However, another studies show that showing more plus size models actually helps in reducing women's obsession with thin bodies.

Study provides new evidence that more plus size models could change women’s obsession with thin bodies

This is a research study done by the Durham University researcher who studied over 100 women, provide evidence to back calls for models in adverts to be more representative of the actual population.  This move could ultimately help girls and women to develop a healthier attitude to eating, the researchers say.

- British women’s obsession for thin bodies could potentially be changed if advertising showed more plus size models, suggests a new preliminary study.

In the preliminary study, women who habitually strongly preferred thin body shapes were significantly less keen on thin bodies after they had been shown pictures of plus size catalogue models.  Conversely, showing slim models increased women’s preference for thin bodies. 

The effects could be found whether the women were shown catalogue models or ordinary women of either size.

The findings provide research data for policy-makers and support for on-going calls from Government and health charities to ‘normalise’ female models in the media. 

Lead author Dr Lynda Boothroyd, from Durham University’s Department of Psychology, said:

 “This really gives us some food for thought about the power of exposure to super-slim bodies. There is evidence that being constantly surrounded through the media by celebrities and models who are very thin contributes to girls and women having an unhealthy attitude to their bodies.

“Although we don’t yet know whether brief exposure to pictures of larger women will change women’s attitudes in the long term, our findings certainly indicate that showing more ‘normal’ models could potentially reduce women’s obsession for thinness.” 

Susan Ringwood, Chief Executive from the leading UK eating disorders charity, Beat, commented: 

“This study points towards an important aspect of our modern lives.  We see an average of 2,000 images a day in advertising alone, and most of these include bodies that are more slender than average.  Increasing the diversity of body shapes and sizes portrayed in the media could rebalance our views about our own bodies in an emotionally healthy way.”

Dr Boothroyd added: 

“Thinner bodies are definitely in vogue and within western media, thinness is overwhelmingly idolised and being overweight is often stigmatised.  Although the media doesn’t directly cause eating disorders, research suggests it is a very powerful factor in creating body dissatisfaction.

“Furthermore, it seems that even so-called ‘cautionary’ images against anorexia might still increase our liking for thinner bodies, such as those featuring the late French model Isabelle Caro, who gained worldwide publicity for posing nude for an anti-anorexia campaign while suffering from the illness.  These campaigns may not have the desired effect which is a sobering thought.”

The images used in the study were of thin and plus size models from high street catalogues and beauty contests, and of ordinary women photographed in plain grey leotards.  The thin models shown were a standard size for catalogue models and the women in leotards had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 11 and 14.  The plus size models were a minimum of clothes size 16 and the women in leotards had a BMI of between 36 and 42¹.

The study also looked at the influence of positive and negative associations with weight.  When women were shown the ‘aspirational’ images of larger models, paired with the plain images of underweight women, their preferences also shifted away from thinness.  This supports the idea that, in the West, our associations between thinness and good health and high status may play a part in strong preferences for thin bodies. 

This is in contrast to some developing countries where being overweight is generally perceived as an indicator of health, wealth and femininity, and many people tend to prefer women who carry more fat.

¹ The World Health Organisation regards a BMI of less than 18.5 as underweight, while a BMI greater than 25 is considered overweight.

Rachel Cowey Rachel Cowey is 25 years old and from South Shields.  She is the co-creator of Team Recovery Ninja, an online resource aimed at supporting people through recovery from eating disorders, and is also a volunteer for Beat.  Rachel developed anorexia when she was 16 years old and now considers herself 90 per cent recovered. Rachel said: “There were lots of factors which led to me developing my eating disorder such as school pressures and expectations, bullying, family issues, not feeling good enough and the need to be ‘perfect’. “Just like there were many factors which led to the eating disorder, there have also been a number of elements which have helped me recover.  I am determined and stubborn in nature and I have used those character traits in my focus to recover.  I have also put myself out in the real world; at university, working for charities, travelling and ultimately accepted myself for who I am.  “I was discharged from hospital treatment three years ago although I consider myself to be 90 per cent recovered.  Recovery is an ongoing process. “In order for me to have got to where I am now, I have had to take very small steps and overcome huge challenges.  The media’s portrayal of women has not helped in that. “There is an immense pressure to be seen to have it all and be perfect at everything.  Within the media, being thin and attractive is linked to being successful.  “The doctors told me it was impossible to survive at the weight I was, yet the media constantly showed skinny celebrities who were apparently absolutely fine.  That was hugely unhelpful for my mindset and recovery. “I think this research is incredibly important as anything that can help us understand eating disorders is valuable.  It also helps to highlight the media’s impact on people, and that what they print can sometimes have devastating consequences. “As well as the media’s constant focus on weight loss and looking thin and ‘perfect’, the often sensationalist portrayal of eating disorders also makes it more difficult to speak out.  The publication of people’s lowest weights and their pictures when ill causes damage, hurt and stigma.  It gives the perception that eating disorders are only about weight and appearance which is not the case.”

