fashion hype

As much as we are aware that the dress and presentation of the body is far more complex than what is in season now. For many fashion is about glamour, about celebreties, about fantasy and often quite facile.

The pages that you have looked at reflect some of the media and pr aspects of fashion and of course there is marketing and advertising as well. These pages are just a start and you might also like to have a look at some of the reference sites that are in the ecological,cultural or business sections as well.

-- Anonymous, September 03, 1999

Answers

After exploring these sites, I asked myself what fashion was and what I was actually seeing and being sold. I came up with the following points: sexy, glamour, name, image, sharp, clean, celebrities, beauty, hair, face, eyes, complexion and cool!! This is what the fashion industry is all about. What I want to know is that if we aren't any of the above, does that make us dags or uncool? This is what we are made to believe. I understand that fashion is a business and designers/companies will do anything to get a message across. However, fashion is not only about the above and is a lot more complex. A lot of people forget this.

Something I look for in fashion/clothes is comfort and quality. I find tight hipsters and tops uncomforable. Quality is very important to me. Just because an item has a designer label and is expensive, doesn't mean that it is of good quality. I bought two pairs of pants at the beginning of the year, one from a designer/popular shop and the other from a cheaper/less popular shop, and I can tell you the cheaper one has lastest longer and is a hell lot more comforable. Even if they are little more daggier!

Celebrities (models and actors) are used in this industry. And why shouldn't they be! They are needed to advertise various products, and we all know who they are. We see them in the media, they are good looking, thin, popular, famous etc. We just want to be like them. But unfortunately, the majority of us do not look like these people!! We are just normal people trying to make a living and live in this society. What made me laugh a few years back was Jennifer Aniston's hair style. It was so popular all over - hairdressers were going mad with girls wanting the same hairdo. But again, not all girls look like her and therefore the style did not suit them.

The fashion industry will probably never change. I just hope that people will realise that glamour, celebrities, hip, etc is not what it is all about and that it goes further than that. I remember I was at a night club in Chapel Street, and I heard some girls' conversation: "I've got versace this on, and designer that...oh yuck, look at what she's wearing", and just thought what losers!!! Just because I want to wear clothes from Target, doesn't mean I'm a dag! At least its cheap, comfortable and has a variety of sizes.

More next time.

-- Anonymous, September 11, 1999

Beautiful Baby, looking good, fabulous darling.

I love it. It is so full of shit, it can do nothing but make you laugh.

I am a visual person and I love to look. The advertising (sorry) some of the advertising is great to look at and to watch.

I found it hilarious when looking at the fashionnet site. They had a link/advertisement for visa in your face.

This is what I love to hate and find amusing about the fashion industry. Sometimes they are so in your face, and so full of themselves with no subtlity, that you just cannot take any of it seriously.

The other site fashion.af, well they just wanted to sell with sex. All those pictures of scantly clad women (oh and one man, I think. It was so cropped in it was hard to tell).

On the other hand, I do enjoy some of the hype of fashion because I love to look at beautiful things. By this I don't neccessarily mean the models, I am a visual person and some of the hype building companies come up with some beatiful images.

Sorry gettin kicked out the lab, finish another day,

-- Anonymous, September 13, 1999

Referring to Olivia Triandos answer on 11/9/99, I'm agree with you about fashion is much more than just looking glamorous (and all those terms - sexy, cool, hair, etc - that fashion is associated with these days). But, it seems much more than just choosing a cheaper-better quality product over expensive designer clothing, or following the trend. I suppose anyone can look glamour with non-designer-cheaper clothing or without following the trend (well, specially if they are gorgeous with 'Greek'-God and Goddess bodies). I believe Olivia looked gorgeous and to some people glamorous hangin' out around Chapel at the 'Dome' or other night clubs in the area (this is a compliment, ok...no offend :) The catch is USUALLY no one would hang out in Chapel daggy on Weekend nights... it's a glamorous place, the place for the hip and young. No one 'd notice what clothing's brand anyone's else wearing. I'd turn my head and make my count, gorgeous... nah... gorgeous... nah...:)

