The other day, I wrote on my Facbook status something along the lines of, “Don’t ever look down on fashion magazines again! You may just flip through the pages in seconds but there is a LOT of work that goes behind it!” I wrote it because as you may know, I have started working in a magazine and it is a ridiculous amount of work.
This, of course gained tons of comments from my photographer friends and all those in the industry, agreeing that indeed, the behind-the-scenes of magazines are a lot of hard work. Of course, I had one person who claimed that just because something is a lot of work doesn’t validate it and that all this adds “little to society”. It lead to a full blown argument, but I wanted to bring it up here because I want to know what you think.
What do you think about fashion and beauty – is it all really that superficial? Am I totally superficial and contribute nothing to society because I enjoy having a beauty blog? I want to ask, though, since he is male: what about men who read car magazines and obsess over the appearance of their car? Are they not superficial, too?
My argument to my friend is that fashion is a form of art and gives us identity. Fashion, makeup and the whole “superficial” thing allows us to express ourselves and if someone takes pride in their appearance, more power to them. It is also well known (and has been proven) that those who dress up well and take care of their looks do well in life. Take an interview setting as an example – you may have the best resume but if you turn up without some kind of pride in your appearance (showering, combing your hair, looking presentable), do you really think you would get the job?! It’s very sad, but in settings such as the corporate world, looks and presentation does matter. Sad but true.
I also said it is OK if someone wants to work in an industry that is “superficial” – who cares? You may not agree with it, and yes, it may seem silly to you, but it is their life – who are you to judge, right?
Would love to know your thoughts on this! Is the fashion and beauty industry, especially fashion magazines, totally superficial and useless? I say hell no.
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I do feel the duality of the issue – fashion and beauty are a business, and the only objective is to make money, be it by telling us that we are ugly and need to spend on clothes and beauty products, because beauty is the only thing that defines us.
But there is the other side of the issue – the empowerment that comes from being able to play with beauty and aesthetics, that allows thousands of women around the world explore their creativity and have fun with something that makes them feel like a part of a women-exclusive community.
And males should not have much word in this issue – they can go to work looking sloppy, with stubs, not even bother to put on a belt or a watch – and nobody will care. In the male world beauty and appearance are ALWAYS secondary (yes, it’s good to look nice and groomed, but it’s not the “make or break” factor).
It works differently for women, and making girls feel bad for putting on makeup and calling them vain won’t change the fact, that if they go to work without it, they will be considered not professional and inappropriate.
Though I think men are feeling much more pressured these days. I think it’s fair what you said in your 3rd paragraph but not 100% true. I have a lot of male friends and you wouldn’t believe the things they do for their ‘looks’, even if all they end up looking is sloppy – that is sometimes their whole point! I guess they are all just very quiet about it, though I’m sure it’s not the case for all men. But it’s definitely there, too!
Hell no. I wrote something similar to this topic a few days ago, and I would still say, piss off to those who say it’s superficial. What we write inadvertently contribute to the economy. We write, people buy, economy happy. How does that differ from people writing about the latest gadgets, cars, etc?
It’s funny how people define “contributing to society”. Self-righteous eff-wits.
That’s exactly what another of my friend said to anyone who says stuff like this: “self righteous and judgemental”. They really are!
No, absolutely not. People’s interests are different so no one has a right to judge someone else’s job/interest. There is no wrong or right whether the magazine (or anything) is promoting fashion, beauty, money, business, cars, etc… Yeah, I can see why people would say that fashion and beauty are “superficial” but then what isn’t nowadays? It’s not like they are promoting superficiality in everyone. In no way is it useless! People make a living through fashion and beauty and it is art! At least we have a passion for something. It’s not fair at all that people would think of fashion/beauty like that.
Yeah, it really isn’t fair. Men are even part of this industry too! Hello, the friend who was bagging the industry wears hair gel everyday and might I say has really great style, so isn’t he insulting something that he buys into?!
