It's What's On The Inside That Counts Right?

In the past year, I noticed that the details of my makeup regimen (or lack thereof) have changed since high school. I can remember how long I would take to get ready for school and how much make up I would put on to feel confident and beautiful.  It would have easily taken me an hour to get ready for school and it transitioned to my first couple years of college as well. There are many reasons why women choose to wear makeup. One of the top reasons why I wear makeup is because it gives me confidence. This is along the same lines as putting your best foot forward. The first thing a person usually notices is a woman's face. If it has been enhanced with skillfully applied makeup, I feel ready for the world and confident in proceeding through the day.

I mean, women have been wearing makeup in some form since ancient times. The Age of Enlightenment, emphasis on individualism rather than tradition. In the late 18th to mid–19th century, the ultra–pale look persisted. A “lady” didn't need to work in the sun, and therefore should be pale...translucent, even. Some historians even speculate that consumption was so common; it became fashionable to look as though you were suffering from TB. Indeed, the white skin, flushed cheek, and luminous eye of the illness was frequently imitated with white lead and rouge.  To create that look, some women would eat small amounts of arsenic or washed their eyes with orange and lemon juice—or, worse yet, rinsed them with belladonna, the juice of the poisonous nightshade!

Thankfully, women today are not willing to go to such extreme measures to obtain beauty. However over the years, technology and experimenting have made different types of makeup readily available and easier to apply. In fact, every consumer is artistic with innate needs for aesthetic fulfillment. There is an eye-popping photo on the online forum Reddit that I have to share, since it begs some serious discussion. Reddit user “Munner83” posted a photo of herself with half her face completely done in makeup (including a deep smoky eye and contoured cheek bones) and the other half of her face completely bare. It’s a stark contrast that’s hard to ignore, and while it does speak to the “power of makeup,” it also brings up questions about our perceptions of beauty—and the pressure we put on ourselves to conform. "Munner83" posted the photo in December, 2012 and many people have commended the young woman for her bravery, and pointed out it was an opportunity for her to overcome insecurities about her looks.

Munner 83

Now the question is when did I find my aesthetic fulfillment. Makeup is meant to enhance the natural beauty of a woman. So why wouldn't I use it? However, I was using makeup to hide my blemishes, acne and the rest of my imperfection.  My goal for self-direction because more obvious when I was abroad in Australia.  I believe that life circumstances provide opportunities to pressure or express some values more easily that others: For example, when I was abroad, I realized that my makeup was hindering me from having fun. I did not want to jump in the ocean because it might “ruin my makeup”. I would put all this makeup on my face and I would sweat it off within half an hour. So instead of feeling polished and confident, I have mascara and foundation running down my face. But I realized that it was not my self-confidence that was melting away. Trust me, I did not catch on as quickly as I wanted to, it took a simple comment from boyfriend for it to finally hit me. He causally said to me in the morning, “Sally you are a natural beauty”.  I was caught so off guard that I was not even sure what he was talking about. He said that I don’t need make up and I look beautiful in the morning.  What he said was so simple and genuine; it made such a lasting impact on me. Schwartz defined 'values' as "conceptions of the desirable that influence the way people select action and evaluate events". Through my travels, I discovered universalism and it created broad mindedness and inner harmony within me.

So why did my perspective/value changed? I became more comfortable and accepting with how I look. I don’t hate what I see when I look in the mirror. I have accepted the reflection that reliably bounces back at me for its perks and its flaws. I understand that there are thick, dark circles under my eyes. I have grown to appreciate them. I have noticed that my nose looks a little more crooked on a near-monthly basis. That’s fine. I know there are wrinkles ready to stake their claim as full time residents on my forehead any moment now. My dad has those, too, and I find that endearing. My eyes will never be blue, my bone structure will never allow for you to mistake me for a Scandinavian model.

18th century portrait 

19th century portrait

In the 19th century, “natural” makeup became fashionable. Victorian propriety denounced excessive makeup as the mark of “loose” women. Naively, most men believed their ladies wore no makeup, but cosmetic vendors abounded and beauty books of the era recount how carefully Victorian women used their concoctions.Is it fair and ethical to men that women hide their true appearance behind makeup? Are we being “deceitful” when we use makeup? As you can see, makeup can truly transform a person but is that our true self? I'll certainly agree that the amount of makeup some women wear is ridiculous. Having said that, I just can't agree that wearing makeup is a lie. What about in cultures where this is the norm? Do you have the guts to tell a bride in India that the henna she wears is just a lie, or that her culturally acceptable makeup is a mask and she should wash it off? It would also make me a hypocrite because I still used makeup, just not as much as I used to. In the essay, “Fashion, Identity and Social Actors”, the author argues that we are not obliged to make a drastic choice between ethical and aesthetic options. The choice for what is beautiful is not necessarily a selfish choice. Consumption, the new frontier of citizenship, may not only help us reassure ourselves but  may also provide us with new experiences that can help us relate to others.   



Do you feel like there is an unspoken pressure to always appear perfect or flawless? What about pressures to conform to a particular standard of beauty? 