I think the fashion hype is more about acceptance, social-economic condition, and fetish. Three years ago when i was just 'a young adult', i had to buy only designer clothes... how apathetic that must sound. But i hung out with all these born-rich friends who always looked trendy wherever they were. Well.... i couldn't be just the chaffeur of the car, could i ? Would it be the same if 'my parents' couldn't afford my expenses... well i wouldn't hang out with those friends at the 1st place, would i? I recalled it was more about being accepted by those friends... i.e. with the community i was with. I felt good about myself (high self-esteem), cos simply i looked more glamorous than other average kids. Other than that, what do i have? (yeah you're right, Olivia about ur thought over the 'Versace" girl :)

I would have thought it worked the same way about fashion and sex. Tim Roberts in his answers mentioned about most ads were based on sex. (Well at least the ads companies captured the ATTENTION of the 'visual people', didn't they). They don't have to be model, as long as they show nice bods?, big breast?... you name it. (well, can't show a good, innocent heart with fashion, can it). It's about the acceptance from the community, and sex is something everyone's crazy about in the 1990's (ALMOST, avoid streotyping). Valerie steele (1996) in her book "Fetish : fashion, sex and power" examined the relationship among the 3 terms. It seemed to me that sex - a taboo jargon yet fun, kewl, you-have-to-have-it kind of thing in the 1990's has embedded thru most urban-cosmopolitan community (yet the greatest consumers of fashion). Girls as young as 7 years old have started dieting, according to one survey. I can't think of anything else but the intention of being the next Pamela Anderson or Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal). The idea of finding Mrs. Right (which is based on Cleopatra with a golden heart, ok) and Mrs Right (which is based on Fabio with no make up, ok) shows the incapability of some people to accept themselves from not being the 'Greek' god or goddess.... it's a hell out of a competition out there. And yes i might need to look like one of those movie stars to win the competition (Of course i put it in a sarcasms way, otherwise all the ordinary people who believe in true love should be taken into consideration.... but aren't they the type of people who don't really care about fashion, being glamorous, and you've-got-to-have-sex idea at the first place?) Thus, i'm not surprised if these designers and ads. people are promoting their fashion over sex appeal thru their models or 'indecent' ads. campaign...

Drawing a point, i believe fashion could be used as a means of socialising, of advertising, and most of all - of covering up a human being (from cold/hot weather, self-esteem, too tall, too short, too fat, too thin)

-- Anonymous, September 14, 1999

When I first thought about this topic, "FASHION HYPE" I could only think of endless items that nobody actually ever needs being marketed to us, trying to convince us that if we don't somehow get our hands on one of these new things, we have been left behind. I visited the Fashion.net site and immediately knew that there were big bucks with this site in advertising. Like Timothy, all I could see was visaeverywhere!!! It is a game of money. Whoever has the most, wins.

Fashion hype is all about images, and why we "normal people" should want to be like 'just like that. Fashion is not necessarily about being glamorous, gorgeous or beautiful and sexy. It is more about having and portraying the same image as that which is being promoted at the time. Fashion is a constantly moving industry and is ever changing. This is one of the reasons why some people love it so much. For designers, if you wait around long enough, something you do will make it big, and strangely enough, the weirder and less practical it is, the more likely it is that it will become fashionable.

Olivia stated that "Celebrities, (models and actors) are used in this industry" and I totally agree with this statement, however, we must not lose site of the fact that it is a two way street. The celebrities use the industry just as much as they are being used, I do not feel any sympathy for these people at all.

Once again, back to the fashion.net site, it gave a listing of all the fashion shows by the various designers for the coming season. But how many people do you see walking down the middle of swanston street with a steel wire top and a see-through skirt on.??? Not too many is my guess. So why are these fashion shows so successful and designers still continue to create impractical items of clothing? Because it is the image they are selling. The image of a strong, yet sensitive man, that spends his weekends in his house, by the beach.and if we get our husbands the clothes or fragrance that he has we too can have just as an exciting lifestyle.

Well this just does not have the same impact as it may have ten years ago. Society is getting smarter and is no longer looking through their rose tinted glasses. They smashed them when they got an education. However, the reason why advertising can still be the same is because some people must still own their rose glasses.