No way!! One of my absolute pet peeves in when people automatically assume I am vain, self centred and superficial all because I love fashion and beauty. Doesn’t help that I also study PR so all in all, I am an “airhead”.
Excuse the language but bitch please, I am contributing to society just as much as doctors and lawyers are. Beauty and fashion bloggers alike provide a service to this particular community and yes, this may sound a little superficial, but fashion and beauty make people happy! And isn’t that what everyone wants at the end of the day? To be happy?
We’ve just found out how to make ourselves and others happy with our passion.
“And isn’t that what everyone wants at the end of the day? To be happy?”
YES!!! If someone wants to work in fashion mags and it makes them happy, more power to them!
I don’t mean to be rude, but I simply had to reply to your post. First of all, let me congradulate you on finding your passion in life. We all have different interests after all. However, I have to disagree with you on one thing. I find it very hard to believe that fashion bloggers contribute as much to society as doctors do. I mean, come on. They save lives. Again, you’re doing what you love, more power to you. But its more than a little silly to say that your work rivals that of a medical practitioner who faces the reality of death on a regular basis.
Agree with AngMoGirl… it is true that fashion & beauty magazines often promote consumerism.. I feel that as a blogger, I kinda promote consumerism among readers too. But the end of the day, it’s up to you as a writer to think of creative angles and help your readers gain more self-confidence, by recommending beauty or fashion tips. Eg, what type of clothes or hair is good for certain body/face shapes etc…
Many industries are superficial… it’s not just the fashion & beauty world… your friend himself made a rather sweeping statement.
I guess some blogs promote consumerism but if you’re just sharing the news, it’s not any more different than magazines, newspapers, ads… they all promote consumerism.
And yes, totally agree on helping your readers – I like to think Beauty Fool is less about the actual products (though they rock!) but more on the how tos, self esteem posts, discussions, community… a beauty blog, yes, but a tiny bit different!
For those people who work in the industry and are serious about what they create, no, they are not superficial. Unfortunately, the industry is deem as superficial as a whole because the social benefits are seen as little. However, what these critics do not see is that the topic of beauty is actually linked to personal self esteem and well being – and those have direct impacts on productivity. If I don’t look good, logically I’m most likely not going to feel good and perform well. It is a very self-centered world but at the same time, everything begins with the individual no?
Beautifying oneself is a soft skill and an asset these days. Why do companies stress on grooming and presentable looks? Not knowing how to beautify oneself is a liability. Superficial? Well, then be profound and lose yourself in the rat race.
Amen, Sesame. Agree with everything you said. Beauty and all that is also linked to self esteem, so I think very important.
That is an unfair statement to make. Nobody who works hard and being productive would want to be dismissed off as working for nothing because the industry is perceived to contribute little or nothing to society. In fact, in a complex economy like Singapore, there should be a vibrant variety of services, products and entertainment – which means it is inaccurate to say that a certain industry contributes little. Not everyone appreciates a certain service or product and certainly not everyone appreciates fashion or magazines. There is really is no need to be so dismissive. I don’t think you should feel down over the opinion of someone who does not appreciate what you do or interest you.
Yeah, nah I certainly do not feel down over what he said because we started arguing our cases, haha. I did think it was really interesting and wanted to blog about it though. People just like to talk thinking their very smart, but underneath all the “fluff” there are deeper layers to fashion and beauty, like Sesame said above – self esteem, good job prospects, etc.
The people who call the beauty industry superficial are sadly the same people who emphasise how important looks are in our society. There really is no middle ground =_= And yeah, totally agree with the “self righteous and judgemental” part.
Yeah, totally self righteous.
