Looks, Morals, Limits, Self-Expression!

Freedom of expression is something we should never have taken away, but at what point are we misusing that right?  Are we truly expression ourselves, or just using the freedom of expression as a cover-up.  Centuries ago, we never had this right, and now that we do, we may be taking it for granted.  Maybe we should fall back to those old clothing restrictions.  And what does our clothing really say about us?  Aesthetically, we are stunning, creative, flashy, but ethically, we may be sending the wrong impression.  How much can we really change, when we are trying to express ourselves and what we love?

18^th and 19^th Century styles left little for self-expression.  Women wore elegant, tight-fitting dresses that slimmed their midsections.  Men wore overcoats and top hats.  There was no such thing as a graphic tee or skinny jeans.  Women were expected to have a certain body shape and to cover up.  Men were expected to look put together and proper.  Though showing a very ethical style in terms of exposure, the styles were not very different between one person or the next.  As philosopher E. Wilson says, “…fashion is one among many forms of aesthetic creativity which make possible the exploration of alternatives.”  It is true.  The more we express in our clothing, the more creative we get with our articles of clothing, in style, shape, and color.  Styles of past centuries did not provide the wearer or the observers to have a sense of creativity.  A woman wore the one socially acceptable style that was present in this time period, and all else was considered disrespectful and shameful. 

Fashion trends have always had some part in one’s being.  They come and go, and most, if not all, of us comply.  It’s only a matter of time before what was once seen as disrespectful attire is in every store.  Clothing can changes one’s appearance, but it can also change one’s personality.  Will you hold to your morals, or will you buy that new jacket?  Everyone else is getting it, you can’t be left out.  But it was made in a sweatshop; you would be encouraging and supporting that.  In the essay “Women Shopping and Women Sweatshops”, these concepts are discussed.  It’s all about view point and desires.  In these situations, one’s character can go from being against the cruelties of the clothing industry to following the norm and getting that new jacket.  If we are aware of where our money is going to, are we to blame?  We should know we’re supporting it.   Philosopher Peter Singer’s view point on the situation is as followed: “…[we] should cut unnecessary consumer and government spending to donate funds to relieve world poverty because suffering is bad.”  Many would see the purchase of clothing items as a donation, but many others would see it as encouraging the behavior, of encouraging the sweatshops.  How many people’s lives went into that jacket?  Those pants?  That shoe?  It’s all perspective.  Is it ethically correct for us to hold clothing so dearly when people were injured, lives were lost in the making?  Then there is the view of how great it looks, how it expresses us.  Some clothing may be made outside sweatshops, but what if it doesn’t express us?  Again, ethics verse looks.  Society tells us suffering is bad, but then we are judged for not buying the newest jacket or shirt or whatever.  At what point will the two be fulfilled.   

   

Personally, I think most stores sell what is socially acceptable.  What is “in” is based off of the trends made by celebrities, by other stores’ success, or what the consumer is making themselves, and it’s only a matter of time before everyone is wearing it, then it all needs to start again.  In the 18^th and 19^th century, women and men had little for self-expression, and today, it seems like some people may be using “self-expression” as a cover-up for their attire.  Yes, I do believe everyone should have their own form of self-expression, but there is such a thing as a “limit” (too short, too revealing, too inappropriate).  Yes, we should all have our chance to say what we want, but clothing with provocative words or shorts the size of underwear is inappropriate no matter who is wearing it.  As for sweatshops, the suffering is hard to solve in a day.  If we stop buying from them, are we not just putting millions of people out of jobs?  If we continue to buy from them, are we just trying to ignore the suffering?  Either way, the situation seems like a lose-lose, and a solution may be too fair in the future for us to grasp.  I would have to say that I have always taken a more aesthetic side to purchasing of clothing.  I go for look, if I will wear it.  I do not take the time to look at all the manufacturers or where it is from.  Once when I was younger, my friend and I went through my closet and read all the labels on my clothing.  There was places such as Thailand, India, China, Japan, and USA.  So many places, and I would not have known had I not looked.  For those of you who do take the time to see the ‘Made In’ label before purchasing, good for you!  For those who do not, I am with you.  The most for ethical shopping that I believe I do is avoid fur and avoid leather, but I cannot say I try to avoid sweatshop material. 