Identity in fashion

Identity is an part of life that forms a personal definition for each individual in society. It creates a sense of belonging for a person. And gives society an understanding of a person. Without an identity we wouldn't be viewed as individuals, we would all just blend together as one. Fashion is a place where individuals display their identity. What people wear on their body is an expression of themselves. Even if a person doesn't have a care in the world for fashion and clothing, they still make decisions on what and what not to wear and buy. I remember a mind-opening decision we had in class about the subject on identity and its relation to fashion. A kid in class stated his belief on the topic by saying that he doesn't think that his fashion symbolizes his identity. I disagreed with his statement and agreed similarly to my teacher's ethical belief. The idea that even if you are not into fashion, you still make a decision on what to put on or what to buy..somewhere in between buying the clothes and putting them on there is some kind of decision made that reflects some part of you. For example throwing on sweat pants and a sweat shirt could symbolize that you don't care much about fashion or that your not afraid to not look put together. Some sort of decision is made by you and that decision is based on who you are as a person (your identity).
For those who are into fashion, their clothing also symbolizes a lot about their identity. Wearing Prada labeled items can mean you associate with the upper class, you like high fashion, or many other things. Once again these people are making decisions about what to put on their body, which are based on who you are as a person, your identity.

Each individual puts some kind of thought into what clothing they are put on and purchase, and they are all creating an image of their identity through their fashion. Most people putting thought into their clothing choices are trying to conform or express a certain identity about themselves.
The article "Fashion, Identity and Social Actors"mentions that aesthetics has always been one of the main guiding principles in the choice of clothing, when such choice is possible. Aesthetics is concerned with beauty and its appreciation. People want to look good and this means dressing well to display this desired beauty. The article mentions that clothing is a domination and constraint tool. I don't see it that
way. Yes, clothing can be dominating over people who feel strongly constrained to fit a certain image. However that idea of an object in life being dominating and constraining over an individual can be used to describe so many things in life, like social media, internet, television shows, etc. There are more influential and essential parts in society that create this dominating and constraining feeling over people than just a piece of clothing. I believe that people who have been affected by these feelings of constraint and domination just reflect this in their clothing and fashion, their not affected by their clothing or fashion.  Putting on a piece of clothing does not make you who you are. You put on a piece of clothing because of who you are. Society is the one constrains or creates your identity, and it is reflected in your fashion.
For me personally I can see my identity a lot in my fashion. I dress down when I feel lazy, because I am not afraid to look not put together sometimes. I like to dress up too because I enjoy fashion and I like the feeling of looking good. Whether you notice it or not some part of your identity is being reflected in your fashion.

Fashion as Competition: Zoolander v Hansel

     All throughout high school I used fashion as a competition.  This competition was known about by only me, but for some reason I continued to "compete" with other girls for years.  Constantly trying to dress better than them or look nicer than them, when it mattered to no one else...except me (for whatever reason).  I know that I am not the only person to do this...movies such as Zoolander discuss this issue.
 
The scene depicted above is Derek Zoolander and Hansel McDonald literally competing on the catwalk.  Derek gets out shown by the "new comer" Hansel and Matilda, a reporter, writes critical articles about Derek . They are so obsessed with looking better than the other that they become engulfed and infatuated with looking the best and forget who they are.

Mugatu

     Zoolander and Hansel get to this point because of an evil man named Mugato wants to brainwash a model into killing the Prime Minister of Malaysia in order to continue to use cheap child labor (bringing in another huge ethical issue).  He chooses Zoolander to brainwash because he believes that Zoolander is stupid enough to not realize, even though Mugatu had never wanted to work with Zoolander before.  And sure enough, Derek works with Mugatu and becomes brainwashed.  Mugatu is so obsessed with fashion and being the best fashion designer that he forget about what is ethical and what is not.  He is willing to risk Zoolander getting hurt and killing a Prime Minister just to exploit Malaysian children for cheap labor in order to make his clothing.  "Care for one's appearance, aesthetics and body ornamentation have always been the guiding principles in the choice of clothing, when such a choice has been possible.  However, the different meanings we may attribute to clothing are not only of an aesthetic nature.  Clothing is a domination and constraint tool, but it may also become a rebellion or subversion tool..." Fashion, Identity and Social Actors Page 84.

     Matilda and Zoolander find out about Mugatu's plan and search for refuge and Hansel's house, knowing that Mugatu would never look there (considering Zoolander and Hansel really don't like eachother - even though they don't know each other).  This is when Zoolander and Hansel actually get to know each other and find out that they had no reason to hate each other all along and Hansel ends up basically saving Zoolander when Mugatu sends him the signal to kill the Prime Minister.
      The realization that Zoolander and Hansel came to is a similar realization to the one that I came to
at the end of senior year in high school.  Because I chose to look at the way others and I dressed as a competition, it was hard for me to get close to people and I didn't really know them.  If they were better dressed than me, I would already not like them, even if I didn't know their name, which was wrong of me.  I worried about my own and others fashion and appearance over what would be the ethical thing to do in this situation - which would have to to not judge people prematurely and get to know people before I judged them.
     Using fashion and appearance to judge people is nothing, even close, to a new concept: does that make it ethical?
 

      During the 18th century, men and women dressed for occasions, but had only few outfits.  They way men and women dressed distinguished people by classes, but overall comfort and modesty were the ultimate goals.  The rich has lavish, beautiful clothing while the poor were in dingy clothing.


     Continually, during the 19th century, after the French Revolution, clothing was more for fashion than for comfort.  The invention of the sewing machine helped to mass produce clothing in a variety of designs which also made more, of what used to be upper class, clothing affordable to the common person.  Fashion was used to enhance looks. Women's skirts became bigger and less "wearer-friendly"; big skirts would be worn for work and in the hot summer months which was not comfortable or practical (and don't ignore the corsets that were worn which were usually made with whale bone).  Men also went from wearing short pants to long pants all year long which was obviously also not practical.

     The difference between the 18th and 19th centuries, fashion wise, was in part because of the French Revolution.  During the 18th century, the poor were oppressed and dominated by the rich through clothing, but free in their clothing.  The 19th century brought the fashion that the poor wanted, liberating them in that sense, but were now constrained by their clothing.   During the 18th century clothing was used to oppress the poor, but they were liberated by their fashion, they were comfortable and modest.  The 19th century was the complete opposite, the poor were liberated by being able to choose what to wear and not being oppressed by the rich, but everyone was being oppressed and constrained by their clothing; as Lauren Ashwell and Rae Langton would say, they became "slaves to fashion".