-- Anonymous, September 17, 1999

In responding to passages written by Erwin Smaiadji, I agree with the comments Erwin has made about fashion. After exploring the sites on fashion, I do agree that they are very beautiful to look at, by this I mean the fashion and models. But the question is "are those fashions realistic and practical to wear" The very skinny and young models do not fit into the "norm" of our actual body size and shape. I am concerned that these images will distort our body images and especially for teenagers who will starve to try and fit in with the ridiculous fashion trend that will only fit the manority of our population.

Big brand names will often come with a very expensive price, but are they as comfortable and practial to wear as other cheaper brand names. From my own experience, this is certainly not true. However, some people are still willing to pay for expensive designer clothes and I believe this is all about socialisation, acceptance, glamour and being "cool".

It is true as commented by Olivia Triandos that clothing has meaning far more complex than just the traditional definition of covering our naked body. Clothes have been used in a way that clearly indicate who we are, what we do, where we come from and particularly interesting to know that people wearing a particular fashion believe that they will be watched by public. For example, Hollywood movie stars and celebrities always turn up to parties or functions in glamourous and expensive clothes that are often beyond an average person's reach.

Fashion houses and big advertising companies are the money-making machines in the fashion industry. It is a world-wide huge-profit market where they are financially powerful to influence so many people with what they should wear for different occasions (seasons, functions or parties)...The irony of this whole thing is that I don't think models for those fashion advertisings on TV or magazines actually wear those clothes but for the purpose of commercial advertising. I think it is time for us to think again as to who we are and why we have to follow fashion trend.

-- Anonymous, September 21, 1999

Reading everyone's responses about fashion hype made me think of the cliche statement: We are all slaves to fashion.

I am an eng student and I have recently found myself employed part time to sell designer evening wear at Jenny Bannister in Chapel St. This is a totally new field to me but I have learnt quickly. A lot of you say that you need to be tall and skinny to wear designer wear. Lets look at this from an almost engineering perspective. When Clothing is made the way in which the pieces are cut will suit some body types more than others. I know at Jenny Bannisters there are girls who are tall and skinny (size 6-8) and their are dresses they would look ridiculous in. But others they look fabulous in. Same as a size 14-16. (Which we do carry size 14-16 incidentally) It is essential to know you body proportions and be prepared to go up a size for a better fit and get it adjusted. A size 12 in one cut will not necessarily fit you as a size 12 in alternative cut will.

Quite a few celebroities wear Jenny Bannister generally they seek it out as it is different and is designed with the end wearer in mind. See the new issue of Vogue that bright pink Viper dress Kylie is wearing is in one of ours. I have tried it on and I have to say it is (I'm no size 8) and it looks good and is so comfortable. I think it is important to remember that you may only see the celebrities in the things that look good. They may have tried 30-40 dress on before they decide which one they will wear to the logies. They are just people like us and probably dag around in cheap trackie pants at home. Olivia is right the majority of us doin't look like these celebrities but if we had access to the personal trainers, dieticians, and plasic surgeons these people did we could make ourselves more like them. I ask you does a plastic surgeon and a personal trainer make you like yourself. Did you know that often the for large events and advertising designers will lend or hire you clothing.

In terms of the web sites, Exploring some of these sites I noticed some very interesting facts. These sites were not user friendly, they took a time to load you need special plugins(programs) to view fashion shows and you were constantly annoyed by advertising. Yet when they did load they looked sleek and polished (even if the text was difficult to read on sceeen). Kind of sums up the whole fashion hype scene. Difficult to access, hard to perserver with but when the asthetics are right it hard not to be impressed.

-- Anonymous, September 23, 1999

After finally getting into the learning hub and overcoming that obstacle, I was confronted with the difficulty of the web links on the topic "Fashion Hype". While browsing the sites once accessed i discovered that the world of fashion is very difficult to take a hold of in terms of keeping up to date with, getting access to as in the purchase of the latest garments and in addition accessing the web pages in relation to fashion.