There are a few ways I can improve my ethical purchasing.  I can look at the label, I can shop from USA-Made stores, I can purchase clothing when it is absolutely necessary.  But these can be big steps, especially for a college student like myself.  I am a very picky shopper, so I would not consider myself an ‘impulse buyer’ or ‘shopping-obsessed’.  I buy when I need it, unless the sale is too good to pass, and in these cases, I know I am most likely buying from a manufacture who doesn’t go through all the safety conditions or may not pay the workers well.  My biggest impulse purchase, Nike, are made in sweatshops.  Nike designs and styles that I find so creative and flashy come with a price, and it isn't good.  I buy unethically in this case, supporting the sweatshops, and this will be a hard change to make for me.  I do stop in any Nike store I come across, but often times I walk out empty handed.  I look for what will catch my eye, and if it doesn't, I'm not going to pick it up.  In this case, I like to think that I did what was best.  It’s all based on perspective.  Yes we can do our part by avoiding sweatshop clothing, but are we truly avoiding all the suffering if we take away the one support those workers had for their families?  





Sarah Rup

Defying Post Modernism

Gilles Lipovetsky

Today, society is analysed based on the ideas of "post modernity". This concept supports the idea that fashion is freedom. Freedom to reject traditional identities associated with certain clothing. The idea behind this form of fashion liberation come from French philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky. He believes that, unlike in the past, all articles of clothing can be universally worn without possessing some kind of symbolic meaning. Another way to look at is that people themselves have no consistent identity. As they change their wardrobe, whether it be daily, monthly, or yearly, they are  changing their identity and how people perceive them.   The ethical question that I will be discussing is: Do we really live according to the rules of post modernism?

Lets talk about hats. During the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, hats were worn by almost all members of society.  Each hat possessed its own unique social identity: the bowler hat and the top hat identified the upper class, the cap with a visor identified military officers and the working class, and  the straw boater identified with the working class men that would spend most of their days outside. If anyone else were to attempt to wear a hat that wasn't inline with their social status, people would not take the individual seriously. According to Lipovetsky, these forms of social identification are long gone as a result of the new judgement free post modern society and the idea that people can no longer be associated with a particular identity.

Princess Kate and Queen Elizabeth II
wearing derby hats

So what is it about hats that questions the ideas of post modernism? The fitted hat, for example, is common among  both young men and young women. The people who wear this type of hat are usually dress a certain way and fit into a certain stereotype: athletes, rappers, celebrities, and/or skateboarders. It is pretty obvious that these hats are common among people trying to express a certain identity. Now, lets look at men's and women's derby hats. Derby hats are commonly worn by men and women ranging from young adult to adult. These hats are usually worn once a year during horse racing season but can also be seen year round on members of the upper and royal classes such as Princess Kate and Queen Elizabeth II. Is it possible for someone who wears derby hats to switch to fitted hats and instantly change their identity without altering other aspects of their style? Or what about the reverse? It is not as simple as it may seem. Some may think "Yes, of course they can switch" but in reality hats possess meaning that are much more complex than post modernists assume. In fact, its impossible to find photos on the internet that illustrate what this switch may look like because its never been done seriously before. If this switch were to happen, people might consider it a joke.

Kim Kardashian wearing a derby hat

Kim Kardashian wearing a fitted hat

 Changing hats isn't as easy as people assume because in order to switch from one style of hat to another it requires a complete change in style. In order to wear a certain hat you must not only dress a certain way but act and look a certain way as well. Lets compare this idea to the two photos of Kim Kardashian on the right and on the left. In the photo on the right, she is wearing a fitted hat. In the photo on the left, she is wearing a derby hat. If she were to pair the fitted hat with the outfit she is wearing in the photo on the left, her outfit would have been considered a "joke". In order for Kim to wear a fitted hat, she has to adjust her outfit and her attitude. Kim must take on the identity associated with each particular hat through her clothing choices and her body language. In the photo with the derby hat, her body language is poised and elegant in her sophisticated white dress and black gloves. In the photo with the fitted hat, her body language is more laid-back and filled with attitude in her white blazer and above the knee black high-heeled boots.