Source: 

Study provides new evidence that more plus size models could change women’s obsession with thin bodies (2012). Retrieved on 16 December 2012 from 

http://www.dur.ac.uk/news/newsitem/?itemno=15821

Personal opinion: In this article, the information indicates that by showing more image of plus size model is able to assist in reducing people's obsession of wanting to be thin. I truly agreed that media has been bombarding with images of thin models walking on the runway. We've seen many thin models being on the magazine cover, runway, print advertisment. Indeed, this has reflected that only the thin models have the opportunity to be in that position that in other words being successful, well known. Is it so?

Does celebrities contributing in promoting the idea of being plus size?

Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine: Stop fat-shaming Christina Aguilera

Through some reading on newspaper, watching news on TV, i just realised that there are actually quite a few celebrities who are quite plus size, some of them originally are but some used to be skinny.

Celebrity singer like Christina Aguilera, the small-boned, 5-foot-2 has gained so much more weight in 2010 after splitting from musiz executive husband Jordan Bratman.

Regardless of some nasty, fat-shaming comments about her body, Christina has insisted that sex appeal is about self-confidence rather than being a certain size.

"I happen to be very confident in my own skin," she said. "It takes time to get to that place, but it's all about embracing yourself and your body.

“The challenge I’ve always had is being too thin, so I love that now I have a booty, and obviously I love showing my cleavage. If you can work it and you can own it, that confidence is going to shine through [regardless of your size].

Source:

Chang, S. (2012) Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine: Stop fat-shaming Christina Aguilera. Retrieved on 14 December 2012 from http://www.examiner.com/article/maroon-5-singer-adam-levine-stop-picking-on-christina-aguilera-s-weight-gain?CID=obinsite

Lady Gaga is fat (Photos)

Another celebrity singer would be the famous pop singer, Lady Gaga, whom recently have been putting on weight as well. 

“I love eating pasta and pizza. I'm a New York Italian girl. That's why I have been staying out of New York. My father opened a restaurant. It's so amazing . . . it's so freaking delicious, but I'm telling you I gain five pounds every time I go in there. So my dad wants me to eat at the restaurant, and I'm, like, I've got to go where I can drink green juice."

Although she states she doesn’t care, she has been careful to cover herself up when going outside in public and adds she is now dieting. Seems like she cares.

“You know, I really don't feel bad about it, not even for a second. I have to be on such a strict diet constantly. It's hard because it's a quite vigorous show, so I tend to bulk up, get muscular, and I really don't like that. So I'm trying to find a new balance."

Source: 

Chelsea-Seifert, R. (2012) Lady Gaga is fat (Photos). Retrieved from 14 December 2012 from  http://www.examiner.com/article/lady-gaga-is-fat

Kim Kardashian: I've always accepted my curvy body (Photos)


Kim Kardashian is another example of plus size celebrities.

"I've always accepted my body," Kardashian says in the November 2011 issue of InStyleSouth Africa. "If you don't have fun and go with it, you'd be miserable, always trying to change into something you're not."

Kim is 5'2'' whose weight is fluctuating in between 109 and 129 pounds. She admitted that she was not always happy with her oversized butt and ample breast.

She used to be teased by her sister, Kourtney for having big and ugly breast. 