Before I browsed the site links, fashion hype is and always will be a major part of my life and so to that of anyone would loves to dress the part and above all look good. I work in the retail industry selling clothing, putting me in the center of the hype and over the past four years of working there have seen and experienced the influence of fashion hype and the advertising that goes with the hype. I have experienced the fashion change from denim to cargo pants and citrus colors to plain basic grays, blacks and whites. It is basically a gimmick to make money and sell something new to the consumer by making their old clothes daggy and the new clothing the in, cool and happening thing to wear. This works well as the advertising that the companies use is in your face as they spend thousands of dollars getting famous people to wear there new clothing making the consumer feel the need to spend money on buying the new clothing because if they don't they are considered to be daggy. To top it off, most of the time the clothing that is being replaced is still wearable and in good condition. The basic motto I think is wear what you are comfortable in and if you are fashion conscious only buy one or two garments which are in fashion and are bold and different. (e.g. one pair of cargo pants not every color available), in mean it is just a fad and will deteriorate with time and become extinct.

In reference to the web sites they are in your face as they are trying to sell thing to you, by showing you fashion shows, meanwhile the page is covered in credit card ads trying to suck-in the venerable consumers. After reading the responses i came to the conclusion that most of us are victims of fashion, and know this to be true but basically continue to follow the fashion in order to look good and stand out in a crowd. Lets face it if us guys saw a female dressed I the latest fashion clothing and another in say a tracksuit, we would tend to be attracted to the women in the up to date fashion clothing. I also believe that this is the case for the females on this site in terms of their view on the male body and its appearance in public regarding the clothing they are wearing. Belindas comment of us wearing trackie pants at home is so true in my case, and the fact that when i go out I dress to impress and Im sure that all of us do.

-- Anonymous, September 27, 1999

Fashion is as many of you have said about being seen and portraying an image. Notice how many designers have their normal collection and then their so-called ready to wear collection. Large fashion houses are aware that many of their items are impractical but it is all about creating publicity, advertising and creating a brand associations and a look for the season. If I was a fashion designer I would want to do the most outrageous crazy things in order to shock people and get their attention and get stacks of free media attention. I would then take elements of this collection ie a central theme and apply elements to my ready to wear collection. This would mean people still associate my ready to wear with the shock, publicity and image that I portrayed in my initial collection. I would use my self-generated fashion hype to perpetuate my brand. This is what many designers do. By using models that are difficult to emulate this assists in the perpetuation of the myth and brand association.

As human being many of us are challenged by the seemingly unobtainable. We always want more. Someone once said: Emancipation (being free of moral or social conventions) is a mixture of independence, belonging and a sense of identity. I ask is this what the fashion industry allows for many people?

-- Anonymous, September 27, 1999

I think Belinda C.'s comments on the 23rd and the 27th Sept brought a point i'd like to raise. On the 23rd, there was a paragraph suggesting the right size with the right body proportion. However, on the 27th in the final paragraph, there was a quotation on sort of 'people want what they have not got/achieved'. In that case, would it be right if most people rush for the ideal body of the glamour celebrities. Guys with 6 PACKS and all those masculine looks with sensitive hearts. Gals with size 6 and a brain like Einstein. How many really in an urban society do not want to chuck out their size 10 if they can fit a size 9 or 8? (both sexes, providing the guys have enough fat to regret) So wether it's from an 'engineering view' or other view, wouldn't it be the same, that all the "skinny" image you mentioned (ideal body) is still desirable?

-- Anonymous, September 27, 1999

It was interesting to hear from people that actually work in the fashion retail trade. I agree with the way Chris stated that it is all in the advertising. Fashion hype is simply a result of a good marketing team. They have captured your attention and are even doing a good job in convincing you to buy whatever it is they are selling. Companies spend a lot of money in advertising their products, and in creating their own fashion hype, and when they are paying celebrities to wear their clothes this should spell out the fact that it is all created. I suppose it could be related to the music industry. When a song is played so much on the radio, even if it annoyed you at the start, you begin to sing along in about the third week they are playing it. (but then there are the really bad ones that should never be played)

