glorious love story began, between rbg and a pair of fishnet gloves. like many of her fashion choices, these iconic gloves were worn for style as well as significance. one pair of her traditionally “ladylike” black fishnet gloves were worn as an ode to madonna’s feminist agenda in the 1980s. a white beaded pair was a reference to the popular art deco style developed in the early 1920s-- the decade the 19th amendment extended women the right to vote. rbg’s iconic collar started as an attempt to add a feminine touch to a masculine robe. initially, her collar was decorated with a white lace jabot, which made many appearances in the courtroom. this quickly evolved into illustrious collars and statement necklaces. many of them were received as gifts from foreign leaders, young artists, and supporters from all walks of life. her choice to adorn her robe with these diverse pieces perfectly aligned with her life’s work of creating spaces for all people to be treated equally. and let’s not forget the “dissent collars” that sent the media, and nation, into a frenzy. she wore the dissent collar in the courtroom as a strong message to the public of her dissenting opinions. even though the court wasn’t making decisions that day, ginsburg wore her notorious embellished black dissent collar on the bench the day after trump’s presidential victory, as a bold opposition to the election results. her poignant use of lace, white, and sparkles (gendered symbols) was so much more than a display of decadent personal style-- it was an act of resistance to the pressures to conform to a starkly male environment as well as a rejection of the many labels placed upon women. ginsburg reminds us all that femininity does not make a woman weak. and it certainly does not strip her of her power. thank you ruth bader ginsburg for your tireless efforts to ensure that women can be in the room where Article by Maya Shetty decisions are being made. rest Layout by Deirdre Merritt in power. Modeling by Jacqueline Risch
R UTH B ader G insburg
Styling by Monica Santiago Photography by Maya Dominguez