     During the 18th century, the rich were only worried about the aesthetics.  They were not worried about the fact that they were oppressing the poor, ethics were not their first priority; the rich were lacking openness to change.  The change between the 18th and 19th centuries showed the ethical reasons why the poor wanted to be seen as equals; universalism.  The 19th century brought that universalism, but ended in everyone forgetting the ethics of dress.  People were physically hurting themselves in order to look nice: whale bone corsets are the perfect example.  The differences between the ethical and the aesthetic were clearly not reconciled.

     Since I have stopped treating everyday dress as a competition, similar to Zoolander, Hansel, Mugatu and the 18th century wealthy, I would argue that I have balanced the ethical and aesthetic in a way that I can walk around with my head up and see myself as an ethical human being while still having self confidence.  From the values listed on the Schwartz Value Inventory, the top two values that I have are self-direction and universalism.  I want to be able to control myself and, in the realm of fashion, chose what I want to wear based off of how I feel and my own thoughts, but I also believe that all people should be considered and included.  Both the ethical and the aesthetic should be considered in everyday life, but I would argue that there can never be a perfect balance of both; we're humans, we're not perfect.
   

Average is the New Fat

Aesthetics focuses on studying art and beauty under the views of philosophy.  Aesthetics focuses more on defining what people want based off their sensory reactions. Ethics focuses more on what is wrong and what is right. The two are related in fashion, someone may view beauty one way that may be unethical. Is It possible to bridge the gap between aesthetics and ethics?  I don’t think so, ethics is something that is defined based on an individual, in terms of ethics you can’t please everyone.  

The top concerns with ethics and aesthetics in the fashion industry is the burden for women to thin. Women are concerned with being skinny to increase the aesthetics of how women are perceived as beautiful. The modeling industry’s definition of “thin” is not the definition of women in the real world, a size seven model would be considered “plus sized”. This stigma has caused a nation of women with body image disorders and the feeling of never being good enough or thin enough, which causes disorders such as Anorexia or Bulimia.  This causes a huge ethical program, should the modeling industry hire more “normal” sized models and are they to blame for how poorly women view themselves?

I say yes, the way the industry portrays women is unethical, many of the women that are models don’t even look like that, many models are “photoshopped” to attain the perfect figure that they do not have, and this sets unrealistic standards. Models are involved in unhealthy behaviors to keep their weight low such as smoking cigarettes, using cocaine to speed up their metabolism, eating cotton balls to feel full, and indulging in diet pills. Are we promoting these unhealthy behaviors by using these models or wearing the brands these models promote?

There is also a huge difference of beauty based on racial differences.Being a black girl living a “white town” in Connecticut I’ve always struggled with how the definition of beautiful varies based on color. In my culture a women who is curvy and “has skin on her bones” is considered beautiful while my counterparts at school viewed beauty as being skin and having a thigh gap, I felt like I never could be viewed as beautiful to both my peers and my family.

 The book states how models and the fashion industry can cause Body Dysmorphic Disorder, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and depression. Being a female we always have to look a certain way and act a certain way to attract a partner. Dating is so superficial and a potential partner (male or female) disregards personality traits or goals and just focuses on appearance. I believe the fashion industry has caused many problems within teenagers and young women and unethical promotes unrealistic standards of beauty.

Ethical Questions:

 Is it ethical to have a different view of beauty based on different cultures?

Is it fair for models to have their appearance photoshopped? 

The Unknown Harm

Within society people want women to be perfect: have the perfect body, the perfect hair, and the perfect clothes. But everything comes at a cost in today’s age. In order to get healthy, sweatshop-free, and chemical-free clothing you need to pay the extra fee. When people typically think of what is ethical and what is not ethical to wear they typically think of sweatshop brands and animal cruelty, however harming the environment and harming ourselves creates unethical clothing conditions as well.

Greenpeace.org has an article named Toxic Threads that name off different brands and the toxic chemicals that are used to manufacture their clothing. Such brands are Emporio Armani, Benetton, Calvin Klein, Gap, and Victoria’s Secret. These chemicals not only harm the environment when they are made but they also harm the person who is wearing them such as a Gap Children’s raincoat that contains nonylphenol ethoxylate which when broken down in the environment cause hormone disrupting chemicals to be produced or Victoria’s Secret Women’s Underwear which contains a high level of a toxic phthalates which can damage fertility for a woman or an unborn child within the fetus. This organization (GreenPeace) is currently enforcing a statement saying that any company using toxic and harmful chemicals must be clear of them by 2020.

                When one thinks about harming an unborn child you would often think about having an abortion, doing drugs, or drinking alcohol, but did you ever think that just because a women wants to wear what’s considered to be “sexy” underwear she could be harming the baby just as much? We all want to be just like a Victoria’s Secret Angel, with just the perfect amount of sex appeal, but when it begins to harm others do we really want to promote a company that can cause true harm. The essay “Slaves to Fashion” by: Lauren Ashwell and Rae Langton talks about the moral bonds that a fashionista holds. This essay states how people typically feel bad for the hard core fashionistas because they don’t know the true harm that they are causing. When it comes to things like what I have just explain however I believe that very few people know about it. Victoria’s Secret is one of the most known lingerie stores in the United States but do people really know what they are buying?