'Your boobs are so big and ugly!' She was so mean and then I would have to wear a bra and she would say, 'Who wears a bra? That's so disgusting.' It was so embarrassing."

She was also being called a "fat donkey" by former Miss USA Shanna Moakler even her former BFF Paris Hilton's snarky comments that Kim's butt was "disgusting," and looked like "cottage cheese stuffed in a garbage bag."

However, Kim's uniquely voluptuous looks have spawned a multi-million-dollar empire that includes four hit reality tv shows, exercise DVDs, diet pills, fashion boutiques in New York, Miami and Los Angeles, a clothing line, jewelry and handbag collections, fragrances and her own makeup line.

Source: 

Chang,S (2011) Kardashian: I've always accepted my curvy body (Photos). Retrieved on 14 December 2012 from http://www.examiner.com/article/kim-kardashian-i-ve-always-accepted-my-curvy-body

Personal opinion: Indeed, with the famous fashion icon or pop star portraying voluptuous body and even giving positive review about their own body. I believe this has somehow indirectly giving a confident boost for the plus size people. However, in a long run it might encourage them to be fat and forgetting the fact that it might threaten their body health.

Study says using plus-size fashion models could make women fat

a new study insists that promoting images of heavy models is actually worse for women's health in the long run.

The research predict that using overweight models may result in encouraging women to become fat by influencing them to think that it is normal and healthy to be overweight.

Dr. Davide Dragone and Dr. Luca Savorelli of the University of Bolognia in Italy mention this in their paper Thinness and Obesity: A Model of Food Consumption, Health Concerns, and Social Pressure, 

"To promote chubby fashion models when obesity is one of the major problems of industrialized countries seems to be a paradox.

Everyone has to trade off in life a number of things like the pleasure of eating and going to the gym as a cost, so if you just fix the average healthy weight, then maybe you will throw up some incentives to be thin."

The research claims that countries where the fashion industry is more accepting of plus-size models (like the U.S.) have heavier populations.

..the fashion industry is a powerful trend-setter that influences society's behavior and standards of beauty, so the increased use of heavy models may desensitize people to the reality that being overweight is bad for one's health.

The researchers specifically took issue with a 2006 agreement between the fashion industry and Italy, Spain and Germany to require a higher minimum size for models and to increase the production of larger sizes for fashion labels.

"When reading the content of the agreements, it is clear that both the government and the fashion industry agree that fashion is a powerful trend-setter. It not only influences what clothes, styles and colors are trendy, but also determines how a person should appear to be desirable.

If being overweight is the average condition and the ideal body weight is thin, increasing the ideal body weight may increase welfare by reducing social pressure. By contrast, health is on average reduced, since people depart even further from their healthy weight.

Given that in the US and in Europe people are on average overweight, we conclude that these policies, even when are welfare-improving, may foster the obesity epidemic."

Basically, the researchers claim that promoting a healthy-weight ideal benefits society as a whole because seeing skinny models may influence people to watch their weight, and this will result in lower overall healthcare costs.

In 2008, the medical costs of treating obesity-related diseases in the United States totaled some $147 billion.

Source:

Chang, S. (2011) Study says using plus-size fashion models could make women fat. Retrieved on 14 December 2012 from http://www.examiner.com/article/study-says-using-plus-size-fashion-models-could-make-women-fat

Personal opinion: This article can be a support statement for the bad impact of using plus size models. This is based on the fact that, in this articles it mentioned that fashion is a powerful trend-setter. It not only influences what clothes, styles and colors are trendy but also determined how a person should appear to be desirable. Therefore,  by publishing many images of plus size models will indirectly leading the people especially women to be fat or continue to be fat because it is a common thing.

Plus-Size Model Excited to Inspire Fashion's Next Generation



Aussie Robyn Lawley is one of the successful plus size models in the current fashion world. In this article, Lawley mentioned that she actually struggled with confidence issue due to her body size. She experienced pressure in losing weight. 

Signing to a model agency, Lawley hopes to be a source of inspiration for others. She hopes to inspire women in her size that they are able to look amazing even in lingerie and it gives them hope.

She is excited to have her body representing the “real woman,” too.

