GENDER, RACE, AGE, AND SIZE BIASES IN FASHION

MARKETING

ERIN MOREAU

GENDER

• DEFINITION: ATTITUDES, FEELINGS, AND BEHAVIORS THAT A GIVEN CULTURE

ASSOCIATES WITH A PERSON’S BIOLOGICAL SEX.

• FASHION GENERATES AND ALTERS IDENTITIES BASED ON THE GENDER-BASED

RELATIONS IN A SOCIETY. A MAN WEARING CLOTHES OF A WOMAN IS GENERALLY

RIDICULED AS A FEMININE AND VICE VERSA.

• IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BEFORE WWII THE SAYING “HE BRINGS HOME THE BACON

AND SHE COOKS IT”

• GENDERISM IS THE CULTURAL BELIEF THAT GENDER IS A BINARY, OR THAT THERE ARE,

OR SHOULD BE, ONLY TWO GENDERS- MAN AND WOMAN.

• ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES- GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER (GLBTS)

ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES• BJORN BORG ADVERTISEMENT:

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=WWOI4PNEMFI

Geena Rocero:Transgender Model

Ruby Rose:Lesbian Model

RACE

• HELEN WILLIAMS WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FASHION MODEL TO CROSS OVER INTO MAINSTREAM IN THE 1950S.

• SOME BELIEVE THAT THE INCREASE USE OF ETHNICALLY DIVERSE MODELS TODAY IS JUST A FASHION TREND.

• THE FASHION INDUSTRY GOT A WAKEUP CALL WHEN THEY RECEIVED COMPLAINTS THAT MANY SHOWS AND MAGAZINES ONLY FEATURED WHITE MODELS.

• IN NEW YORK’S FASHION WEEK OF 2013 6% OF THE MODELS WERE AFRICANAMERICAN AND ONLY 2% WERE LATINA.

• VOGUE MAGAZINE HAS 1,416 COVERS AND ONLY 14 HAVE FEATURED MINORITIES OF ANY KIND.

AGE

• MANY FASHION MAGAZINES IGNORE WOMEN OVER A CERTAIN AGE WHICH MAKES IT

DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH FASHION TRENDS.

• VOGUE CELEBRATES WOMEN OF ALL AGES FROM THEIR TEENS TO THEIR 90S EVERY

YEAR IN ITS AUGUST ISSUE. (ONCE A YEAR)

• MAGAZINES PORTRAY CHILD MODELS AS ADULTS AND TRY TO DEEM THEM AS THE

“NEXT” ADULT MODEL.

• YOU CAN GET WORK AS A MODEL IF YOU ARE OLDER- AS LONG AS YOU DON’T

LOOK IT, IF YOU ARE THIN, IF YOU ARE NOT TOO SEXY AND AS LONG AS YOU DON’T

EXPECT TO ADVERTISE CERTAIN PRODUCTS.

SIZE

• MODELS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN TO BE THIN- “TOO SKINNY” DEBATE WITHIN THE FASHION INDUSTRY.

• SIZE 12 AND ABOVE IS CONSIDERED “PLUS SIZE” AND MYLA DALBESIO IS A SIZE TEN AND THROWN INTO THAT CATEGORY.

• PLUS SIZE MODELS ORIGINATED BY THE EARLY 1920S WHEN LANE BRYANT STARTED SELLING CLOTHING UNDER A CATEGORY “FOR THE STOUT WOMEN”.

• IN THE 1950S PHOTOGRAPHS WERE INTEGRATED INTO THE CATALOGS AND LANE BRYANT USED LARGER MODELS TO SHOW THEIR PLUS SIZE CLOTHING.

• VOGUE HAS USED PLUS SIZE MODELS ON THE COVER OF THEIR MAGAZINES.

WORKS CITED

• A HISTORY OF RACISM IN FASHION - THE BLACK DANDY. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.COMPLEX.COM/STYLE/2012/09/A-HISTORY-OF-RACISM-IN-FASHION/THE-BLACK-DANDY

• ARE WOMEN THE NEW MEN? (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.VOGUE.COM/946896/LA-COURSE-THOR-WOMAN-FDNY-FEMALE-CALENDAR/

• DEFINITION OF TERMS: SEX, GENDER, GENDER IDENTITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.APA.ORG/PI/LGBT/RESOURCES/SEXUALITY-DEFINITIONS.PDF

• FASHION AND GENDER ROLES. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.ACADEMIA.EDU/5349062/FASHION_AND_GENDER_ROLES

• KARPF, A. (2014, FEBRUARY 22). OLDER MODEL: THE WOMEN IN THEIR 60'S 70S AND 80S WHO ARE SHAKING UP FASHION. RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM/FASHION/2014/FEB/22/OLDER-MODELS-IN-FASHION

• LEA-GREENWOOD, GAYNOR. FASHION MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS. SOMERSET, NJ, USA: JOHN WILEY & SONS, 2012. PROQUEST EBRARY. WEB. 7 NOVEMBER 2014.

• MUST READ STYLE TIPS FOR WOMEN OVER 50. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://FASHION.ABOUT.COM/CS/TIPSADVICE/A/FASHIONOVER50.HTM

WORKS CITED CONT.

• RATH, P. (2008). THE WHY OF THE BUY: CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND FASHION MARKETING. NEW YORK: FAIRCHILD BOOKS

• SEE THE GORGEOUS SIZE-10 MODEL SOME PEOPLE ARE CALLING PLUS-SIZE. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.WHOWHATWEAR.COM/CALVIN-KLEIN-SIZE-10-MODEL/

• THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S RACE PROBLEM: MODELS OF COLOR RARELY GET HIRED. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://THINKPROGRESS.ORG/ECONOMY/2013/08/09/2443841/THE-FASHION-INDUSTRYS-RACE-PROBLEM/

• TOO BLACK FOR AMERICA: 1950'S BEAUTY HELEN WILLIAMS - THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FASHION MODEL. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.AROGUNDADE.COM/HELEN-WILLIAMS-THE-FIRST-BLACK-FEMALE-FASHION-MODEL.HTML

• VALENTINO REWRITES THE RULEBOOK ON HAUTE CUISINE IN A NEW BOOK. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.VOGUE.COM/3621933/VALENTINO-AT-THE-EMPERORS-TABLE-BOOK/

• VOGUE BRINGS BACK CONTROVERSIAL CHILD MODEL THYLANE BLONDEAU TO MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE ALL OVER AGAIN. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.THEGLOSS.COM/2014/03/25/BEAUTY/THYLANE-BLONDEAU-PHOTOS-VOGUE-JALOUSE-CHILD-MODEL-CONTROVERSY/

• WEBSTER, G. (1970, JANUARY 1). RACE AND FASHION: STILL AN ISSUE? RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.CNN.COM/2011/10/07/LIVING/FASHION-INDUSTRY-RACE/