These magazines are not life-changing of course, but we do a ton of stuff that is “useless” so i don’t see why women couldn’t read fashion mags. If we listen to these people who say that we’re superficial, we would still be cavemen, just eating, sleeping and procreating because these are useful. Art for example, is not essential to the human body, it’s not our of our primary needs..but it’s ESSENTIAL for the human mind. Having passions in life is also essential. So i think that working for a magazine is not being superficial, it’s making a job of one of your hobbies. And it’s freaking good
So true. It’s so easy for people to say anything in the creative and entertainment industry is “useless” but without it the world would be totally boring and uninspiring.
I love when I tell people I wanna work in the fashion industry, and go to college and immediately they go “wow fashion?really? Do you really think it’s a real job?” They laugh at me. But everybody buys fashion whether they like it or not. It doesnt matter WHERE you are buying your clothes, you are contributing to the industry, indeed.
Of course there are superficial people in this industry, like any other. But I really think that saying “it does little to society” is pointless, that just his point of view. And I disagree completely, for so maaaaany reasons, I wont even say….
I have a friend who doesn’t wear make up, or any kind of cosmetic. She always says I’m superficial because I like and use make up and cosmetics in general.
She doesnt get that I’m doing this for me, because I love myself, so YES I will take care of my hair, nails, skin, my body and my mind. And that is not superficial at all, since we have to love ourselves in order to love others. So I just ignore what people like her say to me.
That’s a great post Re, I’m sorry If I wrote too much haha, but people who make such comments as this guy are hopeless and annoy me. They are always trying to teach you lessons, like they know more about life than you….
Deb your comment is perfection! I agree with all that you said. They all contribute to this industry whether they like it or not so they should honesty just shut up! And I agree, taking care of yourself and wanting to look your best is not being vain or superficial, it’s loving and caring about yourself! Look good, feel good, right?
And no, you never write too long. Write as much as you want, Deb!
Is the fashion industry basically superficial? Yes, IMO. Does that mean it isn’t important to some people? NO– and even though I personally feel it is superficial, I happen to like it (for entirely superficial reasons) anyway!
I take the view that “fashion” is a form of art. Physically constructing the clothing is a textile art. Modeling the clothing is a sculptural art. Presenting the clothing in print is a graphic art. And, as with any art, whether or not it is beautiful or useful is determined by the viewer– and there are as many opinions as there are viewers.
We have the luck to live in a time and place where “disposable” art (like fashion, which changes from season to season, or like magazines, that most fleeting of reading material) can exist. Of course we can argue about how consumer culture may engender a shaky economy & dilapidate the environment… but I don’t really want to get into that argument here, simply because you don’t need a big long thesis in your comments section.
The fashion industry can be considered “superficial” because it has nothing to do with the practical concerns of getting food on the table or making medical advances or working towards world peace. But that DOESN’T mean that it isn’t just as valid as any other art form– and art, though it is superficial by nature (IMO), is one of the things that sets the human species apart from the rest of the animals.
Just because someone doesn’t understand your job doesn’t mean it can’t be worthwhile for you. If you enjoy what you do and you’re good at it, go for it!
I agree with ALL the points you’ve made. People really underestimate the importance of fashion and appearance, and while the fashion industry can be pretentious and vacant, it is still a facet of creative expression and it IS hard work. Fashion is respectable and relevant—and like you said, who are people to judge?
What’s wrong with working in an industry that offers consumers products that make them feel good on the outside and the indside? That are NOT detrimental to one’s health? There are PLENTY of less “valuable” industries—uh, say, tobacco, candy makers, and horror film authors and producers. What are THEY doing that is contributing to the betterment of society?
I’m glad you wrote this post. Next time someone takes you to task about working in fashion, you ask them what Phillip Morris is doing to make our world a better place.
? V
http://www.gritandglamour.com
twitter: @gritandglamour
Totally agree, V, and I am so glad you enjoyed this post!
There are many other industries that “contribute little to society” so people should just shut it about fashion. There’s way more to it than just looking pretty.