She also mentioned that she hopes that the companies will start to realize that who really is their customer and she hopes she is able to break down those barriers. In other words, the customers are not just the small size but it should also include the plus size people.



Source:  

Hogan, K. (2012) Plus-Size Model Excited to Inspire Fashion's Next Generation. Retrieved on 4 December 2012 from http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2012/08/20/model-robyn-lawley-plus-size-fashion/

Personal opinion:

Plus size model is getting more and more happening in the current fashion industry. This has showed that sizes are no longer a hindrance for plus size people in becoming a model. In the article, it also triggered me to question how should we actually define the real women? Is fashion world clinging back to promote the natural beauty? In a sense that, fashion world is no longer about skinny model? It is about looking amazing in your natural body size?

Ads that use sex to sell their products.

Advertisement that use sex to boost the sale of their products.


American Apparel Ad fleeflex

Almost all the ads that are produced by American Apparel are related to sex.

The advertisements use young girl as their model, targeting the young people to purchase their products.

American Apparel uses young girls as their models of choice, not the supermodels type of models but the neighbourhood-looking of girls. I personally think that this implying that american apparel is suggesting that everyone, every girls in the society can wear like them be, like them because the models are just like them, it makes them feel connected. Young teenage girls will have the tendency drowning towards this because at that time they are in the rebellious period and they are curious to try out the things they never tried before.

In my opinion, the advertisements are using the young girls to expose their body, posing erotic pose and  in directly provoking the audience of having the sex idea. Some of the advertisements are also encouraging homosexual relationship. For me, the advertisements are definitely overly sexy, they are like using sex to grab the attention from the audience but not promoting and selling their products. They are using sex as their selling point.

I would find it very disturbing because all the models, they are just like us, normal people but they are doing some sexually-inviting pose, instilling the temptation of having sex to the audience. I find it strange because why must the models expose their body? Does that really help in selling their product? Well, okay. Maybe. But showing these ads to the public is like arousing the audience to have sex.

However, even though there are a lot of complaints being made about american apparel being too loud in selling sex instead of their products, i wonder why that the ads still go on with this theme.

http://www.businessinsider.com/these-gratuitous-american-apparel-ads-were-just-banned-in-the-uk-2012-4?op=1

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/apr/04/american-apparel-ads-banned-advertising-watchdog

"September 7, 1968: Women's Liberation Protests Miss America.

(WOMENSENEWS)--On the boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., bathing beauties had been cavorting and competing for a title, a tiara and some cash since 1921.

In 1968, young members of a group called New York Radical Women focused on the enormously popular Miss America contest, with its runway parade mimicking the judging of animals at a county fair, forced competition for male approval and ludicrous beauty standards as a symbol of American women's oppression.

After alerting the media, over 100 women went to Atlantic City on Sept. 7, planning an afternoon of sloganeering--"women are not meat," for one--and street theater on the boardwalk. Into a large "Freedom Trash Can" they flung "instruments of female torture," including make-up, high heels, Good Housekeeping magazine, girdles, garter belts and bras. A jeering crowd of several hundred surrounded the protesters, along with newspaper and television cameras. Later, while the "show" went on in the convention hall, a few demonstrators dropped a banner over the balcony railing. It was the nation's first look at the words: "Women's Liberation."

Bra Burners

The bras stuck in the public imagination. Although the plan had been to set fire to the objects in the trash can, authorities withheld a permit to do so. Nonetheless, "bra burners" became the derisive shorthand for women's liberation, partly because reporters had been told everything would burn and partly because, escalating protests against the Vietnam War featured draft card burning. The phrase seemed to some a gender equivalent.

The demonstration and its coverage inspired some women in simple ways--no more leg shaving, for example. Others responded to the larger political message and went in search of a women's liberation group.

For several decades, in many parts of the country, beauty contests continued to be the targets of feminist protestors. Actions against Miss California pageants, for example, came to include thousands of people and theatrical touches such as a protestor's dress made of bologna skins.

While Miss America was losing her home grown commercial appeal--the show was dropped from national television because of failing viewer interest--international beauty pageants thrived, along with those for children like Jon Benet Ramsey and a spate of make-over and plastic surgery shows hit the airways. By the time Atlantic City asked Miss America to leave town, as they did this year, she seemed less like a piece of meat than a lady with a demure tea-cup left over from a bygone era.