When these fashion companies are advertising they are often not just showing us their clothes or the items in their stock. I think a good example of this is the Tommy fragrances advertisements. They are seeling you the fragrance, yes, I agree with that, but they are also selling you an image, or a lifestyle that you think you will have once you wear Tommy. You see a group of teenagers/young adults (all attractive and never overweight) who are enjoying lifeHaving a great timeNot worried about any responsibilities that they should have. I think that sub-conciously the marketing department here are try to tell or show us that if you want to be having a great time just like these people, a good start would be to buy Tommy. I believe that this is the fashion hype that just about every single one of us gets sucked in by every now and then.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 1999

It was very interesting reading everyones comments, it really bought a lot of things to my attention, things that I have never thought of before. I also agree that it was good to hear from you out there working in the fashion industry. Fashion industry is just doing their jobs, and doing it well. As Nadia mentioned, i'm sure we all get sucked into it sometime. But I bring up the point again that fashion goes beyond the fashionable/hips clothes etc, as a few of you mentioned. Everyones individual fashion shows who they are or who they want to be!!! I prefer to wear dark colours. They are comfortable, I feel safe in them. I'm always dressed "neatly", I suppose I can call myself a very conservative dresser. But this is what/who I am. Plain, but conservative and I'm happy this way. I have never bought anything just because it is in fashion. If I happen to buy something that is, it's because I like it and that's all. As Belinda mentioned, people want what they have not got, and want to be what they are not!! But that still is not to say that I don't like fashion hype. I still like to look at magazines, shows, etc. And without sounding like a hypocrit (can't spell it), as Chris said, If I saw a guy in the street in trackies and another with fashionable clothes on, I would prefer to look at the prefer to look at the one with the good clothes on!! As all of you agree, the sites we looked at threw credit cards in our face. As Nadia mentioned, it is a game of money, whoever has the most wins. It's not only the fashion industry that does this though, it's all of them. My cousin just came back from a 4 month trip of Europe. She told me a story of when walked into a shop and the assistant immediately told her that they couldn't help her because she was too fat, (she's a size 12-14 by the way). This made me laugh!! I can therefore also say that it doesn't matter how much money you have, if you haven't got the right body or look, it is no go!!! A bit like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman!!! So what is Fashion Hype all about??? Money or the look or a combination of the both??? I think the latter.

-- Anonymous, September 29, 1999

About a month or so ago some of my friends who work at myer invited me out to a night of free drink and food at a local pub. What is the occasion I asked, oh, some levi's do they answered.

Not known to deny a drink, I went along not knowing what to expect. What I got was a taste of how companies use hype or bullocks as I like to call it, to market themselves.

Levi's were launching either part one or part two of their 'original sin' campaign and felt they had to inform the staff of one of their biggest clients, myer.

In order to inform the staff of myer they felt they had to, in a friendly and casual place, gather the staff that sell their product, give them free alcahol and food and give them a good time.

I thought it was a good way to market themselves as it gave the impression levi's is a good time and that a good time can be had with levi's.

Since levi cannot give everyone this night of fun and associoation, they can give it to the people who can directly influence the decision of the consumer.

I do not mind the fashion bullocks as I can laugh about it. I do see however that it can be detrimental to some peoples lives. Striving for things that are just not obtainable or hard to achieve can make people sacrifice things they really ought not to.

Physical health seems to be the one most of us notice, but what about the mental health. Anorexia is a mental condition, not a physical one.

Someone for instance might be working so hard in order to have an income that can afford the advertised life, that maybe they might have a nervous breakdown or become so stressed that they need an escape and turn to a drug(s).

Trying to be a part of 'it' can play games in a lot of peoples heads.

Someone mentioned that most of society are educated enough to see through the bullocks, but I feel even if most of society can see through the bullocks, they still let it influence them.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

Continue to the previous response about fashion hype....

