High Fashion

Although difficult to relate to for the average person, high fashion dictates the trends which will reach us. Outlandish and criticised and mocked for it's impracticality, it has transformed into something unrecognizably boring by the time it appears on the street, the towering appendages meant to illustrate a love for individuality and creativity adapted to become something deliberately mundane and pedestrian. The sole feature retained which it has in common with the original may be a shade of colour or pattern, now repeated a thousandfold until it becomes a uniform for the trendsetters. Full of contradictions its diplomats are those who would often be regarded as grossly unattractive in normal society. Their thinness surpasses the delicate frailty of the naturally small boned generally prized in many cultures, and crossed the line far into the field of the freakish and disturbing. Awkwardly tall and with harsh, often somewhat masculine features, they are far from what would be desired or envied on the street. Yet its extremeity surely is valued within high fashion world, as with the surrealy overdone creations they wear. It is called "making a statement". Perhaps in a world of endless media streaming all but the most striking are submerged in a great flood of exchanges. What does it scream out to us? What does it ultimately communicate, if through the recycling of the ideas through warehouses that turn the look into a staple, and the more normal girls who similarly seem more accesssible to the rest, the masses, of us. Of course it is often criticised by parents and carers of girls, by feminists and even by the same media that promotes it. However the truth might be that for the most of us, it remains beauty because it is symmetry and balance according to the preestablished standards. This manifestation of masculine (designer, photographer, director) control over the female (model) body, and mass receptivity to the whims of a select few, always destined to imitate and follow them while subsidizing their lifestyles is easy on the eyes because it is easy on the mind. It reflects a standard we believe in. Although intellectual enquiry may claim that otherwise is or ought to be, our actions tell a different story as we continue to adhere to patriarchy and commercialism.

 

The 80's

I recently reflected that the eighties teens I remember from when I was a small child are now in their late thirties. How did so much time pass by? They are glowing, their sun-tanned tight thighs in faded ill-fitting cuttoffs, or jeans slashed everywhere around the knees and below the bum. They are natural, careless, edgy, everything about them is made to draw attention, the t-shirts with slogans, the tight tight shiny lycra in bright and fluro colours that the women in their thirties prefer, the punk-inspired hair and the still-new concept of facial and body piercings, and shock is a friendly word. They brim over, they are dressed for sunshine, the couples are physical, walking with their hands in each other’s jean pockets entwined. The ones in my mind are big and bright, from a time when they were very young, and I was very small- now they have a past rather than a future and the course and meaning of their life has pretty much been written, although they still have many years ahead. The eighties Retro fashion now might be the reason why I remember them, but the “revival” barely does it justice, resembling the toned stylish minimalism in the dressing of a dancer on the way to the studio more than anything else. The tights now are cute, but the ones of the eighties were horrendous and tasteless, made of materials that looked vulgar, and worn by crash-dieting bony women past their prime, or the overweight whose silhouettes were outlined dimple by dimple. The sleek headbands made of modern materials, intricate embroidered looks for just a couple of dollars, diamantes and lace artfully arranged, on a thin plastic or stretchy black fabric, don’t really recall the feel of the bulky Alice band plonked on top of a face framed by a clunky fringe or a stressed head of perm. People might have different opinions on this, but I think the ideal of the 80’s was to make an impact and create attention, and that apparently the more unpleasant or extreme the look, the more positive a thing it was considered.

Russian Dress and Fashion

Symmetry, bright colours and solid shapes were used to decorate the bodies of Russians. Composition was very important, with the basic look being symmetrical and balanced. Embroidery and trimming were used, and furs and decorative fabrics with gold and silver. This helped to project a stately, dignified image. A headdress was an important part of a Russian outfit. Bright, bold colours are used, often in impressive contrasting shades, and the Russian word for “beautiful” comes from the word for red, which, “krasny”.

The traditional Russian dress was called a sarafan, and the cap they wore was called a kokoshnik.

Aztec Beauty- born "without a face"

In the Aztec understanding of the world, people would enter the world “without a face”. Only by taking on a role in society and learning from it, could they become beautiful. The face and the heart in mesoAmerica were thought of as indivisible- rostro y corazón.
Records show that Aztecs believed in personal cleanliness and bathed regularly in rivers and lakes, using scented soap, while Montezuma bathed twice daily. Women seem to have generally been discouraged from adorning themselves too ornately, or painting their faces, and they had long hair, with the hairstyles of married women being elaborate and ornate. . On the other hand, concubines painted their faces elaborately, with more of a sculpted, ceremonial look, as opposed to the natural, wholesome look preferred by ordinary women.

Georgian Hairstyles

False hair, created into elaborate curls which defied gravity, were the style in Georgial era in Britain and France. The styling of hair in these elaborate styles took hours, and the styles were expected to last for at least a week. Women went to extraordinary lengths to keep these styles, sleeping sitting up. The natural hair of the women was dressed around horsehair and frames, and finally large volumes of false hair was added, rising as much as half the woman’s own height above her head!

These extraordinary hairstyles were often topped with decorations which were like model scenes of ships or farmyards. Alternatively, lavish Gainsborough hats might top off the hairstyle.The taste for the artificial extended beyond the hairstyle, and Georgian women frequently had false teeth, and dilated their pupils using Belladonna from the Deadly Nightshade plant. They used patches of valvet cut into pretty shapes to cover smallpox scars, and doused their clothes and belongings in toilet waters and perfumes.

