What is the
relationship between popularity/charisma and fashion? How important is it to find one's own
style? To what extent does conformity
(or the ability to push against it) in terms of fashion and beauty standards
also apply to men? Is this author right
that these restrictions are disappearing due to social media and the body
positivity movement? Is this wholly a
good thing?
Monday, November 1, 2021
To influence or be influenced (Or neither? Or both?)
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Everyone deserves to feel good in their own skin. I agree with what was said by Cottom – that there are defined beauty standards for women. In order for a woman to be considered beautiful, she has to possess several characteristics, such as being skinny, blond, having no body hair or acne... Given its unattainability, it is no surprise that the beauty standard causes so many mental health issues and insecurities, which are then preyed on by the fashion industry. In the past few years some people, namely influencers, have used their platforms to speak about these issues publicly. I believe that movements like #supersizethelook have helped women feel less insecure about their beautiful imperfections and helped them realize that the only person that their appearance should matter to is them themselves.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, however, I believe that some people might have misinterpreted this fundamentally positive message. On several different social media platforms, I have come across women normalizing, and in some cases even promoting, their unhealthy lifestyles, labelling it as “embracing their bodies and spreading body positivity”. I do think that this is a problem, as unhealthy habits should not, in any case, be endorsed. In conclusion, while spreading body positivity is important to defy the beauty standards of our society, it is also crucial to not get it confused with other unhealthy practices.
It is an undeniable fact that women are held to an unfair standard when it comes to so-called beauty. As Cottom mentions, there is this "standard" of being slim, curvy, blond and usually white that is somehow engraved into our minds when it comes to considering the beauty of women. To me however, this is quite unsurprising. Women, and especially young impressionable teens, are being fed a constant stream of marketing by various fashion companies. This is indoctrinating them to believe that they must fit the standards that they set. I think that most young people that have grown up in the digital era have been insecure about their appearance at some point during their adolescence. Seeing beautiful models that represent less than one percent of one percent of the population constantly gives the impression that they are somehow the norm. This also further feeds into the toxic mentality that is ever present in middle and high schools, of constantly comparing your looks to the looks of others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Petersen that the fashion industry preys on insecurity and body dysmorphia, while promoting their products as solutions, patches to cover up your insecurities and natural blemishes. On one hand, we should celebrate our natural blemishes and scars. On the other, I can't help but feel that movements like #supersizethelook, with an overwhelmingly positive message, are being misused. Many times I have come across influencers with large followings normalizing unnaturally oversized bodies. You simply cannot deny that being severely overweight is extremely unhealthy. Being unhealthily overweight should not be the new normal, and health should remain a priority above all.
In the world of fast fashion clothes are not made to last. Neither in sense of quality nor design. They are made so they can be sold quickly in enormous amounts. The aim of fast fashion producers is to make you spend more so naturally they are trying to make the clothes look their best on the photos. Sometimes the clothes do not even fit the models and are adjusted with safety pins, or the models are posing so that the poor fit is not seen. That is why I do not think that proclaiming a piece of clothes unflattering on your body is a value judgement. Clothes are meant to fit you not the other way around. Not liking how a certain piece of clothing fits you whether it is too tight or too loose is totally fine. You just have to find a piece in which you feel comfortable, beautiful and confident.
ReplyDeleteI would say to find your own style and clothes which make you feel good has gotten easier with time. Fashion is getting crazier and crazier, and I think people are judging others less based on what they wear, their body and overall appearance. However, in the fashion industry there is still a heavy focus on tall young skinny bodies. I understand it is easier for brands to shoot photos of models when one size fits them all and it highlights the clothes when they all look virtually the same. On the other hand, many people would appreciate seeing a wider variety of models portrayed. I do not only mean “supersizing” the look but also including older models, models without perfectly clear skin, simply any human beings. This would bring benefit also to the brands. Seeing clothes on “bodies that aren’t a sample size” can lead to a bigger demand, because people are more able to visualize how would the clothes fit them, and what would they look like wearing them.
Hi Filip B.
DeleteI just want to clarify, that I would rather see some piece of clothing on multiple body types than simply on the “sample size”. I am aware that it would cost the brands more to shoot photos of clothes on multiple models. But on the other hand, I have recently noticed that fashion brand Zara actually does shoot some of their clothes more times on different models. I do not really understand why, because all the models are practically the same “sample size”. So, what is the point? It would be much more beneficial to choose a model with a different body than waste money on additional photoshoot with really similar outcome.
I can see your point with the 4ft 90y.o grandma, but honestly, I would not mind buying this swimsuit. I actually once borrowed a swimsuit from my grandma. The fact that the swimsuit is worn by a grandma on the photo does not automatically mean its style is old-fashioned even grandmas can wear bikinis and pull off the look. Although there are not many “grandma” models I encourage you to look up Yazemeenah Rossi. Even though she is 66 she is still modeling (even in swimwear) and she looks great.
The bottom line is, that with the amount and tempo of fast fashion production I believe people do not have a chance to remember which swimwear was worn by which model so, if you would not specifically highlight the fact, that the swimsuit was worn by an older model, people will probably not even notice.
Hello Filip,
DeleteI cannot say that I agree with you even slightly. While I understand your point of fashion companies desiring cold hard efficiency, I hope that you will agree with me that fairness is also a value that we must consider. It is no lie that the fast-fashion industry is built upon and deeply rooted in human exploitation, especially in developing countries. If you want to look at it from an economical perspective, these fast-fashion pieces are clearly a demerit good. While being devastatingly harmful to one party while tremendously beneficial for the other, their popularity is boosted due to clever marketing and people being uninformed. As there is more demand for these goods than there even should be, I do not think it is fair to say that fashion companies cannot afford to expand their “sample size”.
Your next point that I find rather poorly thought out is that if fashion companies expanded their sample size, it would be harmful both to them and the consumer. I don’t know about you, but I can definitely see there being demand for models that look like regular people. I can see how fashion companies can be seen as politicians, but I don’t share your specific viewpoint on this. Politicians are not free agents, nor should they spread their ideas as they see fit. Politicians are in government to represent the fraction of the population that elected them. So why shouldn’t it be the same for fashion companies? Public opinion is changing, and the desire for realistic beauty standards is mounting. So far I think that companies that have set themselves apart from the competition have tapped into a market foreign to their competitors, and thus gained a significant advantage. Personally, I agree with Sona, and support this approach. In terms of longevity for the company and satisfaction of the customer, providing some realistic standards is surely superior to a business model built on insecurity.
- Teo K.