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The social relevance of fashion
The social relevance of fashion
Fashion and societal class
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Good Hair Days and its Positive Effects on Women Good hair day, noun phrase, meaning “a day when things go right; good day”. The dictionary definition, only describes the meaning of the phrase, but it cannot express the feeling of one who experiences this phrase. Hair over the years has always been important. From Afros to mullets, and grey hair to purple, hair has been a trend that has never ended, and never will. Though some may ask, why is hair so important? Why does society make these natural strands that grow out of a human’s head so much of a big deal? Well, Hair is much more than just random strands that grow out of one’s head. People have made tons of dollars from styling hair, selling hair, advertising hair, and even having taboo …show more content…
It was found that twenty three percent of women do not leave the house if they are having a bad hair day. (“The Psychology of Hair” Youbeauty). This seems quite extreme when thought about how many women actually stay home because of their hair. To feel attractive, a person must feel like they look good. A woman can put on a face full of makeup, but if their hair is a disaster, their makeup will be overlooked. To feel attractive does not mean that the person has to look good to everyone else, but if they do not feel as though they are beautiful, they will not feel attractive, even if everyone compliments them daily. An article from The Huffington Post explains how people feel better when they are in charge and confident. “Many men and women associate confidence with feeling in control, and hair is one way most of us can be in charge”. (“The Psychology behind a “Good Hair Day”, Vivian Diller, Ph.D.) Most women can easily change their hair to many different styles as they please. When they are in charge of what they can do with their hair, it is easier for women to feel more confident in their look if they chose it themselves. Self-esteem is how confident someone feels about themselves. Believing that women will not feel confident in themselves unless their hair is styled would not be a true statement. Hair can be cut and colored to frame a person’s face more suitably, …show more content…
Judging of a person’s appearance is everywhere. First impressions are important in any circumstances. Especially when it comes to professions. Most people notice a person’s eyes and smile first, but also their hair. Aesthetically, hair frames the face, making it easier to notice. Dr. Marianne LaFrance, a professor of Woman’s and Gender Studies at Yale University, and a contributor to Lamas Beauty magazine, compares hair to be a nice frame to a beautiful picture. (“First Impressions and Hair Impressions Study” Dr. Marianne LaFrance). This comparison supports the reason as to why it is considered an important feature. The frame should complement the beauty, same as hair should enhance the beauty of a person. There are different ways to manipulate hair to change the way someone looks. Hairstyles express the woman’s personality. Interviewing for a job is a good example as to why having styled hair is important. The interviewer is most likely the manager or boss of the company. When the interviewee arrives for an interview their appearance is observed by the interviewer. Professional and clean clothing are of course one of the aspects noticed. Hair is also a big aspect in the decision making of being hired for the position they applied for. Most jobs have requirements and restrictions on how the employee should look. Such as body jewelry and tattoos.
According to 10 Weird and Wacky Beauty Facts by Andrea Lavinthal, in ancient Greece, the most sought-after hair color was blond. Not many Greeks were naturally blond, so light hair was probably perceived as beautiful because it was so exotic. Women would lighten their hair using plant extracts or arsenic. They also washed their locks with a mixture of ashes, olive oil, and water. She also explained how “it was a shame that extension weren’t available during the Heian period when a Japanese woman’s beauty was judges by the length of her hair, since the ideal was considered almost two feet longer than her waist. We’re assuming that ponytails were a popular hairstyle back then.” There are many other crazy facts about beauty facts like Vaseline makes your eyelashes grow and can take off makeup, or if your finger nails are discolored from using dark polish, use a slice of lemon on them and they will regain their color (The beauty magazine, Roselyn Miller, pg. 67). Going into the field of Cosmetology helps you express yourself and it brings out your inner creativity. That is one of the many reason I love this line of work, because when I do hair it lets me express myself while creating a hairstyle of my own. The first time I started doing hair was when I was about 10 or 11, I was a natural! I want to be able to know my clients and exactly what will look right on my clients and read people, so I would know what they do like just by talking to them. I need to learn to separate family from business. I do know some things about this field I before this assignment that cosmetology is not just about doing hair, it’s also about learning about the Skin; Doing make up, eye lashes, etc. You also learn about nails; doing a...
inundated with this idea of what “good hair” is, to the point that it seemed natural to force that same ideal upon me.
“Beauty might bring happiness, but happiness always brings beauty” (the daily quotes) If you have ever been unhappy about your appearances remember, it is a very familiar problem every human faces. Cosmetology was created to help those that are in need of their desired look. To express every moment was second of who they are or will become to be. Even though, we have abundant stylist today throughout the country. This career may not be the most satisfying, fun, or even a high-ranking in income, but the satisfaction of each smile is more than enough. However, challenging cosmetology is one of the most creative of all art.
Revolutionary fashions made it acceptable to show more skin, develop different styles, and be able for women to express themselves. Women began to liberate themselves from the traditional long hairstyles and turn to the new and shorter masculine hairdos. “The bob appeared in the US shortly. Women with bobs needed more frequent haircuts, and wanted permanent waves” (Monet). Women began to cut their hair shorter, cringing their hair, and finger waving it.
A survey certified that average women spend about $13,000 on makeup in her life time. Not only that, but also spend 300 hours applying it. Beauty tends to increase the self esteem of women, they think more positive of themselves. Along with that like anything else cosmetology has revolutionized throughout the years. Cosmetology has played an important role in lives of women, it does not only represent beauty, but also self confidence.