                I view my two biggest primary values in life are security and tradition. I am a person who wants to feel secure with where I am and with whatever I am doing. This is how I perform my best. I need to have the people around me who make me feel most comfortable with who I am and I need to know that if I fall I will be caught and helped right back up. With security comes a chance to become your best self. I believe I feel so much for the Victoria’s Secret issue because that poor unborn child isn’t secure just because of its mother wanting to feel sexy. I am also a big person when it comes to tradition. Traditions are what I base my life around, what people have done in the past centuries I want to look forward to doing, to getting married, and having children. But its not just the traditions of our ancestors that intrigues me it’s the small family traditions as well. I love being able to count on my family to be celebrating a first birthday or getting together for dessert holidays. When we become selfish and take those away from others we aren’t letting them shape themselves. A baby needs to learn how to grow up with its family surrounding and not have to worry about being sick because of a company.

Ethical Questions:

1.       When thinking of clothing should we have to be worried about our future children when wearing them?

2.       Should we have to worry about the environment just because we are wearing a specific brand?

                 

The Need of Acceptance

In society today, it is a common assumption that attractive people have it all going for them. They have great lives and great personalities, everyone wants to be them. This standard of beauty is what everyone aims for. Everyone wants to be accepted and sometimes the cost of being accepted is losing some moral standards. This way of thinking has always been around even in the 18^th and 19^th century, for both women and men acceptance has always been something that needed to be accomplished.

In the 18^th and 19^th century there was a time very concentrated on dresses that are closely fitted to the torso and then loose below. More in the 19^th century dresses with extremely tight torsos and extremely wide skirt. Women in these centuries were expected to dress within their class and to dress to be accepted by their society. The fashion in these times was geared more towards small waist, ample bosom, and inaccessibility. To achieve these ‘norms’ these women had to wear constrictive corsets that would cause medical issues such as curvature of the spine, dislocations of the ribs, dizziness, and headaches.  Some women would even resort to the removal of a few ribs so that waistline stayed small. These women would cause permanent damage to themselves just to be accepted by society and morally that is just inhumane. People shouldn’t have to conform or deform their body just to feel accepted but yet people did it then and are still doing it now.

            In Lauren Ashwell and Rae Langton’s essay Slaves to Fashion, they describe two different types of people one is called a Servile Fashionista, this person is follows fashion authority to the tee. And the Sensible Fashionista, who shops based on their personal interests. “The Servile Fashionista would not dare to wear something absent from the list of acceptable, fashionable apparel… the Sensible fashioinista. She follows fashion not simple because she is told something is “in” but because she judges it to be attractive.”(Ashwell, Langton, pg 143-144). The servile fashionista wants so bad to be accepted that she conforms to the social ‘norms’. Because of this she is the perfect example of someone who is willing to go completely out of their way to fit society’s standards of beauty. While the sensible fashionista chooses what to wear based on what looks good on her, she is still in some way conforming to society’s outlook on beautiful people. If it looks good on her then she will probably buy it. These are basically the two types of people in the world. The thing about this is that a lot of the time, whether you are sensible or servile, and your judgment can be clouded due to you wanting to fit in so badly.

            Believe it or not, there are some benefits to both ethical and aesthetic ways of thinking. With aesthetic life styles you feel accepted by your peers and feel that you are one of the ‘beautiful people’. To a lot of people this can be very enticing but as great as is sounds there are a lot of downsides to an aesthetic life. You live your life seeking the approval of others and you have a hard time finding yourself. With ethical life styles you are living for yourself and you are looking for no one else’s approval. The downside to this way of living is the lack of acceptance, being different can be very difficult and because of that some people will look down on you.

            Personally for me I spent a very long time trying to fit that social norm and trying to be accepted by society. I was constantly changing my style to get people to like me more and it was very difficult for me. Sometimes I was part of the beautiful people but then there were sometimes where I wasn’t. When I was a ‘cool’ kid it turned out to be not as fulfilling as I would have liked it to be. Unfortunately I don’t think I could ever stop completely caring about what other people think of me but I have been getting better.  It has taken me a while but I have, for the most part, started living my life more ethically, I try to live more for myself now. In a perfect world everyone would live for themselves.

Individuality and conformity

Individuality and conformity, these are conflicting values. The question is, how much individualism is good and how much conformity is good? Mass produced items tend to show conformity in our culture in spite of the fact that individual freedom of choice is highly valued in our society. The essay “Slaves of Fashion” shows that people want to be a part of this group of fitting in and there is a subconscious battle of being the best and showing we are elite.  In our culture items could show individuality, but we are often conformist because group identity shows as most important.

All people really need are utensils, clothing, tools, space for living, space for religious expression, and space for social interaction. So why do we feel like we have to “keep up with the Jones”? Why do we conform to fit this social status even when we don’t always have the financial means to do so? All people, regardless of culture, have a need for individual identity and for group identity. Some cultures stress individuality more and others stress group identity more. These identity values are expressed symbolically in the design of utensils, clothing, houses, places of worship, and public spaces. We know that meeting human needs consumes resources, but we also value caring for resources. In the essay “Women Shopping and Women Sweat Shopping” how much do we value these mass produced items if the people making them suffer because of the high demand needed to be produced? When we are trying so hard to have our own identities but still do not pay attention to the ethics behind the items being produced, are we still conforming to the same ethical behaviors as others. It is difficult to always consider where and how certain items were made and the people making them, but by not ever having a moral compass is allowing this to continue. I personal try to buy flax leather or fur and try to shop at stores that do not condone sweatshops and produce items ethically.

As members of the human race it is our privilege and obligation to do what we can to improve the conditions in which people live.  The arguments and the differences of opinions come when we start to make consumer selections to meet these needs. As soon as we do something or make something to fulfill our basic needs we are saying something about our values and our beliefs. What are the values related to our basic needs that are played out in our everyday decisions? When we discuss values we find a continuum of opinions and arguments. But should the arguments be between individuality and conformity or with our culture and these companies producing these items?

