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Fashion and body. Aesthetical links of self-image.

© Copyright by Victor Aquino, 2001, 2006
WEA Books & Publishing Inc.
Monroe, LA USA

All rights reserved. Inquires should be addressed directly to

World Editions of America, Books & Publishing Inc,
94 Elm St, Monroe, Louisiana 71201 USA

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 I

We live immerse in a world of images. In a way that we

all, by the time we are wrapped up by the endless attribute of
forms and figures, we are also converted into icons exposed in
the huge repertory of images that, usually, are disseminated by
the universe. We are, as we may say, integrant part of this
huge scripture, converting us at the same time, into “letters”
and “readers” of this scripture by the way of what is
represented in the planet.
There are not only a few specialists that nowadays
dedicate themselves to studying images. The interests that
guide studies and researches, according to origin and nature
are very. It is not the case; however, of mentioning here some
of them because even the most notorious are yet to fulfill, as
they should, the construction of the human figure form, not
only from clothes, but from everything that gives directions as
soon as it is wore.
It shall also be mentioned that, likewise, the studies about
the individual from forms that adopt the wearing haven't been
frequent. We rarely have the chance of observing the concern of
the specialist of the human figure, having the man as the
center, perspective and consequence of transformations in the
clothing industries. Because only from these transformation the
marketing stimulation functions would be easily understood, of
a social or cultural character, with reflexes on the human being
construction.

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 Although not being aware of fashion generative process,
the individual acts in it actively. The circumstance of his/her
action, however, it depends a lot on the nature of his/her
insertion (voluntarily or involuntarily) in the social context in
which such process is developed as much as it depends his/her
cultural characteristics. In other way, it is important to say that
factors such as age, posture related to media, personal tastes,
among others, are the ones that will establish the means in
which they will be inserted in this process.
We can also say that the human being has lived, especially
over the last few years, in function to fashion, the process in
which it is generated, and also from changes produced by it.
Based in records available in the present report, we can verify a
natural tendency of the human being adjustment to the
process.
From researches, in which the thesis coincide with the title
of the present article which guided equally to the publication of
the homonymous book mentioned, we verify that the way
human figure is constructed has assumed self proportions.
Based, notably on the understanding that each one has as
concepts of “old” and “young” and “old fashioned”, modifies
postures individually and the forms of auto representation in
the socio cultural context.
A simple classification that is established for other
characters reveals the existence of a qualifying system that
surpasses the corresponding concepts. Thus, when someone
refers to others as “ugly people” or “pretty people” he/she is
not only classifying them, but also revealing, through a
qualitative personal posture in which the system is qualified by,
not only to others, but to him/her. For more arbitrary such
qualification seems to be, it implies two verification: (1) the
one that refers to decisive values of who's pretty and who's
ugly; (2) the one that refers to individual repertories
dependable of such values. Thus, who classifies the remaining,
according to his/her own standards, can also be classified.

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 It happens, however, that the individual values are
invariably positives in relation to who qualifies the others. That
is, whatever the concept expressed about the others is, and
who expresses such concept possesses on him/her the
reference so that from it, he/she classifies others. What is a
problem; from the point of view of that every one of them
disposes of his/her own repertory of dissimulation.

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 II

When we observe someone, no matter who he/she is, we

shall always take into consideration everything that is part of
him/her. Especially something that, being part of him/her, it
cannot be perceived. It is like saying that there is an indication
of dissimulation that qualifies the everyone beyond what they
appear to be. But why we are driven to this conclusion? Well,
for the simple reason that by the time someone shows
him/herself up, he/she hides deliberately. Because, if in a way,
when showing him/herself up, this someone plays a character
role so omitting him/herself, as a whole or partially, covering
some of him/herself.
This way, when someone qualifies another person by the
simple attribute from what, on his/her understanding stand, is
“pretty” or “ugly”, he/she is revealing somehow his/her most
hidden side. Therefore, for being hidden, attribute
representations that perhaps he/she does not have are
inserted. The hidden side of each one conducts concepts,
conditions and contradictions that are exteriorized from
representations that dispose, specially on clothes, the function
of making the “other” the one he/she is on the nude.
That has been one of the clothes function. From the
moment that a “griffe” convert itself into address/garnish
mandatory from any T-shirt, reasons and meaning of the
respective use are altered. No long matters what guides a
consumer, whoever he/she is, to picking a certain T-shirt, in
the act of purchasing, to make the option not only because of

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the color, size, pattern, originality, but specially because of
what it represents, or what it remits, the label of the
corresponding designer name.