Reference: Bernikow, L. (2005) September 1968: Women protest Miss America. Retrieve on 1 August 2012 from http://womensenews.org/story/our-story/050901/september-1968-women-protest-miss-america

This is a news on women protest against the beauty of miss america that women are being seen as a display. I believe that they wanted to voice up that women are not supposed to be judged like this. Throwing all the artificial representation of beauty to show their anger towards this. 

Based on my research, women started to protest, dare to stand for their rights, it somehow collide with the Hippie's idea which appeared in the end of 1960's where people started to go against modern materialism, yearning for individual freedom (Monet, D., n.d.). And of course during the 1960s, women association started to bloom.

"The National Organization for Women (NOW) is founded with the stand purpose of bringing "women into full participation in the mainstream ofAmerican society."

Reference: The Sixties: Moments in time (2005) Retrieve on 4 August 2012 from http://www.pbs.org/opb/thesixties/timeline/timeline_text.html

"..According to W. A. Ewing, for example, 'what put the body squarely in the centre of debate is not fashion but urgency.'"

Reference: Cavallaro, D. (2001) The Body. London: The Athlone Press.

I truly agreed this statement. What causes the body to constantly be a centre issues to talk about/debate is not fashion but such urgency or desire from the human about their body. It is because of human desire, their urge to do something to their body, to be skinny, introducing different kinds of diet product and that continuously keeping this a hot topic. In my opinion, fashion is a culture that it is being reflected in many forms, be it in outfit, make up, hairstyle, accessories, etc. It does not put the body into  a debatable issue, it is human urgency in their heart wanting to reshape their body and that urge lead to many impossible things to happen

The 1960s in context

The 1960s were a decade of political and social upheaval in Australia. Young people challenged the traditional values of their parent's generation and actively opposed the decisions of the government. Women demanded equal rights and others called for racial equality and a new consideration for the environment. Many more demonstrated against the Vietnam War, conscription and the nuclear industry.

Many of these protests were part of wider social movements taking place in other Western countries. Advances in communications technology meant that revolutionary ideas and voices of dissent could rapidly be transmitted and received around the world.

See Image 1

Australia's population increased throughout the decade, as European and British migrants continued to arrive. The late 1960s also saw changes to the White Australia Policy, which permitted a small number of skilled Asian migrants to settle in Australia.

Women's rights and the Pill in the 1960s

In the late 1960s, many Australian women began to question the restrictive roles that society had assigned to them. Many women felt that there was more to life than raising children and taking care of the home. Others were dissatisfied at being confined to traditionally 'female' occupations like teaching, administration and secretarial work.

Women marched, protested and pressured governments in a bid to gain equal rights in all spheres of life including the workplace, education, politics and sport.

The contraceptive, or birth control pill was introduced in Australia in the 1960s. It had a significant impact on society, granting women greater sexual freedom and allowing them to control when and if they had children. The Pill also sparked much moral debate during the 1960s about pre-marital sex and promiscuity.

Indigenous rights in the 1960s

In a 1967 referendum, Australians voted overwhelmingly to recognise Indigenous peoples as citizens and allow them to be counted as part of the Australian population. This result followed a long campaign by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, who demanded better rights for Indigenous people and highlighted the poor conditions in which many lived.

The 60s hippie revolution

Throughout the 1960s, many young people became disillusioned by what they perceived to be the shallowness and materialism of contemporary society. Towards the end of the decade, many adopted an alternative 'hippie' lifestyle. Among other elements, the hippie movement included a rebellious style of dress, a reverence for nature, Eastern spiritual philosophy and experimentation with drugs like marijuana and LSD.

These radical changes in society were reflected in the new fashions, hairstyles and styles of music that emerged throughout the decade. While rock 'n' roll retained its popularity, the rise of hippie culture permeated mainstream fashion and music.

