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.

Moslem view of beauty through concealment using a veil

One interpretation of beauty in Islamic thought is related to concealment as a concept in viewing life and femininity. The body is interpreted not as part of the true self but as one of many obstacles to viewing the real self. As such it is concealed so that the inner self can be found and can become the woman's only public identity. The natural physical appearence along with all efforts to manipulate it, shape it, or improve upon it are seen to be curtains concealing the inner self. Through this view, the hajib is an attempt to bypass all these other veils by drawing yet another veil over it.

This speech on "the Beauty of Concealment" explains this view in more detail.

Maya

When babies were born, the Maya shaped their heads by tying boards to achieve a forehead that sloped backward. This was done for a few days, and because the bones were soft at this point, their heads were shaped like this for life. People are depicted in this manner in artwork, the exagerrated sloped forehead showing this physical manipulation or an idealised version. In depictions they are also represented with a slighly receding chin, and almond-shaped eyes. A large nose, extending from above the eyes is evident. Slightly crossed eyes were also considered beautiful and an object would be dangled in front of babies in order to try to achieve this look. The Maya would decorate their teeth by filing them to a point, or sometimes even a T-shape, and put jades in the holes. They also extensively practiced body painting. Headdresses were worn on ceremonial occasions. The Maya drawings below illustrate their concept of beauty.



The long heads and flowing hair of the Mayan ideal are thought to be mimicking the corn god, youthful and strong.

Costume is also important, with elaborate regalia worn by nobles.