The Kurganova sisters: VSF with an attitude

[Melnibonean]

... as a butterfly effect the 'new' technologies had plenty of time to impact on the society, including on women status. and thus freedom of dressing:

The impact of technology on sociological standards do not necessarily run parallel. A look at parts Muslim world show that the adoption of higher levels of technology over the past century have, in the majority of cases, not affected sociological freedoms or affected a decline in modest dress standards.

Look at differences between the Great War and WWII - Just because tanks, aeroplanes and other strange mechanical weapons were common during WWII didn't cause women to take half their kit off and wade into battle with short skirts and oversized boots.

[Conquistador]

The impact of technology on sociological standards do not necessarily run parallel. A look at parts Muslim world show that the adoption of higher levels of technology over the past century have, in the majority of cases, not affected sociological freedoms or affected a decline in modest dress standards.

Look at differences between the Great War and WWII - Just because tanks, aeroplanes and other strange mechanical weapons were common during WWII didn't cause women to take half their kit off and wade into battle with short skirts and oversized boots.

Very Valid point.

Gracias,

Glenn

[abdul666lw]

The impact of technology on sociological standards do not necessarily run parallel. A look at parts Muslim world show that the adoption of higher levels of technology over the past century have, in the majority of cases, not affected sociological freedoms or affected a decline in modest dress standards.

I know well of the restrictive and prejudiced Victorian society, but to assimilate it with Wahhabi Saudi Arabia or fundamentalist Afghanistan is a little excessive. Don't that by Victorian times forget the waltz was already accepted in 'Western' societies, Christian women no longer hid their hair under a veil for centuries, upper class women had occasionally sported generous cleavage for generations. Western civilization was progressive, not static. Higher levels of technology were imported to Muslim countries -foreign, the thing of heathens cum invaders-occupants-, not born there as natural products of the (totally sclerosed) local culture.

Look at differences between the Great War and WWII - Just because tanks, aeroplanes and other strange mechanical weapons were common during WWII didn't cause women to take half their kit off and wade into battle with short skirts and oversized boots.

 Indeed young women started wearing shorts between the 2 World Wars in youth movements (Auberges de Jeunesse in France...) of the German Wandervogel type.

 It took some time to pass from such to the mini-skirt of the late '60, and I argue that 'steampunk' diverged from 'our timeline' far earlier than 'VSF'.
And as for the 'impracticability' of short skirts and high boots as battlefield gear, they are not very different from what men wore in the Late Renaissance. Indeed before the most recent 'batteldresses' the *only* uniform designed with practicability in mind was the one depicted by Maurice de Saxe in his Rêveries for the infantry of his proposed Légions:

And anyway we are debating about 'Steampunk', not 'serious' alternate history.

[Conquistador]

There is always that.

Gracias,

Glenn