Adornment and Modification

Voluntary alteration serves many purposes from cultural differentiation to status seeking to simple individual expression. Indigenous cultures, both historic and contemporary, rely on highly elaborate couture and physical alteration of the body to distinguish themselves from other cultures and to demarcate age and status. Such physical alterations include female castration, teeth filing or scarification in extreme cases. Some of these alterations produce highly altered bodies, particularly faces, which can often obscure gender differentiation.

Attire also serves the function, in many societies, as a signifier of means. The more rarefied the clothing, the higher the skill and power of its bearer. The demonstration of status through clothing results in a constant chase; those with means searching for innovative ways to distance themselves from others followed by those with less means imitating and adopting the styles of the innovators. This frantic race for distinction can lead to perverse results which often result in appearances which defy gender distinction.