Table I
“When We Get Old?”
Bellow 20 Between 20 & 35 Above 35
Above 20 15% 12% 10%
Above 35 55% 44% 36%
Above 50 20% 28% 32%
No Parameter 9% 14% 19%
No Answer 1% 2% 3%
Source: Correa, T. G. Moda, Arte, Corpo. Sao Paulo, CEM/Livros, 1999.

The table above that shows part of the data collected in

the research mentioned reveals interpretation in a very special
way that three groups of individuals interviewed offer to
“period” in which we get older. It is important to observe how
the greatest concentration of the younger ones indicates ages
of 35 years old. And the group of older ones seems not to be
convicted by confusing the ones between 35 and 50 years old.
Perhaps this data reveals one of the consumer's standard that,
as we can see next, faces fashion on a very specific way.

Table II
“When Shall We Follow Fashion?”
Bellow 20 Between 20 & 35 Above 35
Up to 20 44% 13% 7%
Up to 35 41% 47% 51%
Always 12% 34% 33%
No Answer 3% 6% 9%
Fonte: Correa, T. G. Moda, Arte, Corpo. Sao Paulo, CEM/Livros, 1999.

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On the table above, as we can see, while the group of the older
ones understands that “we shall follow fashion” up to 35 years
of age, the group of the younger ones demonstrate to have no
conviction regarding it. Therefore, it indicates that fashion shall
be followed between 20 and 35 years of age.
The data from Table I as the data from Table II
demonstrate an evidence regarding the lack of conviction in
some age groups. That's because they are situations that
involve the so-called personal image construction. For this
reason, perhaps, in distinct situations unanimity is what reflects
ourselves ignorance.
Table III
“What Represents Fashion?”
Bellow 20 Between 20 & 35 Above 35
Some Artist 32% 30% 28%
Some Top Model 19% 21% 26%
Some Athlete 33% 29% 24%
Some Character 12% 16% 18%
Others 3% 2% 1%
No Answer 1% 2% 3%
Source: Correa, T. G. Moda, Arte, Corpo. Sao Paulo,
CEM/Livros, 1999.

Likewise here, we verify that, despite of the age groups

interviewed, concentrations are equally the same. Being the
ones of younger age (84%), being intermediate age (70%), or
even the older (78%), they are all relate fashion to a consumer
standard: “artist”, “top model”, or “athlete”.
Similar referential projection is characteristic of the
research mentioned, indicating a relation type between
consumers, specially the younger ones, and the clothes
designer names which are marketed from a “fashion” context.
Being pretty or ugly, appropriate or inappropriate, being used or
not, requires previous knowledge of the meaning from what it is
desired, the meaning of him/herself and the meaning of others.

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 Or, in other words, how the others are classified in a
universe in which fashion, to be fashion, shall be something
understood collectively.

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 III

A sample, to be used as an example, taken by chance in

the campus environment. It does not matter much which
institution has been chosen because in this particular one, most
of these realities are close. They are hundreds, perhaps millions
of people who compose this environment of a characteristic way
turning it into spaces of ideas and concepts that arbitrate
themselves, on daily basis, according to rejection and
preferences of patterns.
A large number of people, regardless the nature of the
bond with the environment in question, develops a
representation that goes beyond the role they play on it. The
simple fact of finding it on a campus environment, makes that
values are attributed to mostly everything to be discussed
beyond life and death.
In most part, these people seem to have very “clear” ideas
about all this. They rarely left something remaining free from
opinions. Usually, everything is objective of “absolute”
classification, previously classified to be used in the parameter
of any qualification type. Nothing is excluded or left behind
consideration, under negative or positive aspects, when
discussing things, sometimes the most trivial ones. From
politics to culture, economy to education, art to astronomy,
technology to pure science, soccer to religion, ecology to
movies, all deserve a conclusive reference by all.
Most of the time, even professors, with a working life
dedicated to science and culture development, join this
representation. It means: they play a role that, beyond

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professional acting, involves a very typical posture as “referees”
not only from what they teach but also from a countless
number of other subjects.
Being who they are, professors and researchers have a
great probability to assume a “referee” role in knowledge. Such
role that extends far beyond the field they specifically work.
This is neither good nor bad. Not even intended this work to
being a criticism habit. It relates only to a record analysis. A
record, however, that is evidenced on each person's opinion
field when this person establishes his/her own quality reference
for each thing, idea, procedure, phenomenon, product and so
on.
As fashion is always on the axles of contemporaneous
attentions of each one, what happens is not different. That is,
not even the utilization of fashion is free from this judgment
type. That was the reason why the following example was
chosen in the context of the own campus.
The example, while a formulation of a “conceptual image”
that classifies the person from the stereotype and prejudice,
from the esthetic point of view, describes the human being
from his/her own appearance. Someone who, in this case, is an
extremely ugly person, and has wide open eyes, enormous
mouth and a big disproportional nose. All this as an integrate
part of a visibly small head where there is a long, mistreated
hair-raising victimized by innumerous use of curlers, straighten
tries, homemade dyes, done with the minimum professional
criteria, which seems to be a result of someone who just come
from a quarry bombing. Yet completely disarrayed, with the
visible impression that she tried to turn herself into a
demonstration of the 70's. Long dress, colored socks, raw
leather sandals, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings
handmade, complete the “picture” of someone “original”. And
that, which is considered, for many, as a demonstration of
permanent “bad taste”, for others it might be considered “taste
of originality”. However, the fact of being someone who is a
university professor, of insinuating (but actually show off), the
authority intellectual “look” over innumerous subjects,

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contribute a lot to support the ideas impact that usually impose
to the present ones. Especially when these ideas are related to
his/her own opinion about fashion. When he/she refers to
someone as “ugly”, who consider him/her ugly, can be exactly
opposite reference to his/her opinion. Or even when he/she
finds the opposite.
Such example, according to what is perceived, can be
used in the comprehension of how anyone proceeds classifying,
everything, according to personal values this someone adopts.
Then, according to his/her understanding, everything can be
object of preference or rejection.
From a personal point of view, based in an individual
esthetic conception, everything can be object of classification or
catalog. Objections and opinions unilaterally emitted over any
matter, are often used to revealing the other side of who
objects or give an opinion; the dark side of a person. This
condition, however, reflects the compulsory presence, in a large
number of occasions, of people who give opinions over how to
dress from other people. It is not necessary to say that, most of
the time, these opinion project much more than concepts of
use. They are used to project the self configuration of who gives
opinion first.

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 IV

Dressing is, above all, the conjugation of feelings. Feelings

that go beyond what is intended to be expressed with the
clothes that will be used. For this reason it is already allowed to
say that clothes determine a situation that surpasses the dress
use itself. Understanding this matter, it will be understood the
first and huge function of fashion: fantasy.

Table I V
“When is Someone Ugly?”
Bellow 20 Between 20 & 35 Above 35
When someone is bad 22% 12% 4%
When someone does 17% 21% 24%
not dress up
When someone is out 18% 21% 23%
of fashion
WhenWhen someone
does not dress 19% 18% 17%
accordingly or is
clumsy
When someone 5% 21% 27%
imposes his/her
visual to others
No Parameter 5% 4% 3%
No Answer 4% 3% 2%
Source: Correa, T. G. Moda, Arte, Corpo. Sao Paulo, CEM/Livros, 1999.

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 Then the data in Table IV, as it could not be understood
differently, point to an interesting conclusion: the interviewed
younger group (22%) define as “ugly” “someone bad”. The
group of intermediate age (63%), defines as “ugly” someone
who is “out of fashion”, “does not dress accordingly” or
“imposes his/her visual to others”. Last, the interviewed older
group (27%) defines like that the ones who “impose their visual
to others”.
Preliminary reading of this research data, among other
possible conclusions, brings to fire the background subject: the
image we have from ourselves and others is fundamental; as
much as the expectation that is developed from certain
standards of coexistence in this context.

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 V

In reality, we are all “Tiazinhas”, that character in play by

one of the Brazilian TV channels, which recreate a sensual
woman using so few dresses and a mask. A character
addressed to man fantasies and dreams. We all have special
gestures that infringe the scenario in which we are inserted. We
all are, at the same time, fantasy and hypocrisy. Ethics is the
best disguise to hypocrisy. Ethics can be compared to bathroom
door which indicates an statement of what happen inside.
That's what shows only the door indicatory: “occupied”.
We do not wish, of course, to establish that the character's
“standard” mentioned shall be constant while a model in the
process of fashion production. What it really matters from it is
the “dissimulation” effect, no matter if the model is a bathing
suit (as in this case), or the habit of a nun. What it really
matters is reason that guides on person, no matter who he/she
is, to adopt a “dissimulation” to hide a side of his/hers that, not
being apparent, is replaced for any fantasy.
Social tolerance is something restricted in the ethics field
only. Hypocrisy therein is a social and cultural dissimulating
away, usually adopted to brighten up everything that, although
present in our habits, shall be inconvenient or constraining.
Constrains that, sometimes, has to do with us, or sometimes to
others. Inconveniences that confuse; from a simple opinion that
bothers to a more contusing manifest of displease.
As a pleasant tolerance, by the means of what it seem to
be accepted something that is not appreciated, the
dissimulation of what we do not wish to show is also pure

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cultural hypocrisy. Opinions disguised do not show publicly what
we really are, such as opinions we emit, but the ones we do not
believe in, all is disguising, dissimulation, cultural hypocrisy.
Show something we are not, when this appearance was
adopted as deliberated dissimulation only ¾ is pure hypocrisy!
Defending current ideas and opinions, in the name of ethics
(specially when we do not have much conviction about
anything) is the same thing. All this to state that the
contemporaneous world is more overfilled than never of this
hypocrite feeling that is transformed into general rules. And we
do that not being aware of, finally, what we pretend to others.
The world of “designer names”, “brands”, “slogans”, “styles”
“campaigns” and others so present in media, is the world of
hypocrisy. As, in fact, is the whole fashion universe.
But before this universe, subsists a very current practice of
representation, by the means of which nonexistent realities are
played such as current idealizations. Forms configuration by the
means of which fantasy is inserted as expression practice on
people daily life, becomes usual.
Being in the fashion field or publicity, or yet in the
entertainment, references arise to justify the fantasized model
from the projection that is made of it daily. That's the case such
as “Tiazinha”. However, for beyond caricature developed from
who embodies similar character, is the habit of roles
development that ordinary people build for themselves.
No one wears clothes, as said just now, just for wearing
because clothes assume a series of events that go beyond
transformation of who was in the nude and got dressed. Once
“designer names” and “brands point” in the direction of
idealizations built from means that are produced as “record” of
what is sold.

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 Table V
“What's Most Important on Clothes?”
Bellow 20 Between 20 & 35 Above 35
Confort 11% 18% 34%
Designer Name 15% 17% 18%
Color 16% 15% 14%
Style 17% 16% 14%
Cloth 13% 19% 24%
Fashion 21% 10% 3%
No Parameter 4% 3% 2%
No Answer 3% 2% 1%
Source: Correa, T. G. Moda, Arte, Corpo. Sao Paulo, CEM/Livros, 1999.

A simple reading of the data pointed out by the research

enunciated, keeps revealing that the distinct groups
interviewed, that were divided by ages, have similar ways to
understand the meaning of fashion use.
Thus, as we can see, the most important detail on clothes
for the younger group (21%), is the “fashion” one. That means:
clothes should be associated to this element. In the second
group, of intermediate age (19%), the most important detail is
related to cloth. In the last, the older group (34%), is comfort.
If the observation goes deep, it can be understood that the
selected detail among the intermediate aged group means what
was selected from the third group. The first identifies cloth as
the most important detail. The second, comfort.
No other possible reading will indicate what is found,
actually, in this research: getting older is much more important
to the identification of a situation in which each one is related to
fashion. That's why; once again, fashion is something more
viscerally bonded to youth condition of existence.

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 It was for this reason that elementary patterns of clothes
conception forms could be perceived in social movements,
whose explosion coincided to rupture of previous patterns.
Patterns that, as we know, were incorporated and transformed,
and also themselves into merchandises.
After huge social youth movements from mid 20's,
incorporation by the market, from rupture models with the
current cultural and social standards turned out to be an event
from which is systemize new products marketing? That was the
case of models emerged in the “hippie” movement; it was the
case of models emerged in the “punk” movement. No one
denies that other movements produced, in reaction to
established standards, models and styles that go from how to
dress to musical taste. As no one ignores, likewise, such models
emerged especially in a transgression process to current
esthetics, they ended up being in general adopted by youth at
that time, and thus, emphasizing its transformation into
merchandise.
That is why the second meaning of fashion, the
transgression one hold a very particular importance in the
process of its formulation. Since large social movements,
transgress stopped being a replying “instrument” only to turn
itself into “trademark” of a young generation. Youth started
disposing in this way of acting, manifesting and positioning
against current standards, of a convention in which it is
universally expressed.

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