The kids I went to school with, the boys I had romantic relationships with, and even my family members, all made negative comments about my body hair. As a young kid, I believed my body hair was a personal problem. Experimenting with different hair removal procedures, some even painful. I wasted hours removing the hair on my body, in attempts to feel better about myself. My low self esteem became linked with the hair on my body. I believed I had too much body hair for a girl but according to Mills (1959) and the social imagination, I had too much body hair for society. My peers, as well as my family, had been socialized to believe that women’s body hair was gross, and unfeminine. Women had been taught to remove their body hair for decades now in the western world, and it was showcased or the lack there of hair was showcased in all forms of media. As a young girl, my mom bought me my first razor and paid for the electrolysis for the hair on my arm. It was in these actions, where the idea that it was my own problem started to form because it felt like I needed treatment for this problem of mine. I was perceiving a deep seated public issue as my own personal trouble. I can’t blame my mother or my peers because by the time my peers and even my parents were born, the western world had already determined that women should not have body hair. Christina Hope (1982) explains that in 1914 in America magazine’s had just begun
These unrealistic beauty standards should be changed and not thought of as the social norm. Consumer culture affects these practices because many people follow the trends in society. The media also plays a huge role by advertising what that companies need to portray as popular and trendy in society at a certain time. Globalization, colonialism, and imperialism all contribute to these disciplinary body practices all over the world. They display differences and similarities of beauty within different cultures. The expected beauty routines like shaving, applying makeup, and curling hair should feel like a choice to a female, and not a necessity to be considered
...al, political and economic strides African Americans have made in society, are African American women still psychologically enslaved to their hair? The purpose of this study is to examine current perceptions of hair and its importance to racial identity and self concept among African American female college students. More specifically, this investigation addresses the following research question: Are perceptions of African American hair related to perceived attractiveness, self-concept, racial identity, and overall happiness? It is hypothesized that: 1) African American women are more likely to perceive mainstream hair texture, such as straight, permed hair, as more attractive than natural/ kinky hair; 2) An interactive effect is expected between skin-tone and hair texture on the dependent variables attractiveness, racial identity, self concept, and happiness.
There have been musicals, documentaries, researches, panel discussions and even talk shows about hair, hair qualities and hairstyles, even Oprah Gail Winfrey chose hair for the magazine's September 2013 theme. According to Adlman (2013), Oprah Winfrey in a video interview said,
As years rolled by, cosmetology and the business of looking good began to pick up a huge amount of customers. Getting hair curled, ironed, or wavy is very popular now. A lot of women today, all over the world, want to look like their favorite star. It was that need and craze to look good, which made cosmetology successful as it is today. Shekinah Jo Anderson is a professional hair stylist with just a few years of professional experience.
Almost 250 years of slavery and anti-blackness within the United States has created a divide in what type of hair is acceptable. According to Cynthia L. Robinson, “Black hair texture is graded” (Robinson 2011). Precisely, this means that a Black woman has either good hair or bad hair. Good hair has a resemblance of European hair texture, meaning straight and wavy curls. Good hair also diminishes the look of African ancestry. Bad is the complete opposite. The texture is kinky, coiled, and thick, giving the appearance of short hair (Robinson 2011). Hair that bears a resemblance to Eurocentric beauty standards is more beautiful and makes the individual with that hair type more beautiful as well (Robinson
One of women’s constant struggles is upkeep with culture and society’s ever-changing definition of beauty. Although both genders have hair on their bodies, the views and acceptability of the amount or the location of body hair vary immensely. In fact, women are often thought to be hairless and men to be hairier (DeMello, 2014). Women must then put in effort to uphold a standard, in which the idea that being feminine is natural and effortless (Toerien and Wilkinson, 2003). That being the case, I will argue that the hairless female body has been transformed over time to represent beauty and youth. More importantly, I will argue that it has now become normative in Western society and deemed unacceptable if women do not conform to the hairless
For years women have been waxing, plucking and beautifying themselves for one reason and one reason only; because they think that is beauty. A woman is only classified as a lady if she can walk, talk and dress the part. The way that society has viewed femininity has changed immensely over the past hundred years, but acting like a tomboy or, heaven forbid, being strong and independent is looked down upon in the eyes of men and other women. Certain standards of ladylike demeanor have become outdated in today’s society, and women should be looked at as beautiful when strong and independent. But what defines a woman to be ladylike, and can it be defined as a single type? I believe that standards of beauty have changed, and standing out is what will get you ahead in society today. Stereotypes of the ideal female must be brought down to work on achieving inner beauty and internal happiness.
Hair is not just a part of you, hair is also a way for people to judge you. When Ifemelu cut her hair, people asked her if it “meant anything, like something political” (p211), or if she became “a lesbian” (p211). The way of wearing one’s hair has influence on people, good or bad. In Americanah, wearing an Afro may probably not make it easier to get a job. In a conference, Adichie said: “If Michelle Obama had natural hair, Obama would not have won [the presidency of the United States]”. Indeed, the image people would have had of Michelle Obama and thus of Barack Obama could have been different, as if something might have been “wrong” with
Our physical appearance counts all the time. It reflects who we are, how we carry ourselves, and how we represent the company we work for. All employers look for someone with a favorable appearance that sets a person to be competent, professional, and confident that will make an impact to their company. Either way we are judged by how we physically appear. Good appearance makes a person stand out among others especially when applying for a job. Besides having all the skills needed for the job, professional appearance helps a person to be noticed and recognized by employers. Physical appearance is also a factor of how a person feels about himself. Good appearance boosts self-confidence. It attracts positive energy which helps a person express oneself and makes others pay more attention to you.