The Forum > Article Comments > Enhancing our identity-deprived lives > Comments
Enhancing our identity-deprived lives : Comments
By Jane Rankin-Reid, published 24/4/2006Has our exasperated, impatient, characteristically nationalistic demand for social homogenisation placed the realities of cultural authenticity beyond our ethical reach? Discuss!
- Pages:
-
- Page 1
-
- All
- Pages:
-
- Page 1
-
- All
We see glimpses of this in Acoubra hats and the such like. I'd like to see other truly indigenous (Both white and Aboriginal) expressions of 'Australian' culture in fasion design.
This kinda threw me:
"The long held myth that we women dress predominantly to appeal to the opposite sex, rather than as an expression of our own cultural condition or personal ideals has proved harder to disabuse, in part due the international fashion industry’s marketing of sexuality as an open source commodity."
Myth ? well, probably true for some women, but given that the reproductive urge is second only to 'Survival'(yet is closely related to it) I find the idea very real and not very mythological.
What annoys me most, is the way the fashion industry see's its social calling to regard breasts as a 'fashion accessory' almost. It seems many designers include 'how much can I show' garments.
The cynical (Like me) sees in such things a cheap and lazy blatant grab for attention and cash. Just like the B movies and the TV stations who's motto seems to be "Ratings down, NEED MORE SEX" kind of thing.
Authenticity in fashion, in my humble though forthrightly stated opinion, should not pander to our lower nature. It should look at creatively displaying ourselves, yet in a modest way. (i.e. modest with our yummy bits). To do otherwise sends the wrong message to our children and our peers, and surely does not help our parents generation to feel confident about the future.
Let the day come, when we can creatively and colorfully display
3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.1 Peter 3
Outer beauty without inner richness of character is useless. If we were blessed with wonderful looks, should we 'flaunt' them? Who does this help? and how ?