We all know by now that fashion is more than just about the conventional means of keeping ourselves warm and protecting our body. However we need fashion more than just the reasons mentioned above, fashion is also a part of our fantasy as it creates the image and the person we want to be, and this makes us feel good about ourselves because it satisfies our fantasy. When I put on clothing that is expensive and glamourous, even this is on the outside, it does make me feel good on the inside because for that moment I could be someone else, perhaps someoone with more money and higher social status. It is important for us to now and then escape from our reality and to be someone more special than who we really are, it is also the attentin that other people give that make us feel good about ourselves.

I like fashion, I like to feel special, and if I have a lot of money I would like sometimes to pamper myself by buying expensive and good quality clothes. However, what I do not like is the way the big fashion industry advertise and target their customers. The reasons I do not like it because it mainly targets extremely thin-young girls. This can cause distorted body images for teenagers, who will believe that to be glamourous and beautiful you have to be thin. This belief will make teenagers especially young girls to start dieting at a very young age, this will no doubt cause a lot of health problems physically and also mentally. As you know our actual body size is not not what you actually see in fashion magazines and this sometimes causes great distress for people who feel that they do not look like models in the magazines, they will lose their self-image, confidence and self-esteem.

Today I was watching channel 7's Today Tonight show, it happens to mention body images and fashion. They are now trying to promote women with real body size to be the models for our latest fashion trend. These women are certainly different from the ones I see in the magazines, their body size are more realistic, they are vuloptuous and very beautiful. The message was that more people are aware of the fact that fashion should be about being comfortable, loving your body and good health.

I am very happy to see the fashion hype issue being brought up in the media to make young people more conscious of what fashion should be about, and that fahsion is not realistic when you have to starve yourself or feeling inadequate. I feel that we are begining to understand the importance of how fashion is conveyed to the public but as I said this is only the begining we still have a long way to go!

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

I spotted a couple of Web Sites on new designers' fashion. It was outrageous to see a couple of designs which for sure can never be used either for daily-casual wear or formal wear (with the exception of fringe festival). Then i remember a friend who happened to be learning Fashion once told me, that those outrageous clothings some designers show off are used solely to attract people's attention, to make sure people remember these designers' name.

I thought that's probably it....ATTENTION.....that's what actually is, apart from the function of clothing to cover the body from cold/heat/ dust, etc. Other than those decent people who want to stay unnoticed, fashion is used to get people's attention. Take it from the cultural view, social status, symbol or whatever, fashion is used to symbolise/ help other people identifying the culture/status/symbol's difference. For example, Doctors and their proudly's white robe, Queen Amidala's elegantly gown, Queen Elizabeth's british conservative skirt and blouse. There it is another point to consider.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

Erwin, the points I made were quite distinct. When talking about the 'engineeining' of clothes I made the point that even if you do have have a straight size 8 there is no gaureentee that you will look good in a particular dress. The other thing that happens is we have so many girls come in to announce (quite loudly) that they are a size 6. A size 6 is a very rare thing. Things like ribs get in the way. 99/100 times these girls are a size 8 or bigger and the cut of the dresses aren't a small size.

Although we all try to strive for something better than we have we must realise that even if we do achieve what we set out for ie size 8 a rippling six pack (which no one sees much anyway).There is no gaureentee that we will find what we think is flattering or looks good. As personal taste is a subjective thing. Remember what one person find attracytive the next may not.

The thing I find most frustrating is when I am trying on clothes and a shop assistant sees I am by myself. I will often ask for a larger or smaller size only to find a problem still exist. How often have I heard the words after stating what I feel uncomfortable about "Oh.. That's what all the pants/shirts are like this season.. It's meant to be tight/loose like that." As soon as they say those words I am out of there in a second. I know that they are after a sale and don't give a damm about what thier customers have to say.

I am not one to get caught up in the hype of an item if I feel uncomfortable. I missed out on the skirts over pants look. I misses out on the cargo pant craze and the puffer vests. Call me conservative but at least I don't have a wardrobe full of junk.

I think blaming the fashion industry entirely for the disease anorexia is using a scape goat. This disease has a long history even before mass manufacturing and marketing existed. It just didn't have a name or wasn't publicised. Some personality types are more susceptible than others.

