The significance of fashion in the construction of american career women as seen in The Devil Wears Prada

ABSTRACT This thesis is written based on researching a movie entitled The Devil Wears Prada, directed by David Frankel. It is purposed to explain how the movie constructs American successful career women through their fashion styles and how this fashion style leads women into object of spectacle by male gaze which results the issue of female body objectification. The research is descriptive qualitative of which the main data are in the form of characterization of the characters, costumes, dialogue, gesture and visual expression, and other cinematographic elements of the movie. The supporting data are taken from other sources such as, film reviews, books, and some internet articles related to the movie. It is also supported by some articles of American women’s issues to answer the research question. Since the research is in the scope of American study which is an interdisciplinary study, it involves some disciplines which are applied in the form of theory and approach. In answering the research questions, this research applies some theories and approaches including semiotic film theory, sosio cultural approach and feminists approach as its point of view. From the analysis, it can be found that The Devil Wears Prada movie uses fashion as a sign of power and success for women in the working place. Despite of its power, fashion style has also been used to objectify female body in the patriarchal mainstream. Fashion products mainly explores women’s body to be an object of spectacle through its style. Beside providing the great influence of fashion toward women, the movie also explores the construction of American career women today through the issue of gender roles ambivalence and politic of life choice. Since the movie is the product of mass culture, finally, it is going back to the beliefs and values embraced by the society.