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The Forbidden Beauty of Age in Fashion
Everybody ages, that’s a given. Yet the image of age is very rarely represented in the fashion world and is sometimes frowned upon. OK, you’re right, there are symbols of older beauty in popular culture, with people like Idris Elba and George Clooney winning the title of Sexiest Man Alive in their older years. But although they may have had a grey hair here and there, they hadn’t even reached 50 when the earned the title. The absence of age in beauty standards In the age of representing diversity, the fashion industry is performing poorly. Most brands that we see and consume have standard for their models. Their models are…
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Fashion and Mental Health: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Are you comfortable in your own clothes? I’m asking because the garments we wear CAN have an affect on our mental health in both positive and negative ways. Getting dressed in the morning: it’s a task everyone does daily, some more consciously than others. Whether that be getting dressed for work, choosing a ‘cute top and jeans’ for lunch with some friends or maybe dressing up with a pair of heels for dinner date in the evening. With each and every outfit we select (intentionally or unintentionally), we are communicating non-verbally to the outside world. What we wear is who we are! Fashion is a way for society to express…
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Diversity in fashion: brands leading the way
Diversity is one of the biggest issues facing the fashion and beauty industries today. The number of underrepresented groups is vast with size, age, ethnicity and sexuality fighting its way to be seen and heard. However, in recent years, these industries have taken steps towards being more inclusive. Driven by social media, the world of beauty and fashion has moved to welcome and represent customers along the spectrum of skin shades, gender identities and body types. Undoubtedly, diversity, and inclusion have become powerful movements and a priority for companies looking to succeed. Paving the way for diversity Fenty Beauty is just one example of a beauty brand paving the way…
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Debunking the ‘Summer Body’ myth
If you’ve been keeping up with anything happening in the world right now, I won’t be the first person to tell you that summer 2020 is no more. Forget your plans, summer is officially canceled. But with summer existing purely inside and at a socially acceptable distance, it has got me wondering. What would various marketing groups be preparing for their advertisement campaigns in a bid to sell you their idealised image of what a woman should look like? The Summer Body So, what exactly is the ‘Summer Body’? Major corporations advertise the ‘Summer Body’, usually a thin woman, with a flat stomach and toned abs. This idealised version of…
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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 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…