Yes, the trick to Fashion hype is to be see through the facade of images and crap we are presented with and walk away with nothing or only that which we truly want.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

After reading the feedback from other people on the topic of fashion hype I was actually surprised that most people feel the same way about how the fashion industry has forced us into wearing the latest fashion clothes and accessories that we are made to feel abnormal if we go off there perception of what is hip cool and happening, or should i say what needs to be sold to make money and keep making a huge profit in terms of levis for example.

Overall I would classify myself as someone who likes to keep up with fashion and look the part in a variety of different occasions, and I could safely say that I am a victim to fashion hype. In addition to this the place where I work also pushes me to keep up to date with the latest look as in the clothing retail game, you have to look cool hip and happening to sell clothes. After all would you by clothes from a sales assistant who looks like a dag? In most cases the answer would be NO NO NO.

Overall this was a interesting discussion group and I enjoyed reading everyones different view about the topic. In conclusion to I think everyones responses "We are all Victims of fashion and all we can do is sit back and go with the flow"

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999

Wow, I'm finally here in this discussion and I feel like I have missed some really interesting chats. I am pleased to see that my thoughts on the whole fashion indistry and the hype asscoiated with it, are very similar to everyone else in this section. Firstly I totally agree with Belinda's comments on the web pages (sep 23) They really do not accomidate for Joe off the street, you need all the special things to view anything of great substance on these pages. Everything else is just as she said on the surface quite attractive, otherwise there is a lot of advertising. But I suppose thats what the industry is all about!!! I really enjoyed reading all the comments, everyone really seemed to know what they thought about it.

Now what did I think, well, I don't really have a strong opinion in fashion. I like to look good in what I am wearing, but I'll tell you this it is very rare for me to leave the house in something I am not comfortable in. I don't think I am alone in this. As Nadia said how many people would you see walking down Swanston street in a wire skirt. Those who do chose to step out in clothes for appeal to them not for them, well I suppose it's their choice, but not that amny people do. I know if I see parts of a fashion show on T.V or somewhere, I always seem to say, who is going to where that. Maybe this is some of the appeal of it all. It is exciting, and we are all trained to think that it is attractive. This aspect is starting to be questioned a lot more now, as the models get skinnier and the whole industry semms to be getting further and further from the norm. I was thinking after looking at the web sites that maybe I'm not hat interested in the industry because I know I will never be close to being that kind of person. I don't hvae enough money, IO don't have the looks etc....but hen I was thinking that I do follow the fashion. it's just not eh one that is really displayed to be so superior. I dress in the comfy jeans and top kind of thing. I'll wear some high heels when I go out, and I've only been to Chapel street once (anmd I went to the movies). I was thinking that Maybe I have been more attracted to the grunge, alternative rock fashion. This realisation made me think, WELL DONE. That industry is so clever it has got me right in there, buying all the right clothes, listening to the right music without even knowing it!!! BUt the thing is I don't really care. I dress for my self and what I like at the time, depending on more my mood than what the models in the magazines are wearing. As Chris said yes we all bomb around the house in our trackies and then dress up to leave the house. Tim made an important point and I think it also sums up how I fell about fashion and it's hype, about how fashion hype doesn't stress him, but it sure stresses plenty of others. It seems to have created many problems (mainly weight) we don't seem to realise it, but it weasles it's way into our lives at an early age, when we first start buying our clothes, chosing our music, books, movies and even friends. I know I can't really remember any cool kid being the loner at school (unless he was too smart). Some people fight it, some people thrive on it and others (like me) just go with the flow. The advertising does reinforce these three paths. This is because it is sometimes so subtle but so clever that it is always there telling us how and who we should be like. This is like the aspects of celebrities, I love them, I'm a killer for watching E.T and catching all the goss but it doesn't mean I want to be like them. In a way I fell sorry for them as they have more and more expectations to live up too. Give them a breal they are only human. Mind you I agree with the comments that if we had as much money and personal trainers (and pressure)we could be like them too. But I wouldn't want to. Sorry this entry has been so long, but it's my only one. In closing I just want to say that I think the industry and it's hype is all quite interesting, but I tell you what, at times I am so over it!!

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999