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Fashion Marketing and Negative Body Image: From Love Island to Photoshop…
Marketing is one of the most important aspects of fashion – without it, the products wouldn’t sell! The fashion market is extremely competitive, with new youth-targeted fashion brands constantly launching online with the biggest challenge being to stand out. As a result, brands are looking for new ways to engage their target audience through more creative advertising techniques, however these are not always positive in the eyes of the consumer, leaving us feeling inadequate when it comes to our body image. Love Island is a huge marketing success story Why do marketers care about Love Island? Around 58% of viewers are female More than 50% viewers are ages 16 and 34 (also known as…
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Does Clothing Size Impact Our Self-Esteem?
Does size matter? Every item of clothing has its own label with the sizing of the garment, there are a number of standard sizing systems around the world for various garments such as tops, dresses and trousers. Clothing size should not be an issue to anyone, size does not matter but in the fashion industry size and body image is an issue. I must admit I was one for trying to fit into size 8 and 10 clothes and refusing to go into a size 12 as it affected my self-esteem. Body image Body image plays a major role in the fashion industry such as on catwalks, fashion weeks and…
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Will Our Lives Ever Be Not Filtered?
Do fashion brands and magazines think about the impact of using the same size models? Do they consider the effect this has upon teenagers and young adults? Why is Photoshop used to remove natural imperfections that make us who we are? In almost all magazines there is some sort of diet recommendations for those wishing to lose weight, however, do you see many about gaining weight? Social media and photoshopping ‘imperfections’ There are many teenagers/young adults who aspire to look like Victoria’s Secret models, the models for fashion brands or more commonly nowadays social media influencers. Not all are aware models bodies undergo Photoshop to be made as the ‘perfect’…
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Learn how to embrace yourself and be body positive
Through this article I want to share more about how we can use fashion to cultivate a positive body image and learn to be proud and embrace your own skin (if you don’t already). This issue is not confined to women, I will also touch more on the topic of men and their body image and share some tips we can all implement to spread more body positivity. We are all unique, let’s celebrate our uniqueness. Enjoy! Body image In 2019, one in five UK adults felt shame because of their body image. For me, that is quite troubling. Body image is how we think and feel about ourselves physically,…
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These 5 Body Positive Role Models are Shaking up the Fashion Industry…
The world today can often seem over-saturated with flawless faces and bodies. Each time we log onto our social media we are bombarded with countless photos, posts, and advertisements that feature impeccable beauty. However, there is a silver lining, people all over the world have started using their platforms in a positive way, to inspire those with imperfections (which contrary to popular belief – is all of us) to be proud of who they are. Here are five role models who are changing the fashion industry with their refreshing outlook. Carrie Hammer Carrie is a self-proclaimed “activist, entrepreneur, designer and feminist”, who is the inspiring founder of her own clothing…
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How Fashion Pressures Our Body Image and Sense of Self
Docile bodies The social theorist, Michel Foucault, wrote about ‘docile bodies’ – where the body is a passive object being acted upon by society’s discourses surrounding issues such as health and beauty. He believed that there is a constant societal pressure on people’s behaviour and body image as we are continually being observed by some kind of authority, often stemming from institutions such as education and media. In today’s world, we are so connected that it is impossible to exist without being subjected to the scrutiny and expectations of society. Both men and women feel the pressures of contemporary fashion to look, dress and act in certain ways, or else…
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How do we define the perfect body?
As we all know, Victoria’s Secret is a women’s brand famous for its sexy beauty products and perfect body models. However, it seems this brand breaks its own ‘rule’ this time. In October 2019, Victoria’s Secret hired its first size-14 model – Ali Tate-Cutler. Cutler posted photos of herself modelling the Bluebella lingerie and announced she has made history as the brand’s first size-14 model on her Instagram. In that picture, Cutler’s hair falls softly on her chest and confidence is brilliantly shone in her eyes. With her flawless skin and lace jumpsuit, clearly, she is following the footsteps of the convention for Victoria’s Secret. Her body, however, does not…
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Fashion and body image: vanity sizing or insanity sizing
In recent years the fashion industry has been slowly inching towards greater inclusivity and representation. Stores are finally providing for those of us blessed with long legs, under 5ft 3″ or graced with curves like Beyoncé. However, we still face the impossible (and what should be simple) task of finding clothing stores with standard sizes. It’s happened to us all. You’re stood in the fitting room with a pair of size 8 jeans, the size that you have depended on all your life. But when you try them on, they’re gaping around the waist. What follows is utter confusion as you begin to wonder how on earth you managed to…
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The level of body image diversity in fashion
Naivety is a prominent mentality in modern society and media when it comes to the impact of body image. As the media bombard the public with advertisements or articles that convey the perfect figure – a body image that the majority of people do not see when they look in the mirror each day. The size discrimination of fashion shows Petite, tall and plus-size are titles of how modern society categorises a person’s physical size. But does the size of a person restrict their opportunities? There is a level of exclusivity and judgement when it comes to evaluating body image. An exclusivity which controversially transfers to the modelling sector. As…
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Fashion & Body Image
Over the years the fashion industry has come under increasing pressure surrounding its expectations of models’ physiques. A number of models have highlighted this topic in the media. Many deem the industry’s expectations regarding body image, to be detrimental to their physical and mental health. Therefore, the industry should be held accountable for this and change has been necessary for a number of years. In light of this, the industry has experienced a clear change in its attitude towards more diverse body types during the past few years. Consequently, there is larger acceptance in the industry towards plus size models, and those that don’t necessarily fit societal norms. As a…
