Petticoats or Pants: Fashion, Women's Bodies, and the Inquietud Cubana

In the first decades of the twentieth century, Cuban anxiety over the direction of their nation—dubbed the inquietud cubana by poet Juan Marinello—reached a fevered pitch. In newspapers and popular magazines, Cubans from across the island debated the challenges confronting their country. Gender formed a realm of particular concern, as women were seen as essential to the health and patriotism of future generations. Around the island, men and women focused on appropriate gender roles in myriad ways: from cooking to the cabaretwomen's fashion. Commentators portrayed women who dressed in modern clothes either as examples of Cuban development or degrading of Cuban morals. This paper explores the tensions over women's rights and female sexuality, addressing how debates over women's fashion became a surrogate for arguments about Cuban identity and gender norms in the face of modernity and U.S. cultural influence.