The Vietnam War

War broke out between communist North Vietnam and democratic South Vietnam in 1959. America and her allies, including Australia, sent thousands of troops to Vietnam in an effort to stop the spread of Communism. In total, around 50 000 Australians served in the conflict between 1965 and 1972. Many of them were conscripted, which means their military service was compulsory.

Australians became divided over the issue of conscription and whether or not Australia should be involved in the war. Towards the end of the decade, thousands of people demonstrated against the government and some protests became violent.

Politics in the 1960s

Robert Menzies served as Australia's Prime Minister throughout the 1960s, until his retirement in January 1966. He was replaced by Harold Holt, who faced the challenge of defending Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War.

On 17 December 1967, Holt went swimming at Cheviot Beach in Victoria. He was never seen again and two days later was officially presumed dead. His remains have never been found.

After Holt's disappearance, John Gorton was elected as the new Prime Minister. In 1968, in the face of mounting opposition to the war, Gorton announced that no more Australian troops would be sent to Vietnam.

Reference: 1960s Decade in context (2012) Retrieved on 20 July 2012 from http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-c_s-14_u-189_t-507_c-1876/1960s---decade-in-context/nsw/history/australia's-social-and-cultural-history-in-the-post-war-period/social-and-cultural-features-of-the-1960s

Information on the social and political incidents happened in Australia. 

Totally Mod: Fashion, Make up, and Culture of the 60s

- “mod” comes from modernist, a term used in the 1950s to describe modern jazz. 

- Evolved into a fashion obsessed young people and a cult of the super cool in the 1960’s.

- The culture started in London and worked its way around to America.

Mod Fashion

- Ground-breaking mod fashions were brash, creative, and daring. Sixties fashion was owned by London, England.

- Set the scene and the rest of the world followed.

- Fashion revolution was all about the young crowd and started in the streets rather than the runway. Carnaby Street and Kings Road in London were the most popular places in England to shop, with Paraphernalia opening in 1965 in New York being the most famous in America. 

- Pastels from 1950's fashions, gave way to bright, bold color often in geometric designs.

- Mod clothes leaned toward ultra-short and sleeveless. 

- Popular styles were miniskirts, jumpers, shift dresses, patent rain trenches, patent leather go-go boots, and tights. 

- A popular outfit was coordinating a ribbed knit turtleneck with a miniskirt with matching tights with knee boots.

Mod Movies

- The Austin Powers movies show in great detail the mod movement in England, and pokes fun at some of the fashions and attitudes of the era. 

- James Bond movies of the '60's starring Sean Connery, with the Italian vistas, beautiful girls in mini skirts, and scooters. James Bond shows the cutting edge of the mod movement in the 60’s.

Mod movies showed what was hip and happening in London. Many times, these movies featured pop acts like The Beatles and the Dave Clark Five, and prominently displayed the fashions of the time.

Some other movies that personify mod style and culture:

• A Hard Day's Night (1964)
• Blowup (1966)
• Catch Us If You Can (1966)
• Ferry Cross the Mersey (1965)
• To Sir With Love (1967)
• Smashing Time (1967)
• The Touchables (1968)
• Wonderwall (1968)

Mod Hair

- Twiggy and Vidal Sassoon having a profound influence on short hair styles. 

- The most popular hairstyle of the mod era was the bob. Cut short and blunt and stick straight, this haircut was the epitome of '60's mod style. Thick bangs were also a crucial part of this haircut.

- Another popular haircut of the mod era was the "five point" Vidal Sassoon haircut, popularized by model Peggy Moffitt. This look was very similar to the bob - a short, angular five pointed pixie cut.

- The hairstyle in vogue for men at the time was similar to that of mod women. Men sported a shaggy crop of hair or a short cut with a burned in part, much like that of The Beatles.

• Five Point Haircut: as modeled by the fabulous Peggy Moffitt.
• Short Mod Hair: the ultra-short style worn by Twiggy

Mod Makeup

-  Lips were left bare, covered over with foundation, or even painted with white lipstick, so that all the focus could be put on the eyes. 

- Mascara was vital. Each application was so thick that the lashes clumped together looking like false eyelashes, which were also in style. 

- Eye makeup was harsh and heavy. Dark eyeliner was applied all the way around the eye, and eye shadow was applied to the entire eye lid. 