The Struggle: Conformity vs. Expression

       Throughout modern history the roles assumed by men and women have remained relatively the same.  The man is the provider to the woman and family, while the woman focuses on home making and child raising.  However as society has progressed to the 21st century, these assuming these roles no longer means survival and harmony, it is a matter of conformity vs. expression.  As women, from an early age we are pressured by mass media to obtain a certain level of beauty.  We must be thin, have smooth skin, smooth and silky hair, and an unmentionable number of male pleasing beauty marks.  As women we concern ourselves with body adornment that fits into what society has suggested we wear.  Is this really expressing who we are?  Some may believe that through the choice to adorn our bodies with certain items is expression, because we like them.  While that assertion is true to some extent, that is how we express ourselves aesthetically; there is much more to ourselves then a pair of nude flats or gold earrings.

Society pushes us to be slaves to fashion. 

      My gold earrings don't tell strangers that I am a loyal person, or that I care about family.  Am I remaining true to my beliefs and values by dressing the way I do?  This isn't a question we ask ourselves everyday.  As individuals we are funneled to think of vanity before expressing our core values.  Expressing our values and beliefs through our clothes, may concern hem lines of skirts, or covering up the mid drift.  For the sake of argument, if a long skirt helps an individual express their beliefs, that is their own choice.  However, what if that long skirt isn't in style and only short skirts are being sold in stores, that posses a moral dilemma to the purchaser.  The costs of this dilemma can be both monetary, mental, and physical.  Wearing a short skirt may cause the woman to feel physically uncomfortable to bear so much skin; she may mentally feel vulnerable or untrue to who she.  The purchase would also endure buyers remorse, she didn't want to spend the money on that skirt and now she is out of $30.  The aesthetic benefits may seem hard pressed against the more ethical views, however with wearing a short skirt what can that do for women?  Wearing a shorter skirt can allow a woman to feel confident in their looks and boost self-esteem.  Women and men who put effort into their appearance can lead to healthier person mentally and physically.  If those are the benefits of wearing short skirt, couldn't that person express their values in a different way instead of clothing?  Again, these cost and benefits illustrate the happy medium it is somewhat hard too find between ethics and aesthetics. 

Even going out, my appearance took a back seat. 

       As women, as men, individuals of society, we have become slaves to fashion.  Lauren Ashwell and Rae Langton, co-authors of Philosophy for Everyone: Thinking with Style devote a whole chapter to this notion of being "slaves" to fashion.  From an early age girls are introduced to appearance.  Within the chapter, the example of a young girl and her doll is expressed.  Ultimately, a girl playing with her doll conditions her and allows her to practice adornment.  From a philosophers view this young girl is practicing to become a woman, and the same could be said for boys.  The boy is practicing for manhood.  Women also have harsher social penalties for failing to adorn their bodies at a later age.  This allows our current society to continue to push these norms, leading most consumers to conformity and aesthetics, then expression and values.  I believe that it is hard to express overall values through clothing, without a t-shirt explicitly saying "I value tradition."  I believe expression your values through actions make a larger statement, then clothing.  Clothing drives this economy more so then allowing one to express themselves.

        I do not express who I am or my values through my clothing; being in college for the past four years has conditioned me to focus on academics, I have most certainly let me appearance run away from me, sweatshirts and hoodies have become an everyday thing no matter what the occasion.  However, now that I am graduating and have a full-time professional job waiting at home, my appearance will be changing, along with my values and beliefs.  Jeans will be traded in for slacks, sweatshirts, for flattering blouses, and the unkept bun will be traded for long stair hair, pinned out of my face.  Through this experience, I believe I will be able to find the happy medium between ethics and aesthetics that will fit for my lifestyle.  One of the values that I hold close is benevolence - the preservation and enhancement of the welfare of people with whom is in frequent personal contact.  I care deeply about the people around me and will do things to enhance the relationship and the overall happiness of the person.  Another value that I hold close is universalism - the understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection of the welfare of all people and for nature.

Benevolence - something I hold close 

       Universalism a belief that I have have recently developed through my new interest in horticulture and agriculture.  It is imperative we educate ourselves on the nature of the planet in order to preserve it which will benefit the welfare of all people.  These values would be hard pressed to signify through clothing, which is why I hold actions more accountable than clothing.  This simple minded view can change, to purchase clothing that is made with the planet in mind, or purchase from business that partake in ethical business practices.  While the meaning would not be explicit to a stranger walking down the street, it would both please myself ethically and aesthetically.

Beautiful vs. Ugly

Very often in our culture and society people differ intensly on the feelings they hone in the case of ethics vs. aesthetics. Because many believe it is important for society's creativity and artsyness, aesthetic views have caused the ethical views to be overlooked. In todays day and age, people find the beauty out of materials and find many different ways how to make clothes and constructed objects but what is left of the natural beauty of life? The Environment is a very important aspect to consider when we argue ethics vs aesthetics because of the fact that new additions and constructions are being made every day. These constructions can be a home, stores or even farms but whatever it may be, it is taking away from the environment. Now on the other hand, many feel as though the natural land and nature is more satisfying than these materialistic objects and empty additions. Although many find it important to fight for nature and keep the beauty in life without constructing new buildings and new architecture, the technology in our day and age is new and improved which causes many to have cross feelings.