Rihanna changes her identity based on
the occasion

It is obvious that in this age of post modernity, not all of the rules apply to all aspects of fashion. It might be a lot easier for people to dress a certain way and change their identities regularly but all articles of clothing still carry with them some sort of symbolic meaning. Lipovetsky was right in saying that people themselves have no constant identity but was wrong in saying that clothing no longer carries any identity at all. Each article of clothing that we wear, whether it be a hat, a pair of shoes, or bag that we carry, all are symbolic of the particular identity we take on at that specific time.

PHILOSOPHICAL FASHION SHOW, APRIL 29TH AT 6:30PM

High heels can be a pain in the feet

(SCIENCE SOURCE) -
 “That is not how your foot has evolved to walk,”
  a Bethesda podiatrist says when showing
patients an X-ray of a woman in high heels.
His warnings are often ignore

Often painstakingly selected to complete outfits, high heels put stress not just on feet, but on ankles, knees and backs, contributing to the approximately $3.5 billion spent annually in the United States for women's foot surgeries, which cause them to lose 15 million work days yearly. So why do women continue to wear these portable torture machines? High heels have their perks. It makes a female become taller, certain body parts become more prominent and noticeable, and they make a girl's legs look longer. Women wear heels to work, to formal events, meetings, and whenever else they please. Unfortunately, high heels also come with many negative effects on the body. 

Out of the same shoes that bring out a woman's elegance are the long term effects of inflamed nerves, inflamed ligaments, a shortened Achilles tendon and calf muscles, and hammertoes. Heels can be a girl’s best or worst friend. As I walk around town on a Friday or Saturday night, I can’t help but wonder how some girls wear heels every time they go out! After I wear heels for one night, chances are I won’t be wearing heels the next night because my feet are still recovering from the previous night.  Sure, heels can top any outfit, but is the pain really worth it? Most women know that wearing heels is bad on some level – surely the excruciating pain at the end of a night out shows that - and even Sarah Jessica Parker once spoke out about the effect all the Manolos did to her feet. “I went to a foot doctor and he said, ‘your foot does things it shouldn't be able to do',” she said. “'That bone there – you've created that bone. It doesn't belong there’.”

Sergio Rossi black platform ankle boots

Take Danielle Pletka, vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. She wears four- or five-inch heels to work most days; on a recent Tuesday, she towered in five-inch stiletto-heeled black Sergio Rossi open-toe booties.“There are lots of things that impact the way you look that aren't necessarily optimal for every muscle in your body,” says Pletka, who admits that she has some high pairs “that are uncomfortable, no question.” But, she adds, “You want to look nice. I always get nice comments on my shoes. And I like it.”

Psychologists Paul Morris, Jenny White, Edward Morrison and Kayleigh Fisher from the University of Portsmouth, in the UK, have recently proposed a novel evolutionary theory about why women favor high heels. In their recent study, entitled "High heels as supernormal stimuli: How wearing high heels affects judgments of female attractiveness" the psychologists compared ratings of women walking in flats, with the same women walking in high heels, in order to establish whether or not walking in high heels enhances the attractiveness of gait.

The study, published in the academic journal Evolution and Human Behavior found that for all walkers’ attractiveness was much higher in heels compared with the flat shoes. Both males and females judged high heels to be more attractive than flats. Males and females also agreed which were the attractive and unattractive walkers. The authors of the study conclude that high heels are an important part of the contemporary female wardrobe -the minimum number of high heeled shoes owned by those taking part in the experiment was four, and the maximum 25.The results indicate that the female walk is perceived as much more attractive when wearing high heels than not. One, conscious or unconscious, motivation for women to wear high heels might therefore be to increase their attractiveness.On reflection, we can agree that women feel empowered when wearing heels but do we need to take in consideration of genes, biology and evolution?

Reference:

http://www.ehbonline.org/article/S1090-5138(12)00122-5/abstract

How Short is Too Short?