Beauty Ideals in Fiji

In Fiji, traditionally the body was seen to reflect the community in which the individual lived, rather than the identity of just the individual themselves. Hence a well-fed body was seen to reflect the wealth of the family or community, and so there was also a sense that the body belonged to or was part of the community. The individual was part of the web of interactions in which he or she existed, and body weight also reflected this. In a nation traditionally affected by famine and food shortage, as in many other parts of the world a robust weight was seen as beautiful.

Traditionally, Fijian women would eat as much as they wanted at a meal, and then lie down afterwards. A lack of appetite and thinness were seen as unhealthy and undesirable.

Modern Popular Beauty Standards

Beauty as typically portrayed in the pop media, womens’ magazines and mens’ magazines, gossip magazines, Hollywood etc.

The emphasis on the superficial is often criticized, although by definition the same could be said of any physical standard of beauty. Should a focus on true beauty be beneath the surface? If so, there is probably no culture which has achieved this idea that it is “what’s inside that counts”.

The current physical ideal can however be described as very sculpted, and, partly because present day women in Western countries have the money and leisure to spend on their looks, the process is more time-consuming and detailed than it was a few generations ago. An increasing number of semi-permanent and permanent transformation procedures are available- for example, plastic surgery, some of the most common being breast implants, liposuction, botox and rhinoplasty, as well as permanent hair removal through electrolysis, various anti-aging and toning procedures on the skin using lazers and other technology, tanning beds and creams, as well as whitening creams, realignment of teeth. There are also other procedures which are partially cosmetic, such as lazer eye surgery. Many of these procedures are about “fixing” perceived flaws which detract from a standard of how a beautiful person is “supposed” to look naturally. In this way, the current procedures are a bit different to some other well-known examples of societies where physical alteration of the women’s body was important, when a particular extraordinary trait was treasured, be it a long neck, tiny feet or a dome-shaped skull. The thinking behind most of these procedures is probably not to stand out in a negative way, rather than to be noticed in a positive way. For example, people are presumably feeling this way when they are taking on orthodontic treatment, teeth whitening, or a nose job on a nose they perceive to be too large or oddly shaped, as well as most efforts relating to reducing body weight. Many beauty products such as makeup also is often used for this function, and ideas of “hiding your flaws” or “imperfections” are influence the cut of clothing that people wear. Fashion is of course also used to “show off your assets”, “be noticed”, and to “express yourself”. All of these ideas do have in common the concept that looks are a part of your identity, and can influence the perception of your identity.

Cleopatra Queen of Egypt

Remembered in history as alluring, powerful and glamorous, Cleopatra, whose beauty enraptured Roman leaders and changed the fates of many, was not very attractive by the standards of the modern ideal. The layers of fat that encircled her wide, short neck were called “Venus rings” by art historians. Her hook nose was also seen as beautiful by women of the time, who preferred a downward-pointing, high, noble-looking nose. Even despite such points of contemporary beauty, however, Cleopatra was still fairly average in appearance for the time- being around 5ft, the average of the time, it was her seductive ambition that was her key trait and the one that she is best remembered for. Her immortalisation as a beauty was actually due largely to her other qualities- intelligent, powerful, and hungry for more power, ruthless and determined. Still, as a woman, is she immortalized as an extraordinary beauty because this is the highest form of praise possible? It is ironic that it was other qualities that allowed her to play her part in history, that her choice to focus on these manipulations allowed her to be viewed as beautiful- and also that the personal qualities she possessed are those that have been dismissed as “unattractive” in women in most cultures.


It is her story that remains alluring and we try to imagine the enthralling and mysterious woman who played her part in it. Willed as joint ruler of Egypt with her 12-year old brother Ptolemy XIII who she married at age 17 after the death of their father, she was quickly deposed because of her wilful ways, and her young brother left as a puppet king. She schemed a way to regain her empire, having herself wrapped in a blanket to be delivered as a present to Julius Caesar. When he unwrapped it, the 54-year old general found 22 year old Cleopatra inside, and the two became lovers. And after Caesar’s army defeated the Egyptian army, they remained lovers, but Cleopatra married another brother, Ptolemy XIV. Caesar and Cleopatra also married, and Cleopatra went to Rome with Caesar, with their hopes being that they could unite the two countries. After Caesar was murdered, Cleopatra returned to Egypt with their son, and continued to rule with her brother.

Geisha

The Japanese female beauty ideal exemplified by the traditional Geisha look can be seen in many modern adaptations today. The ideal relates to both a physical look and qualities of personality. The look which is strived for is that of clear small features, smooth and even light skin and dark shiny healthy hair. In the geisha, this is seen in an extremely exaggerated sense, with a thick layer of white makeup leading to an unnatural painted look with striking red lips and dark eyes among the white oval face. The hair is set in elaborate designs above the head, and the outfits are expensive and delicate. The focus on style, exclusivity and detail in Japanese fashion is still evident, with women valuing visible expense in their looks and with brand names holding great cache. The idealized physical features are still that of light skin and long healthy hair, and small features in an oval face.
Smoothness and evenness of skin is emphasized in Japanese beauty and traditional formulas such as nightingale droppings for shiny skin, as well as mud, seaweed and rice bran were used. In the present day, beauticians and day spas are skill popular and a wide array of beauty care products are sold, with natural and traditional ingredients being valued. As well as being physically immaculate the geisha is also supposed to be an entertainer, whose talents range from the musical to various games, and to be a great conversationalist. To this day the coquettish submissive entertainer woman is a recognizable social role, and a similar industry of beautiful young women whose conversation is the only entertainment sold is visible in the hostessing industry.