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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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Plastic fantastic? Plastic fantastic? How fashion is leading more women to cosmetic surgery
Over hundreds of years our fashion trends, culture and spending habits have all changed along with the way we view ourselves. With cosmetic surgery on the rise, it has never been easier to have a quick pick me up whenever we feel like it, especially as more beauticians are becoming qualified to take a stab at it. The most common treatments in the UK are micro-blading, Botox and fillers, with 92% of all cosmetic procedures in the UK being for women. But what has driven this change? Contour, rejuvenate and enhance It’s quite overwhelming when looking into cosmetic surgery with so many different choices to “fix those troubled areas”, as…
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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 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…
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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…
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COVID-19: An Opportunity for Change?
How is the global crisis affecting consumer behaviours towards fashion? It seems an increasingly difficult question. Will the drastic changes we have seen in the short-term result in long-term positive change for the fashion industry? The complexity of our buying habits may need more than a month of lockdown to untangle the skein of consumerism. The complexities of aspirational culture: In an article on luxury fashion in China, the Journal of Retailer and Consumer Services looked at the relationship between the culture of aspiration which drives the luxury goods market and the economic reality behind its incessant growth. They look at fashion as a symbol and how this affects what…
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Fashion and Feminism’s Love Affair and the Truth behind their connection
If you’re a forward-thinking individual, then you would never question whether a feminist is able to wear a cute dress whilst taking to the streets to advocate for gender equality. Fashion and feminism’s love affair runs deep and strong. But there has been a contentious debate of feminism and fashion being two separate entities. So, is it possible to be a self-defined-feminist and a have a passion for fashion at the same time? What is Feminism? To understand the conversation around feminism and fashion, we have to look at the definition of feminism for context. Feminism is the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Many institutions…
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Do Fashion Hauls need an overhaul?
I am pretty old school. I know I am still considered a millennial but I am quite pleased with myself for not giving myself fully to this digital world or the digital bandwagon. I used to be like that back in 2016. Social media got me competing with others, it would make me jealous of things but the truth is it’s all just instant and temporary gratification. I don’t quite remember that thing that sparked me to stop and detach myself from that ‘digital blackhole’ as I call it. I guess ever since I started being mindful of things I started to observe people on how they were and I…