    

Jessica Simpson

    

 How would you feel if you saw a fifteen-year-old girl wearing very short shorts that reveal her buttocks with a tight skimpy top that exposes her midriff walking down the street?  Is she "on trend" because the latest celebrity was shown in a magazine to be wearing the same outfit in public?  Is this type of clothing appropriate for a young girl?

Miley Cyrus Booty Shorts

    

   Over the decades tops and bottoms have become progressively shorter in length.  What was once considered modest has now been renamed too long.  During the 18th and 19th centuries, women were advised to wear conservative clothing to preserve their modesty.  They only showed their neck or forearms, if any skin at all.  But by the 90s, there was an increase in popularity for crop tops, low- rise jeans, and tight shirts as women's clothing became more provocative.  In today's society, clothing styles are constantly changing.  Both adolescents and adults are faced with the issues of what is considered too short and provocative.  With this being said, are we leaving enough space for the imagination to grow?  As said in Vanity Fair, "the fewer clothes you have on, the more fashionable you are."  

     What kind of role models are we creating for our nations youth?  Celebrities these days are seen wearing almost no clothing, which makes it hard for young girls to understand what they should or shouldn't be wearing.  During this time of their lives, girls are looking for role models and guidance on how to present themselves.  As said by a CNN news reporter, "Often, fashion for teenagers is the result of the desire to be like a celebrity.  Celebrities are perhaps the greatest influences on teenagers in the modern world, and they can have a huge impact on a teens' ideas about fashion and its importance." I would have to agree by saying if a teenager is a huge fan of a celebrity they will try everything in their power to imitate them, which is causing teens to be pressured or interested in certain fashion trends.  Take for example, the 2013 VMA's, where millions of viewers saw Miley Cyrus's provocative clothing ensembles, which included a teddy bear leotard and a nude bikini- in other words, a birthday suit.  Adolescent girls think that it's okay to dress like this even though celebrities portray a different lifestyle.  

       In today’s media, women are often shown dressed provocatively and portrayed as sex objects. The media makes it extremely difficult for young women to not pay so much attention to their bodies.   An article from Seventeen Magazine, stated: “73 percent of people say seeing celebrities and models who dress sexy makes you feel like you need to dress sexier too, and 77 percent say seeing those images makes you feel like you’re not sexy enough. ...seeing your body as a sexual object not only affects how you dress, but how you act.”  Therefore, making these children want to buy the type of clothing they are wearing.  Celebrities have been negatively impacting the way children view what is now considered, the "norm". 

 

     Open any fashion magazine or watch any TV shows, and you'll see that the media creates unrealistic expectations for adolescent girls appearances.  There's no denying that our media and culture are obsessed with women's looks.  Magazines feature numerous celebrities sporting short and provocative clothing that advertise, "they should look 'hot, not later but now" (Essex).  Through my own experiences, when I was a teen, I used to flip through magazines and point out how cute this or that looked on a celebrity.  I wished I had the exact same outfit as they did.  I looked up to these celebrity girls as a role model to maintain the type of clothing they had.  It's true, celebrities on the cover of magazines, or seen on the red carpet during award shows could influence so many people.  Could you be dressed the way you are because of the advertisements you see?   

    

    In conclusion, it has become almost the norm to see someone sport an outfit on the verge of lingerie.  With clothing exposing more of the body, people have crossed the line from showing a little skin to showing every nook and cranny even if it's not appropriate to be seen on children.  One has to remember that fashion sells more than just clothes; it sells values and standards.  Adolescent girls are so easily influenced by the media, celebrity world, and current fashion trends that if someone informed them that wearing nothing but a thong was in "Cosmo", they would be compelled to buy it.  The media and celebrities should remember that children are watching their every steps, and keep in mind not to wear overly provocative clothing when being chased by the "paparazzi", at red carpet events, or in everyday life.

Ethical Questions:
1) At what point do the clothes that we wear and see on other people become too short and provocative?

2)   How does the media affect how women dress?
3) What type of role moles are we creating for the youth?

  Resources:

  www.vanityfair.com

ww.wwd.com

  www.becomegorgeous.com

  www.pinterest.com 

  www.matchmove.com 

  www.apa.org 

  www.ccn.com