Summer is here. The season conjures images of sun, sand, and relaxation. Unfortunately, it also conjures up thoughts of poor body image in girls and women. We race to the mall, trying to find the most flattering swimsuits that will make us look “smaller.” We scroll through our Facebook newsfeeds and find posts and status updates… Continue Reading →
The case of the working woman’s fashion crisis
Last month, I started my first paid, full-time job. At the beginning, I was anxiously guessing the expectation for women’s fashion at work: what I should wear, how my hair should look, if I needed to wear makeup. I started to feel like no matter what I did to primp and prepare, I never looked as… Continue Reading →
Why I say yes to the dress
What do you do if you find yourself loving a TV show that promotes values you don’t support? Such is the case for me with TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. The gist of the show is women come to Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City with a variety of friends and relatives (their “entourage”)… Continue Reading →
Is exercise even good for you anymore?
“Sweat is fat crying,” said the back of the gym shirt of the man in front of me at the grocery store, who was red-faced and drenched in perspiration. He had succeeded, apparently, in reducing his fat to tears, during his recent workout. I admittedly, at first, found his “motivational” shirt funny. I quickly realized,… Continue Reading →
Holland’s Next Top Model just made a huge mistake
Recently, I was working on a part of my PhD thesis wherein I had to describe why my research about body image is important for the broader public. Piece of cake. But my supervisor wasn’t pleased with the final product: “You need to make it crystal clear that body image is a hot topic in… Continue Reading →
DC Super Hero Girls — to the rescue?
Growing up, I remember how frustrating it was that my brother could swipe away the Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters action figures that I was playing with if he decided he wanted to play with them. They were his toys after all. Although we shared toys like Lego and Nintendo, the bulk of my toys were… Continue Reading →
Why Lauren Conrad is more powerful than anyone probably ever thought
I don’t know much about Lauren Conrad. Just that she was on MTV’s The Hills (or Laguna Beach? Or The OC? Or all three?) and that she now has some lifestyle blog (because who doesn’t?) that covers “primping, dining, decorating, crafting, reading and fashion.” Ms. Conrad is on my radar these days, however, because she… Continue Reading →
Fury Road? More Like Furiosa Road!
I went to the movies over Memorial Day, and now all I can think about is Mad Max, Mad Max, MAD MAX! That is, of course, only the title of the movie. Because if I was going to jump up and down excitedly screaming the name of the main character, I would be saying, “FURIOSA!”… Continue Reading →
Just “Bad Blood,” or bad body image?
[media url=”youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo/A&W=415″] Nude bodices, come-hither poses, and full body scans of a barely clothed body: Taylor Swift’s latest video, “Bad Blood,” is the culmination of her sexual evolution, which we began to see with the release of her album 1989 in 2014. Sexual, or at least sensual, lyrics trickle through the album (“his hands are… Continue Reading →