In the early bit of Romanticism, it was a time of war during the French revolution. Not only was this the case but they were involved in a huge wave of aesthetic values that were beginning to play a factor during this time period, where craftyness and artsy abilities were looked at with compassion and understanding that people were making art and objects that had style. Then in the 19th century, the realism chapter of life began causing people to want to be natural and shy away from artificially altering the ideal art and beauty of life. This realism perspective made people feel as though they wanted everything natural and true to life because real was looked at as beautiful, while fake was percieved as ugly. "Slaves to Fashion," covered a bit of information about this topic especially on the fact that people are always directed to how society molds you. Especially in the gender aspects of life, people are always being told or directed in order to how society is supposed to view people. Because the society is always changing, there are always new and improved developements, which clearly shows that the growth in aesthetics, is very high in modern society.

Although many find it unacceptable to possibly harm the environment to make beauty or materials out of the tangibles, looking at new ideas and new acknowledgments is a form of beauty. Looking at it from the other side of the spectrum, people have talents especially with artistic and creative ideas that they find they need to express. Is it unethical for them to feel they can aesthetically make beauty out of environmental materails or land? or should we look at it differently... Maybe we've been looking at the scenario the wrong way because many people find that they can use their talents to make beauty tangible. This connects to modern era because technology is taking over but beauty is also made out of growth and experience. Because many new developements, buildings and businesses are being built, this growth as a country can be viewed as beautiful. Similar to art, the world is developing for the better, many would say. This is very much a debatable concept though. How can people have such a vast range of views that apply to this matter? It is important to realize that beauty can be made from many things, it all depends on what is of your interests.

Although I may feel that ethics do play a huge role in art and creativity, in my life I feel as though I follow the aesthis approach. I feel this way because I like to find enjoyment and my happy place within life and sometimes that can only be conquered through innovation and artsy developement. I love to wear flashy clothes and bright sneakers but thats not exaclty what I mean.. I find it acceptable that individuals of this day and age want to grow as a country and develope a vast majority of technological assets that could allow the country to be strong. It is argued that this causes the environment and nature top be artificial, yes but it is also a world where people are accepted for being unique. I want to be looked at as a person who has his own views and people could never take that away. I find it extremely important for people to give their feeling and thoughts through things in life that could be thought of as creative. Without a doubt people who are involved in progressing and developing many newer innovations are very creative in their own way. Therefore, it is important for me to be able to respect the fact that they are entitling the development of the country to their name. The reason why this is so important to me is because of the fact that individuals who never step out of their shell and always stay content without trying to be inventive is too easy but for those who strive for more, surely do it because of intrinsic motivation.

Morlaity behind Physique

Adrian Peterson: NFL Minnesota Vikings

As part of modern society we as individuals fight every day between the ethical and the aesthetic. Whether it’s that article of clothing that calls out to you or your heart screaming out that such a practice is so unethical it must be stopped. As a man, it’s hard to say how fashion can affect us the same way it does women. One thing that is true is that men are more often judged on their physical appearance than their fashionable one. Often, major figures that we, as individuals in society, look up to are at their physical peak: being sports figures, actors and body builders. Let’s face it; for men it is fashionable and aesthetically pleasing to be buff.

Body Builder

Daniel Craig: James Bond

This theme of being at our peak physical condition as men is considered extremely important by societal standards. It comes at us from doctors, spouses, friends, and the opposite sex.  Whether it’s for finding a companion (because more often than not woman find physically fit men to be more attractive) or for your own personal gain to stay in shape. Doctors tell us to stay in shape for our         health, especially since the stresses in our lives can build up into such negatives affects if you don’t keep up with your health. And even when we finally have the time to relax, we can be watching sports where extremely fit men are running around at their greatest physical abilities.

Now, the benefits to being in great physical condition are pretty obvious. First off, it gets the annoying doctors of your back telling you to lose those extra pounds and on the surface gives you great health benefits. But, knowing that you are fit also has certain mental benefits. Your entire mindset changes, your confidence builds up, you have more energy, and you are more ready to take on the world (including the ladies).

But, if you are not part of this group that spends their time staying in shape, there are certain drawbacks. First, physically you can run into health issues, often such as heart disease and stress-related diseases. Mentally, you can be secluded. To oneself, you could see yourself as a failure and this can lead to depression. Society can also start to alienate you through peer groups and isolation for being overweight and out of shape.

While all of these positives to exercising sound great, even being in shape has its certain health risks. While staying in shape, there is always the risk that overexertion can happen, causing stress fractures, breaks, tears and certain deficiencies. Sometimes, people can take this “perfect” body image too far and exercise too long or fall into bad habits such as doping and changing their lifestyle which can cause other health risks. All of these factors must be kept in balance while also holding the pressure to be "fit" at bay. 

18th Century Fashion

While some would consider the "fit expectations" of society to be a tad extreme, today’s modern views towards body and physical fitness are very different from that of historical views. If we were to analyze this to the 18th Century enlightenment thinkers' mentality, their search for equality would supersede society's push to conform us to our physical peak. They would look for everyone to become equal through attire that covers the body entirely. It was often a burden socially to be the the "most fit" because these were labor hands that worked in tough dirty jobs. These physically fit people were actually often frowned upon. In those times, being more "plump" was considered to be more attractive because it was a sign of affluence.

While the 19th century saw the birth of romanticism and the change to a more egocentric view of individuality, the attitudes towards physique didn't change. Laborers were still generally the most fit people and the most looked down upon because of their jobs and filthier living conditions. This view towards the more physically fit man being a non laborer and more of a role model stayed mostly until the mid-20th century. This is the time where literature and Hollywood started portraying "thinner" men as the "wooing" type, sometimes hinting at their physique through tighter more cut costumes.