- Big, dramatic eyes were the ultimate fashion day or night. Unlike the natural hippie look of the same era, mod makeup was all about drama.


Mod Accessories

- Large plastic bracelets, huge round plastic earrings, and Lucite rings with polka dots were just a few accessories in Mod fashion. 

- Big or small boxy handbags in bright colors, or geometric designs. Most earrings were so big they had to be clipped on the ear instead of having posts for pierced ears. 

- Pale painted nails to match makeup or jewelry were very popular.


Mod Models

Mod models of the 1960's set the stage for the mod fashion movement, and their fashions were emulated by young women around the world.

• The first teenage supermodel was Twiggy, made famous with her small body, short hair, and classic mod eyes. Her thick, dense lashes had girls of all ages heading to the drugstore for a set of false lashes.
• Peggy Moffitt was an actress turned model and was known for her Japanese inspired looks and for her signature Vidal Sassoon haircut. 
• Edie Sedgwick was an American actress, model and heiress. Andy Warhol, the famous artist, considered her his muse.
• Veruschka was a famous German model known for her six foot frame and size 13 feet. It was said she could seduce a person with her limbs alone. 
• Wilhelmina Cooper was one of the most recognizable models of the 60’s, known for her swan-like neck and big brown eyes. She later opened her own modeling agency.

References: Totally Mod: Fashion, Make up, and Culture of the 60s (n.d.) Retrieve on  

20 July 2012 from http://www.fragrancex.com/Fragrance-Information/fashion-make-up-and-culture-of-the-60s.html

Mod fashion is definitely a very influential style not only in movies, make up even in hairdo, accessories. It was all centered around the young people.

After several attempts of researching the evolution of bohemian fashion during the 1960s, i realised that Bohemian fashion in the 1960s did not last very long. It only appeared around  1968 to early 1970s due to the Hippie's movement which was quite a short period of time. Therefore, i decided to shift my focus onto the 1960s modern fashion instead.

"By 1968, hippie-influenced fashions were beginning to take off in the mainstream, especially for youths and younger adults of the populous "Baby Boomer" generation.."

Reference: Hippie (2012) Retrieve on 1 August 2012 from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippie


Mod Fashion

- Fashion icon Twiggy+Jean Shimpton/ Mary Quant

* Wide eyes curtained by big fake false lashes (top +bottom)
* Bright block colors
* Graphic prints and colorful abstract geometric patterns
* Short, boyish hairstyle
* Masculine flat shoes like penny loafens
* Far fall, swing coats and capes.

Reference:
Braukamper, T (2011) 1960s Fashion: The return of the swinging 60s. Retrieve on 16 July 2012 from http://www.fashionising.com/trends/b--1960s-fashion-7918.html#author

This is basically the characteristics of Mod fashion in the 1960s. Since, the fashion that i want to do is about the Mod fashion of the 1960s, therefore this information can be used to reflect the attitudes of Mod fashion.

Body Image timeline

-By the 1950s, a thin woman with a large bust line was considered most attractive. The voluptuous (size 16) Marilyn Monroe set a new standard for women who now needed to rebuild the curves they had previously tried to bind and restrain.


- By the 1960s, slenderness became the most important indicator of the physical attractiveness following the arrival of model Twiggy. She weighed is at a shapeless six and a half stones had the figure of prepubescent boy.

- Despite America public with increasing body weights, Playboy magazine mag increased the promotion of slimness between 1959 and 1978.

- Miss America contestant were also found to be thinner over time and winners of the pageant after 1970 consistently weighed less than other contestants.

Reference : (2009) Body image timeline. Retrieve on 16 July 2012 from http://www.thesite.org/healthandwellbeing/wellbeing/bodyimageandselfesteem/bodyimagetimeline

This information is about the body image of the 1960s. It mentions the transition of curvaceous body at the end of 1950s to the early of 1960s due to the celebrity marilyn monroe. However, drastic change where people started to be conscious about their body image. Fashion icon twiggy with very skinny body. It also says that during that time american people were actually quite fat. On the contrary, the media did not bother about what was going on. Like playboy magazine, they continue to publish their magazine and in directly promoting the idea of slimness. Perhaps the promotion of slimness was a success that even the beauty pageant started to get concerned about their image and that  being slimmer and slimmer is beautiful. This information can be the supporting evidence on the body image of 1960s.

