Fashion promotes many things, such as dressing nicely, being unique, standing out from the crowd etc.… but one thing it doesn’t promote is not conforming to a tiny dress size and the idealistic image of beauty.
If you look at catwalks, campaigns and adverts; you will only see perfect looking females that have incredible figures, flawless skin and shiny hair. Girls will see all of this from a very young age and therefore believe that’s how they need to look and if they don’t achieve perfection, they won’t fit in. This is completely ludicrous because it’s not what the ‘real world’ is like.
Creative director and head designer of Moschino – Jeremy Scott, is a good example of promoting the ideal. Jeremy Scott is very well known on Instagram and he is a very regular poster too. His Instagram feed mainly consists of flawless blonde, high status celebrities such as Paris Hilton, wearing Moschino’s new Barbie Capsule Collection. How ironic. I would love to see him post a photo of a natural brunette female wearing a garment from his new collection, with less perfect skin etc. As much as I love Jeremy Scott, I don’t think he’s setting a very good example of how to look to younger girls, especially when he created and designed a Barbie themed collection, that young girls will fall in love with.
The majority of the Barbie Capsule Collection consists of skimped clothing – Mini skirts, cropped tops and skin tight clothing. This isn’t setting the best example to young women, because they will think that’s how you have to dress. I have nothing against the fashionistas that wear this range, because I love the entire collection and I would definitely wear the long sleeved pink sweater, if only I could afford it! But I just think that it’s sending out a subliminal message to young females, on how they should look and style themselves.
Susie Orbach’s book – Bodies (1991) was about how the media will drive women crazy and also to having eating disorders. I couldn’t agree with her more. The media and particularly the fashion media push young girls and women too far by making them believe they must conform to everything they promote. This needs to stop because women will drive themselves into frenzies on how they need to look; this will then have a strenuous impact on their self-confidence and could lead to depression and other mental health issues.
Fashion should celebrate normal women more. The natural beauties of the world, the brunettes, red heads, girls with blemishes, curvy, tall and short. Fashion isn’t just limited to flawless models and celebrities. Embrace your natural beauty and dress how you want!