19th Century Fashion

 These historical views are still radically different from our modern views towards displaying the peak male physique. In the essay, “Fashion, Identity, and Social Factors,” by Laura Bovone, she says “modern culture includes the account of progress” (pg. 84). She illustrates the process that men have gone through from early history to modern times with gaining more freedom in their dress and social standings. It is now socially acceptable  to change and bulk for a sexier more manly body shape. However, even though she says we work for progress she also concludes, “Socially determined we may be, yet we constantly search for the crevices in the culture that open moments of freedom" (pg.84). Bovone states that while we are striving to fit in socially in this case with our bodies, we can also take pride in the way that our bodies look. Even to men in studies they find more chizzeled bodies to be more attractive.  He is conforming to societies urges but
 finding personal satisfaction that he can transform his body 
into such a beautiful condition.

So, as a man, how do I balance this idea to stay physically in shape while retaining my individuality from societies norms? When I took the Shwarts Value Inventory test, my top three values were Self-direction (creative freedom), Hedonism (pleasure), and Stimulation (having an exciting life). My bottom three values were Security (social order), Conformity, and Tradition (humility). So, according to this test, I live my life mostly with the openness to change. I find it to be a very accurate representation of myself.

It can easily be inferenced that I choose to live my life on my own terms. So, when it comes to societies pressure to stay in shape, I generally listen with a faint of caring. I stay in shape for myself. I want to stay in shape so that when I want to go outside and be active, I have the physical endurance to do so. As an individual, I do not slave myself to societies view of what my body should look like.

How can this outlook hurt me? It could be said that since I emphasize the mindset to keep an active body that I will lose out on doing other activities such as enjoying myself while not being active such as playing video games or eating certain fattier foods. The possibility of injuring myself while I am being active is also a downside. In the end, if these are the only downsides that I have to worry about while staying active, with the benefits it gives socially and physically, I wouldn't change a thing.

Morality vs. Acceptance

      " Fashion obviously has to show a certain amount of collectivity--that is, must include several individuals.  For Georg Simmel, the limited character (i.e. not a social entirety performs fashion) is an essential part of the phenomenon.  He declared the 'the nature of fashion consisting the fact that only part of a group actually performs it, where as the rest of the group is on the way to adopt '(Simmel 1923).  Translating sociologic mechanisms into the psychodynamic individual level, a person desires to be what he/she adores and therefore identifies with idols or pure images of some given standard (Torello,1968a)( Identities Through Fashion, pg161).  The need for acceptance goes all the way back to the Enlightenment era in the eighteenth century. This time was full of "over-the-top" clothing and high priority of external values.  The clothing was impractical and out-landish but, it was desired.  In today's society there are so many requirements to fit into the "norm".  Middle school and High school cultures are major conductors of teens need to feel accepted. Teenagers and even adults, participate in social activities and popular fashions jut to fit in. Although some of the activities and fashions give off a distorted/wrong message.  The act of conforming is human nature. When a person sees an idol or highly accepted individual do something, the person standing by feels the need to participate in these  accepted activities and fashions.  This brings up the question of aesthetics vs ethics. Is it ethically correct to wear something or do something that you internally do not agree with, just to be accepted?
        High school is the black hole of lost teenagers looking to "find themselves". There is an unspoken hierarchy within the students. At the top there are the "popular" kids who always present the "cool" way to do things and what to wear.  Underclassmen and students in the lower levels of this unwritten hierarchy idolize these "popular" kids and will conform to their ways. A prime example of this is the movie Mean Girls.  The movie consists of a group of idolized girls called "the Plastics".  These girls will do whatever they want and it will instantly start a new trend. Cady, the main character, pretends to conform to them to get back at them.  In one event to sabotage the lead plastic, Regina,  Cady cuts holes in Regina's shirt. Regina looks at it and wears it anyways.  The next day the whole school is wearing shirts with holes in them.  This fashion statement is completely based on trying to be like Regina; whatever she does, it must be right.  Along with Regina's power on the high school community, Cady's act of fake conformity naturally leads to honest conformity and she completely changes how she dresses and acts.  She becomes a person she is not, she becomes a "Plastic".  She is blinded by her feeling of acceptance and it takes a series of terrible events to make her realize that she is not being true to her internal values.
     Socially accepted activities along with fashions, lead to decision making that is clearly internally immoral.  A common example of this is, smoking cigarettes. Everybody knows that smoking is bad.  The health issues that come along with this are deathly,yet, people still do it.  The image of someone smoking holds qualities that are admired by people who want to look carefree and "cool".  Participating in the act of smoking is a case of aesthetics vs ethics.  There is no benefits besides appearing nonchalant  but, it is done purely for external value.  Ethically, it is known that this is deathly and has a high stigma attached.  On a slightly less risky act, fashion has the same effect.  In society there are styles that are worn that just do not really make sense.  For example, middle class teenage girls wear a lot of Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. These styles are based on West coast fashion.  People on the East coast are wearing items representing California and places that most people on the East coast actually have never been.  This style is popular simply because people say it is.  These clothes are not truly expressive and are worn solely for aesthetic reasons.
     While there are benefits to conforming such as: feeling socially accepted and giving off some type of external expression, the costs are more harming than the benefits are rewarding.  By conforming, it gives off a tainted impression. Whether it is coming of as sexually desired, "cool", or care free, a lot of the time, these images do not match up to what is actually going on inside the body.  Morals are dropped and you might fit in but, is it even with the right crowd?
   When I was in early high school, I did anything to fit in with the popular crowd.  My hair is naturally curly but having straight hair was in.  Every morning, I would wake up early and straighten my hair and dress in the typical, over priced fashion that everybody else was wearing.  I would wear really tight shirts and layer until I couldn't layer anymore.  I was uncomfortable but I did it to fit in. Late in my sophomore going into my junior year, I found a group of friends that I can still call my best friends today.  They made me realize that I can wear what I want and still be happy, but now, Im happy internally and externally.
    In every society and community, there will be a popular fashion or trend that people conform too.  It is important to embed both the aesthetic and ethics of fashion into everyday life.  Being individual and expressive is highly idolized which is now ironically becoming a trend. If one were to completely ignore the beauty of fashion and never conform , that in itself is conforming.  It is important to be loyal to what you believe in and what you desire. Along with that though, it is equally important and inevitable to accept popular trends. Being accepting of all styles, social norms and outcasts, allows you to become a worldly and internally free person that all people are meant to be.

