Essay: What is the ideal of beauty / how normative ideals of beauty have been challenged (draft)

1.Introduction
According to a decision of the Landesgericht Hamburg, “the definition of beauty is not only the inner and objective quality of things”(Winifred.cichon.com, 2019).Since every era, different places and social classes have their own ideals of definition and understanding of beauty. The ideal beauty is formed by people’s respect and vision in different periods. This essay will analyze “what is ideal of beauty” and “How normative ideal of beauty have been challenged”.
2.Overview
The female image of today’s mass media can be said to be an unprecedentedly idealized, desire-oriented, commercialized and erotic female image, a woman who is “appreciated”. The mass media constantly produces “beauty” as if it were a piece of products. Regardless of the East and West, or the ancient modern, all the concepts of women reflect the fact that “Women should be beautiful”.But what is beautiful? I discuss that the idea of the perfect human body is a result of culture: religious functions, economy, advertisement and other factors.In today’s economy, good-looking is no longer something we can dismiss.An economics professor Daniel S. Hamermesh pointed out that good-looking people more likely competitive at work.It is alleged that they earn, on average,5 percents more than others.Thus, in order to create a beautiful appearance, people use body modification, make-up, plastic surgery and clothing ,such “crazy” behavior is especially prevalent among women.
3.The Aesthetic History of Female
3.1 Body Modification
Since the1960s, people’s idea of beauty and body have changed dramatically due to the development of postmodernism and consumerism.In fact, the role of fashion is to shape the contours of the ideal body, which are social and cultural. Every fashion image, movie, and media report as you have seen, the shapes are made of a “perfect” imaginary body. The contact between the body and the fabric makes a clearer outline of the body.
On the one hand, women who are insecure about their bodies are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere between 40 to 100 billion (U.S.) a year selling temporary weight loss (90% to 95% of dieters regain the lost weight). On the other hand, research indicates that exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies is linked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women and girls.
The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control–including fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting. The pressure to be thin is also affecting young girls: the Canadian Women’s Health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls as young as 5 and 6. American statistics are similar. Several studies, such as one conducted by Marika Tiggemann and Levina Clark in 2006 titled “Appearance Culture in 9- to 12-Year-Old Girls: Media and Peer Influences on Body Dissatisfaction,” indicate that nearly half of all preadolescent girls wish to be thinner, and as a result have engaged in a diet or are aware of the concept of dieting.
3.2 Cosmetics and make up
Makeup refers to the use of cosmetics, materials and technology to modify and beautify or change people’s appearance, to achieve personal pursuit of beauty and adapt to special occasions.
In Japan, makeup is a kind of polite, almost all the woman will make up before going out.In recent years,Japan’s station and shopping malls have much special rooms is used to make up. The rooms provide cosmetics, curling iron and face steamer.
Fig 2 : Making up
3.3 Plastic surgery
With the continuous development of modern science and technology, the improvement of people’s living standards and the unremitting pursuit of beauty, the phenomenon of “changing appearance” is becoming common. People achieve their own satisfaction and become perfect through plastic surgery.
In recent years, with the rise of medical plastic surgery, it has a new explanation: Improving appearance, in order to enhance self-confidence. Plastic surgery usually refers to facial plastic surgery, including double eyelids, chin, nose augmentation, tender lips, dimples, dental correction, wrinkle removal, acne removal, eyelashes, hair removal. In Japan and Korea, plastic surgeons are everywhere.Everyone pays more and more attention to their own image, there is no doubt that our society consumed by image currently.
However, this kind of “common beauty” is malformed because it goes against the  traditional Chinese virtue of natural beauty. There are various forces to blame “beauty”. While this is partly on behalf point of viewpoint of view of supporters who stand by natural beauty, some people who are in favor of plastic surgery still hold that attractive appearance can build up the confidence and courage.
3.4 Costume
For the discussion of beauty, the relationship between wardrobe and body is a key point. The truth is that the shape of the clothes represents their ideal body in each period.
World War I 1900-1907 garments were still popular in the S-style at the end of the last century. The garments were basically the same in shape. They had a compact upper body, wide skirt and a high collar. They emphasized the prominent chest and buttocks, straight lower abdomen and exaggerated hats decorated with complex and huge ostrich or parrot hair. The core content of the whole design was to close to the body, and to bind the female body into a standard style.
After the outbreak of the war in 1914, elegant and tedious clothes were quickly replaced by wartime clothes, and skirts became shorter, exposing both feet and ankles.
In 1915, the length of the skirt was shortened to the lower leg. During the war, women wore work clothes. The common work clothes were loose, bagged, long and calf-bellied overcoats, and some wore trousers. The boots matched the clothes. In the pre-war years and during the war, clothes and skirts became thin and short, and two-piece suits were common. During the war, hats gradually diminished. And women’s clothes also imitate men’s uniforms. In general, fashion has become more straightforward, removing unnecessary decoration.
