Fashion Buying and Merchandising
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1
BA (Hons) Fashion Business
UNIT: Fashion Buying and Merchandising
‘Why is fashioning the body considered more important for women than for men? Use examples of contemporary and historical body practices in your answer.’
Women did not have a role in the patriarchy society.
Women were valued in their relation to men; they did non have an independent value.
Therefore their appearance was more important for them. Only very recently things became more equal.
The clothes used to adorn the body reflect the role played by women and men in the society. In the nineteenth century, women were using restricting and uncomfortable clothes like corsets, which describe and defined their moral and social oppression. According to Entwistle, the corset was able to discipline the female body.
Today clothes are linked to gender too: we associate an evening dress and high heels with femininity and a suit and black tie with masculinity. (Entwistle, 2000).
We can argue that today fashioning the body is more important for women than for men. The increasing number of male skin care product, beauty treatments and surgery cannot be ignored.
According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, male cosmetic surgery grew despite the recession. It is though still far from women who account 90% of all cosmetic procedures in 2011, comparing to only 10% for men.(http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jan/30/plastic-surgery-statistics-uk)
Nowadays the metro sexual men are very popular and accepted in the society, but they are still a minority.
Plastic surgery was meant to allow women to feel confident with their own bodies through the modification of it, but we can argue that the ultimate goal is to appeal to men and gain approval.
From early age, we are surrounded by toys like Barbie. Before we are able to spell the world ‘marketing’ and understanding the meaning of ‘subliminal messages’, we
1
BA (Hons) Fashion Business
UNIT: Fashion Buying and Merchandising
‘Why is fashioning the body considered more important for women than for men? Use examples of contemporary and historical body practices in your answer.’
Women did not have a role in the patriarchy society.
Women were valued in their relation to men; they did non have an independent value.
Therefore their appearance was more important for them. Only very recently things became more equal.
The clothes used to adorn the body reflect the role played by women and men in the society. In the nineteenth century, women were using restricting and uncomfortable clothes like corsets, which describe and defined their moral and social oppression. According to Entwistle, the corset was able to discipline the female body.
Today clothes are linked to gender too: we associate an evening dress and high heels with femininity and a suit and black tie with masculinity. (Entwistle, 2000).
We can argue that today fashioning the body is more important for women than for men. The increasing number of male skin care product, beauty treatments and surgery cannot be ignored.
According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, male cosmetic surgery grew despite the recession. It is though still far from women who account 90% of all cosmetic procedures in 2011, comparing to only 10% for men.(http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jan/30/plastic-surgery-statistics-uk)
Nowadays the metro sexual men are very popular and accepted in the society, but they are still a minority.
Plastic surgery was meant to allow women to feel confident with their own bodies through the modification of it, but we can argue that the ultimate goal is to appeal to men and gain approval.
From early age, we are surrounded by toys like Barbie. Before we are able to spell the world ‘marketing’ and understanding the meaning of ‘subliminal messages’, we
Bibliography: Bolton, L. (1989) The History and Techniques of the Great Master. London: Tiger Books International. ‘UK plastic surgery statistics: breasts up, stomachs in’. The Guardian [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jan/30/plastic-surgery-statistics-uk (Accessed: 26 May 2012). Graham, C. (2011) ‘A VERY Posh beauty secret... £320 sheep placenta facials: Just when you thought you 'd heard it all along comes Victoria Beckham 's stem cell and gold flake serum’ Mail Online [Online] www.karenmillen.com (2012) Accessed: 4 February 2012 Images www.karenmillen.com (2012) Accessed: 3 March 2012 Online documents Mintel Research: UK August (2010). Available at www.nexis.co.uk (Accessed: 01 March 2012). Verdict Story of the Week: ‘Another strong performance from Supergroup’ (2011). [Online] Available at: