SEXUALITY IN CONTEMPORARY FASHION IMAGES

Depiction of Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Fashion Images



Depiction of Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Fashion Images

Introduction

Sexuality, one of the central aspects of human existence, encompasses a range of expression that can vary by historical moment, culture, social or economic class, and even the individual. Its seeming fluidity and scope can make it difficult to comprehend. Closely connected with the notion of sexuality is gender. Gender is a set of stories people tell themselves and each other about what it means to be male and female. Like sexuality, stories about gender vary among individuals, cultures, and historical eras. As with any complex, socially created quality, individuals create and recreate their gender throughout their lives. Sexuality and gender are intimately intertwined concepts in the sense that gender assists individuals in navigating sexual choices, in helping them find others with whom sexual activity may be a possibility.

Gender or sexuality is a more of a social rather than biological creation. Brod (1995) asserts that gender is a mixture of social interactions and social relations. Gender is created by society and reflects the way people conduct relationships. It is an aspect that is exhibited in people's day to day lives. There are numerous gender codes that are deemed as acceptable in society. These codes may come in the form of character traits, behaviours and material aspects. In this regard, society expects that different genders should own or long for different material qualities in cars or items of clothing. (Pleck, 1981) This is the point where ideas about fashion depict society's gender relations. These ideas will be examined in detail in the subsequent portions the essay.

Depiction of Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Fashion Images

Brod (1995) asserts that in the past, masculinity was clearly defined in the workplace. In the twentieth Century, most men were considered as breadwinners and women were expected to be home makers. However, industrialisation changed this as work became more mechanised. Men were not the only ones who could provide labour. With time, more and more women began penetrating into positions that were previously considered masculine. They started doing clerical jobs and others even took over as the main providers in their families. Eventually, what was considered a male domain had now been changed/. Many philosophers have suggested that this is the source of gender struggles that have been become a common feature in today's society.

Kimmel (1996) explains that the shift in masculinity has created unclear images about the male gender. For instance, one may expect men to show elements of their emotions yet at the same time claim that there should be strong and heroic. Men who may not depict these types of behaviour may be considered a socially deviant. This gender crisis has been depicted in fashion images. Before the crisis, fashion images mostly focused on women as objects of consumption while men on the other hand were objects of production. Most fashion items concentrated on women as their most important ...