The war completely changed the overall image of women in this period. From then on, western women’s clothing tended to be functional and portable, and initially completed the transformation to modern form.
At this time, shirts, which have been used as underwear in Europe, were worn by Americans as coats and began to spread all over the world. In the 1930s, the “boy-like” style of women’s clothes began to disappear, straight lines were replaced by curves, and the beautiful lines of women’s bodies re-emerged. Especially evening dresses, back dew almost to the waist, sleeveless, waist and buttocks are tightly wrapped, sometimes in the shoulder also decorated with narrow ribbons or huge artificial flowers, to the buttocks widened.
Women’s wear in the 1950s tended to be more casual and free. During this period, besides the “bishop’s sleeve” with loose armpits and tightened cuffs, the upright collar reappeared. The skirt is still in the middle of the calf and is loose.
Fig 3 : Western costume Timeline by Terrizae( pinterest,2018)
4.The Challenge of Beauty
4.1 Religious Functions
4.11 Western corset
Historically, women have an inclination to put on corsets in order to have a perceivable waistline. This is a mere attempt to demonstrate their femininity. By the end of the 19th century, with the development of technology, popularization among the general public, body-sculpting underwear and corsets are popular, even if people were pregnant, they would be required for wearing corset before going out. In the design of clothing, in order to magnify the visual effect of the shape the slim waistline, skirts in the middle of the 19th century exaggerated bustles. By the 1970s, the skirts began to become slender, but the outline of the hips began to be emphasized to a greater extent.
In this image, a woman called Ethel Grainger who achieved records with her measurements 36-19-39 into the Guinness Book. She She finally got 13 inches’ waist which is less than her husband’s neck. The one of the reason is that she was represented by the small waist of Austrian Empress Elizabeth in the 1970s, when women fought for equality for men. A part of women’s liberation was wearing corsets and bras.In addition, Ethel was influenced by her husband, who was the most amazing corsetier named William Granger at the time.
Fig 4 : Ethel Grainger in 1959
His corset did not cover
Image 3:Ethel Grainger in 1959 any form of modern technology, and each piece should be taken several months. He wore a corset 24 hours a day, and encouraged Ethel when Granger put on her corset for the first time.In order to cater to this interest of her husband, she wore tights all the time as her husband. The story of Ethel Granger reflects her infinite love for her husband and her dedication of beauty. Therefore, corset as a form of body modification has been popular throughout Western history. However, women were oppressed by fashion systems. In particular, they were constrained by the apparatus of corsets in that era.
The revival of corsets began about 30 years ago. However, rather than judging the body as a physical existence, people nowadays perceive corsets as a symbolic expression. Fashion designers Vivienne Westwood introduced the concept of “underwear as a garment” link with1980s punk campaign. At the same time,Jean Paul Gaultier used the same theme for Madonna’s “Blond Ambition” tour to create infamous golden corsets with conical breasts. She explains how women can behave as powerful, independent and powerful status through the use of postmodern bodysuits. Nowadays, the design of corset is considered to be an empowerment to women in general, and may even be a powerful control of women more than men’s. Designers such as Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen contributed to the construction of the postmodern corsets, not only as a throwback, but also as a symbol of strength and power rather than weakness or fragility.
In the development process of Western women’s clothing from traditional style to modern style, it is not difficult to see that the key to change is the transformation and disposal of tight bodice; the basis of change is the change of lifestyle and dress concept; the opportunity of change is the improvement and first time of women’s status.
4.12 Chinese foot binding
Chinese women’s “little feet” have a history of more than a thousand years. It is said that it began in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Tang Dynasty, flourished in the Song Dynasty, and lasted to the Republic of China. Tang Hao’s poems say, “Lotus flowers are better, the moon is always new in the clouds.” Because the officials and women do it, everyone can do it, and the sliver bow is the best. In this way, we can know that the foot has been the best since the Five Dynasties. The foot-binding originated in the palace. In order to show the lightness and delicacy of women, and to make the adults of the palace enjoy themselves, the women wrapped their feet around silk, which was the beginning of foot-binding. Later, “foot binding” from the uterus to the outside of the palace, until the folk. By the end of the Song Dynasty, there was also a trend of “shame on big feet” in society. By the Ming Dynasty, the trend of women’s footbinding was more prosperous, and then it became a fashion, an aesthetic mood of men, an exquisite culture and a compulsory course for women’s growth.
Foot binding is one of the main evidences of persecution of women in ancient China.
Female footbinding, as a kind of abominable custom which has been produced for a long time in Chinese society and spread widely, is a deformity product of female culture.
