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Why the Anti-Aging Industry is Damaging to Society
The anti-aging industry is based off a novelty, a novelty that I think consumers need to be aware of. To put it plainly: society convinces us that we need to look younger (we don’t) and companies profit off our insecurities. Companies are constantly looking for new ideas to ‘reverse aging’, and I think we need to realise that this isn’t possible… When I was younger, all I wanted to be was a grown up; now I’m an adult, I’ve realised I was kidding myself. Instilled into society is a need to look younger. The fashion and beauty industry force a desire to look young and radiant. By doing this, they…
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Fashion & the Ceaseless Abandonment of Disability
It may come as a surprise to some, but fashion and disability possess an overall similarity to one another. They both consist of a definition which in short summarises the topic on a whole and both terms contain a variety of unique characteristics and aspects which contribute to the meaning. For instance, fashion relates to clothing, designing, runways, make-up and so much more. Simultaneously, disability includes aspects of intellect, vision, physicality and many more. So with both subjects representing diverse, distinctive notions and understanding the complexity each specific aspect holds; why is it apparent that one subject refuses to acknowledge the other? Why is the fashion industry ceaselessly abandoning and refusing…
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Inclusive Fashion: How Fashion Neglects our Multitude
From spangles to spandex and couture to cosy, the fashion industry can seem the most inclusive trade of all. It caters to style, occasion, and fit but what about need? What about fashion and disability? Most people will think that disability is few and far between; the fashion industry is vast enough to cater to anyone’s tastes. But the label of ‘disability’- meaning someone with an impairment e.g. a wheelchair, a prosthetic of some sort, a learning difficulty, or condition that on occasion means there is a limit to what that person can undertake – is an umbrella term for a wide range of diagnosis. Because of the vastness of…
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The Unattainable Standard in Media
Not so flawless From a young age, women are exposed to various media outlets. In these outlets, the ones that are shown most are stick thin, gorgeously airbrushed women. Adolescent women are at such an impressionable age that they begin to look at themselves and think; “Why don’t I look like this”? From this unattainable standard, women are led to believe in order to be seen as beautiful, they must be thin. The scrutiny to attain the unattainable can really damage our mental health. When we fixate on looking like the models in fashion magazines, it creates this idea that if we are not what they look like, then we…
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Diverse Fashion: Let Your Freak Flag Fly
When I think of diversity, I do not necessarily go to the normal categories. Race, sexuality, gender, age, disability, and many others can seem, on occasion, not universal enough for people to discuss on a broader scale. When I think of diversity I think of the self, how each person, no matter their age, creed, hopes or dreams, is different and how we can make our individuality who we are. People are not all that different once we start wearing our true face on the outside. Everyone knows a little about themselves and therefore can determine their own style. Everyone can create their own diverse fashion. Frivolity: How fancy free…
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An Inclusive Industry & Halima Aden
What do you believe to be the true means of fashion? Is it the inadequate diversity society has portrayed for generations, or like me, believe it to be the representation of all beings to demonstrate an inclusive industry. With this in mind, do I believe the fashion industry truly embodies all beings? No. Undoubtedly we still have a long pursuit. But the consistent, fierce robustness illustrated by so many, will be the drive that serves the true definition of fashion. Which is absolutely what Halima Aden is forcefully accomplishing to create an inclusive industry. Who is Halima Aden? Halima Aden. Female. Muslim. Refugee. History maker. Executor of stereotypes. So what…
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Why is the Human Figure Redesigned accordingly to Society?
Learning to appreciate ourselves based on body image is a slow incremental process that we all do have to experience, well at least most of us. The way we look has become so central to our self-esteem that our whole day can crumble if you don’t believe you look right or look as to how societies has dictated. We then attempt to alter ourselves based on mass media in order to harvest preconceived emotions the media has associated with having a healthy body image. Beauty is unfortunately still predominately associated with stick figures. For centuries; magazines, newspapers and every other form of media have profusely paraded skeletal models (ultra-skinny) performing…
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The impact makeup may be having on our self-image
Worth over a staggering $500m, the beauty industry is taking the world by storm. With makeup tutorials stacking up billions of views on YouTube every year, it’s no surprise that the industry continues to soar. But is the beauty industry, in particular makeup, changing our concept of beauty? With filtered images of flawless skin and sculptured advertised everywhere we go, it’s understandable why someone without the “perfect” skin and chiselled cheekbones may not feel beautiful. As a young woman who has grown up surrounded by the phenomenon of makeup, I have experienced both the positive and negative. In this article, I will discuss my own journey with makeup and how…
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The Beautiful and The Ordinary: Are We Filtering Out Reality?
Reality, or at least our perception of it, has come under pressure over recent years. To live up to the expectations that our filtered culture has learnt to value is becoming increasingly difficult. What does it mean to be beautiful? Does Photoshop and social media distort our impression of the reality written on our faces? Or was our reality distorted to begin with? The pursuit of perfection: In a recent article by The Guardian, cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho discusses the widespread effects of social media editing and Photoshop. In the piece, Esho looks in particular at our fixation with external appearance. He considers how the journey to the perfect self has…