I have to say this is an amazing post. The very first comment got me though. Did the fashion industry personally call you ugly? I think not. Its like whenever i try to help my little brother with his outfits and he gets defensive and says that i have called him some kind of name. It never happened. Get over it. Just because you feel self concious about your looks and see a pretty girl in nice clothes in a magazine that doesn’t mean that magazine is mocking you. It is only what you make it. Fashion makes people feel good about themselves because they have a creative way to express themselves. demeaning that and the pictures that may serve as inspiration is wrong. let it go.
Thanks, Haleigh. I do agree that fashion and beauty does not tell you you aren’t pretty enough, so yeah, I did not agree with the bit in the first comment. But I guess it could be translated into that, especially if the person have some insecurities/issues with their self esteem and self image. I personally have not ever felt like fashion or beauty magazines tell me I’m not good enough, nor do I think “oh, I wish I looked like her” etc. However, many of my friends do feel “inferior” so I think it really depends on the person.
I think that the fashion industry isn’t made up entirely of superficial people but it certainly does often give that vibe. I love getting dressed up and having fun in nice clothes because I feel like I look good and that helps me enjoy myself, but I think that at some point clothes and make up can’t determine who you are as a person. The fashion industry shows us by example that clothes and accessories are who you are and that is just not true. I don’t think its wrong to enjoy fashion but I think it is superficial to think that clothes determine the beauty, worth, or importance of a person. People should be seen as beautiful for who they are and what they do rather than what is on the outside.
I think the question you should ask yourself is: where would the beauty and fashion industries be in a world where there were no judgemental people and everyone was allowed to look whatever they liked and still be deemed sexy by someone? I mean, come on, fashion and beauty are totally normative: I have never read an article titled “how to make your skin look older” or “make you legs look huge”. It’s always about being young, having certain proportions (even when it’s not about being skinny, it is about an hourglass figure), approaching to a fixed ideal of what we are supposed to find beautiful. If there weren’t this sort of rules noone would care much about fashion and beauty. So yes, in the end, fashion and beauty are shallow: but we live in a shallow world, and probably always will. So I’ll definitely need blogs and magazines to help me make myself preety and thus finding jobs and men. That’s a service to society. And I’m not being ironic here.
Heya;)
Wow, so many comments! You’re doing great!
I like looking good, and I like stylish clothes. I wouldn’t say that fashion is everything, and I don’t feel like I’ll die if I have to do something in tacky-looking clothes. I just like to look good when I can. Look good=feel good:)
I have to add an off-tune note here by saying that YES, I do think fashion and beauty are superficial, vain and self-centered. Shouldn’t self esteem stem from somewhere else than the expensive products you buy and the hours your spend preening primping and combing? I am oppressed by the beauty obsession that is my own and that the society forces me to conform with.
I am ugly.
Down to earth, I am plain and simple ugly. I could try to frantically struggle and fight and blow all my money on beauty products and procedures and fashions to mask this simple ugliness and gain extreme self confidence. But when all the exterior is taken away, what am I?
Ugly. In other words worthless, lacking self esteem, insignificant.
Hence I think that while being passionate about fashion and beauty is indubitably just as great as being passionate about green values or saving baby kittens, ultimately I will deem it to be superficial, wrapped in consumerism. I enjoy beautiful things, sure, I enjoy beauty blogs, I enjoy fashion and make-up and I enjoy promoting beauty.
But I feel there needs to be a balance. Self esteem can’t be about looks. Looks change fade and distort over time.
I am superficial, vain and self-centered in my interest in beauty and fashion.
And I’m not afraid to admit that.
Fashion perpetuates interest in the self. Although one cannot entirely say that it is unproductive, it does defend consumer capitalist ideals. We have become walking canvases, projecting idealistic versions of our personalities to the general public. This same critique is not limited to fashion, but let’s not play the ‘oh but everyone else does it’ card – that is not an argument in it’s favour. However, just because something is not inherently positive for society, doesn’t mean one shouldn’t follow their dreams – especially if they are in a privileged position to do so.