Book references

Media, Gender and Identity, David Gauntlett.

Media Monoliths, Mark Tungate

100 years of Fashion, Cally Blackman

The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf.

Critical and Cultural Theory, Dani Cavallaro.

Intoducing cultural studies, Elaine Baldwin, Brian Longhurst, Scott McCraken. Miles Ogborn, Greg Smith.

These are some of the possible book reference that i might find it useful.

" The Hippie Movement of the late 1960's incorporated bohemian ideals. Centered on creativity of life and dress, hippie style included elements of historic costume, ethnic dress, and a rejection of mainstream life. 

Greenwich Village, New York or The Village was a gathering place for impoverished artists and writers in the 20th century, a haven for the creative communtiy as a distinctive minority group.

The Left Bank In the early 20th century, the Montparnasse area of Paris France was a hub of creativity that attracted artists, writers, and intellectuals. Here, people like Marc Chagall, Ernest Hemingway, Henri Matisse, and others were able to live cheaply, meeting in bistros and restaurants to share ideas.

La Boheme and the Musical Rent - The musical Rent is based on Puccini's opera La Boheme. The story revolves around a group of artists living the bohemian life and their struggles with poverty and disease.

Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle's first short story featuring Sherlock Holmes included Doctor Watson's description of the famous fictional detective's 'bohemian soul.'

Paul Poiret - The early 20th century fashion designer reworked a variety of ethnic designs for Western fashion. His use of elements of Russian peasant costume, Middle Eastern, oriental, and historic dress introduced bohemian concepts int high fashion that eventually bled into mainstream fashion.

William and Jane Morris - William Morris was a designer who created alternative textiles for clothing and interior design, known for his involevment in liberal socialism, historic preservation and known as an early environmentalist. He also designed clothes for his wife, Jane Morris, a model who became an icon of the Aesthetic and Arts and Crafts movements in her loose, medieval style dresses and abundant long hair.

Dorelia McNeill was a model for the artists Gwen and Augustus John in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Augustus and Dorelia lived a gypsy life in a caravan while he painted her in long, loose skirts and scarves as they lived in a personal bohemian utopia."

Some influences of bohemian concept in several aspects. Bohemian often associated with hippies as d concept of hippies, no war, free love is similar to bohemian living in a carefree life. The movie sherlock holmes also being portrayed as someone who does not care about his appearance.

Reference: Monet, D. (2012) Boho, The Fashion History of Bohemian Style. Retrieve 15 July 2012 from http://doloresmonet.hubpages.com/hub/BohoTheFashionHistoryofBohemianClothes

Bohemian icon?

The Rainbow Gathering is an annual meeting of like minded individuals with a bohemian bent that reject capitalism and materialism and embrace utopian ideals, the creative life, environmentalism, and diversity.

References : Monet, D. (n.d.) Boho - The Fashion History of Bohemian Style. 19 Jun 2012, from http://doloresmonet.hubpages.com/hub/BohoTheFashionHistoryofBohemianClothes#




20th century rainbow gathering

Figure 1: Brothers: (Source: festival-rainbow-gathering-2_17034_600x450.jpg, 2009)

the American Festivals Project attended the Rainbow Gathering in New Mexico's Santa Fe National Forest on the July of 2009. It is an annual even that held in national forests across the U.S., grew out of the 1960s counterculture movement and usually draws between 10,000 and 20,000 people focused on peace, love, and respect for nature.

Traditionally, thousands of people meet in the central circle of the Rainbow Gathering camp on the Fourth of July to meditate and pray for world peace. Everyone is expected to keep silent from sunrise on the Fourth to the moment when the prayer circle is broken, sometime after noon. During the 2009 gathering, dark storm clouds broke minutes after the prayer circle ended—and a double rainbow appeared in the sky.

References: McDermott, R. (2009) Rainbow Gathering. Retrieve 15 July 2012 from http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/american-festivals/rainbow-gathering-photos/