Fig 5 : Chinese traditional small feet
4.2 Brand Creation
It is worth mentioning that “In 1969, Kawakubo created the Comme des Garçons brand (French: like a boy) and swept the entire fashion circle in the next 50 years. Kawakubo completely overturned the female body shape and ideology in fashion. Exporting strong values to the outside; from the clothing design itself of Comme des Garçons, to the brand’s sales strategy for young consumers, to the personality and mystery of the designer, Kawakubo’s everything can be easily done. Fascinating.”
She is constantly challenging people’s definition of beauty with clothing.
Kawakubo’s exploratory breaking and collage of classical culture and modern art culture is a combination of classical and modern. It is also a powerful expression of catching people’s eyes. She reminds us of the consumption era and other historical hysteria. The similarities between decadent times, as she said, “My right hemisphere likes tradition and history, but the left half of the brain wants to break these rules.”
4.3 Advertisement
In the latest marketing campaign, Dove said: “The traditional aesthetic standards are very narrow for women, so we should get rid of this prejudice and bondage.”
The marketing campaign called “MyBeautyMySay” (“My Beauty I Define”) was jointly attended by advertising agencies Edelman, Ogilvy, Haworth and PHD. In a 60-second video ad, Dove interviewed nine women from different professional fields to re-define their standards. Dove found that every woman is under some pressure because she is not confident about her appearance. However, women can still overcome these emotions in some way.
Dove’s marketing director, Jennifer Bremner, said: “Doffin knows that women are very concerned about what others are saying about themselves, so they will try to make themselves look like the public aesthetic, but this move hides everyone’s birth. The characteristics and aura of the coming. But fortunately, most women still realize that self-confidence is the most crucial bargaining chip in the final victory. “The definition of beauty is diversification, and the reality in front of women should be: in all kinds of In the face of prejudice and restraint, how to regain self-confidence and define your own beauty.
Her understanding of women’s posture and appearance is different from ordinary people. “In our time, the definition of beauty is too solid and narrow, and beauty is never a standard of model.”
To this end, the Slovak girl, specially took a group of photos, the camera aimed at the fat girl.
5.Evaluation
5.1 Identity & Socio-economic class
From Western history, There was a social hierarchy for all members of society. Social classification was universal, some people were distincted by leaders and followers, strong and weak, rich and poor. As well as people used many ways to classify people:power, prestige, education or occupation; even the places where they lived.In the post-modern period, they began to distinguish their identities with fashion clothes. Ukpore (2006) pointed out that different socio-economic strata often wear different types of identity documents to influence information to class, family or other members of the community.
As Georg Simmel emphasized in “ The Philosophy of Fashion ”,he believes that the identification of people occurs within a certain class. The division of the class has led to fashion. Some upper middle class women are fashion leaders. Fashion leaders become a unique and important part of the apparel market. When the appearance of new styles in the market, they usually buy the new style clothes at the first time. As Goldsmith mentioned in 1999, the success or failure of the product depends on fashion leaders(Goldsmith, Moore and Beaudoin, 1999). Thus，fashion usually occurs at a higher level, then it spreads downwards. At the same time people who are in the lower classes follow fashion trends. Thus it creates a cycle namely ‘Trickle-down Effect’: the upper classes maintain their distinctive identity and status by use of fashion, whilethe lower classes follow trends to improve their sense of fashion. In fact, trends tend to disappear when they saturate within a given community. As Simmel thinks, when the identity of upper class is threatened by the lower class, they would create new symbols and new fashion. This cycle repeats itself as seen in historical events.
5.2 Inner beauty
The discussion on beauty can be roughly classified into two categories: one is the essence of beauty, the other is the unity of truth and goodness.
Plato affirmed that beauty is the real existence. He believed that beauty is eternal, endless, immortal and unabated. Harmony is consistent with the God of real existence, the idea of good of real existence and the idea of beauty, and because of the unity of beauty and goodness, harmony is not only the purpose of goodness, but also the essence of beauty.
Because Plato has the basis of objective idealism, he believes that the content of truth, goodness and beauty is unified. The real thing is the thing of beauty and goodness. Beauty is the good thing. There is no fundamental difference between beauty and goodness. Plato believes that this kind of care of beauty itself is the most worthwhile realm of life for a person. Plato restored love, beauty, goodness and so on to human life itself, which is related to immortality. In other words, immortality is the ultimate goal of human beings. In Plato’s thought, the concept of beauty is not only related to aesthetics and art, but also to people’s life style and ideal, which is one of the highest realms of philosophy. In Plato’s view of the universe, he believes that the idea of good is the supreme in the world of ideas, so the idea of beauty must be subordinate to the idea of good and be dominated by the idea of good. Plato always believes that the beauty of the soul is superior to that of all forms in aesthetic analysis.
6.Conclusion
“Beauty” has no standard. Nor do we have to force ourselves to change in order to meet the standards of others.
In a word, everyone has their own right to quest for beauty. Attractive appearance can improve their chance of success and build up their self-confidence. Beauty has more influence than ever-not just over who we work with, but whether we work at all.