Bunnies Don't Wear Lipstick

      "The philosopher is no slave to sex, smart clothes, shoes, and adornment. He is interested in the changeless and the enduring. He is the seer, not the seen. He practices the separation of the soul and body, and in so doing, he practices dying" (Ashwell & Langton, 149). As a "true" philosopher, Socrates felt that one mustn't concern himself with services to the body, for the body is a mere vessel. This view was especially embodied by people in 18th Century Enlightenment period, in which they valued individualism, uniqueness, and freedom. Rather than being concerned with how to alter their appearances in order to appear more aesthetically pleasing, people felt that the self should be the focus of others' attention.  However, such beliefs seem to have fallen at the wayside in today's Western World, and instead, people have adopted a more19th Century Romanticism (an era of liberalism and radicalism) view - "I must wear articles of clothing that set me a part from the masses and I must go to great lengths to achieve this individualism." In other words, it is the clothes that make a person, not the actual self of a person. With such prevalence of vanity, people don't typically take into consideration the ethics of what they're wearing. This ignorance is problematic because those harmed during people's selfish fashion endeavors often times do not have a voice to object to the cruelty - especially when those being harmed are innocent animals.

       Makeup is an effective medium to use for fashion and self-expression - it is essentially the paint that adorns girls' canvases, or (more literally), faces. Girls discover the usefulness of make-up as soon as they can say the word, "makeup;" they realize that lipsticks, blushes, eyeshadows, etc., alter their appearances in ways that can make them more aesthetically pleasing to others. As stated in Slaves to Fashion?, "The physical aspect of the art of pleasing is found in one's dress, and this physical side of the art is the only one that the child can cultivate"(Ashwell & Langton, 151). As young girls grow older they can perfect the artistic techniques of
applying makeup in the utmost flattering ways. They have found the best foundation to cover every small skin imperfection and the best mascara to make their eyelashes long and flirtatious. While I could rant and rave about how the constitution of makeup contributes to the objectification of women, I have chosen to speak for those who are unable to. Women have the choice to "paint" their faces however they please and although they might not realize it, these decisions have consequences. In order for them to obtain that perfect shade of red lipstick, a bunny had to endure trial after trial of tortuous experimentation. So sure, women achieve their goals of creating beautiful "masterpieces," but can this beauty be truly admired if it comes with the cost of innocent creatures' lives?

       Well-known make-up brands, like Covergirl and Mac, are infamous for their use of animal testing for their products. I frequently hear my female peers rave about the quality of makeup from these companies, but I wonder if their attitudes would change if they knew about the cruel practices behind the creation of their cosmetics. As stated on the PETA website, "Around the world, rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and other animals are force-fed products or endure the pain of having chemicals applied to their sensitive eyes and skin for product tests––even though the results of animal tests are unreliable and not applicable to humans ." The last part of this statement, "...even though the results of animal tests are unreliable and not predictable to humans," is particularly disturbing. Bunnies' fur is being burned off and their eyes are being blinded by harsh cosmetic chemicals, but for what reason? If the results of such tests aren't 100% applicable to humans, then why even bother to subject these innocent animals to such inhumanity? Furthermore, "These cruel tests are not required by law in the U.S., and they’ve been banned in the European Union and Israel" (PETA). Makeup companies are not even required to perform animal testing; their products can receive government approval without the sacrifice of animals' lives. Yet, animal testing continues and defenseless beings die for no legitimate reason. Sadly, I don't think these companies will change their ways any time soon without extreme federal urging, but in the meantime, people can choose not to endorse the unnecessary abuse.

 
        I do believe that it is important to practice what you preach, so as a consumer, I do my best to shop ethically. I choose to not buy makeup brands that I know utilize animal testing. This task is made fairly simple when companies use the "Cruelty Free," and "Leaping Bunny" logos on their products. This logo assures the buyer that the company's products were not tested on animals and is made quite visible on the backs of cosmetic products. It would be dishonest for me to say that every single one of my cosmetic products is cruelty-free, because I am almost certain that some of my hair products are tested on animals. However, I am in the process of changing that; I have been gradually replacing cosmetic items with cruelty-free brands. Through this process, I intend to achieve a complete collection of cruelty-free products. It is unreasonable to expect someone to completely change his/her consumerism overnight, for both monetary and personal reasons. Therefore, the act of gradually changing  is a plausible and realistic solution. As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day," so while I can't hope for an overnight revolution, I can hope for a more "conscientious consumer" future in which people think before they buy that perfect shade of red lipstick.

       There is nothing wrong with wanting to "feel pretty," by dolling yourself up with some makeup; it is a personal choice that women have. I, myself, do find that certain occasions call for an extra

swipe of mascara. However, while I apply that mascara, I don't want to envision all the pain that product has an inflicted upon a poor innocent bunny or other small creature. Thus, I choose to conscientiously buy my cosmetic products. In doing so, I feel that I achieve a reasonable balance in the ever-pending aesthetics vs. ethics battle that we, as consumers, face on a daily basis.