The Body and the Reproduction of Femininity, written by Susan Bordo makes use of both traditional, as well as coins new, terms for cultural studies, sociology and feminist discourse in general. In an analysis of how the ‘ideal feminine’ form and character we know in U.S. society has come to be and what the repercussions of that idyllic form-- eating disorders taken on by thousands of young girls and women across the country-- mean. Bordo breaks down advertisements and interviews to shed light on this disturbing trend. I find her writing to be timeless in the sense of how the intelligible body, the one that embodies our cultural conception of what our body should appear to be, is constantly constructed by media. It is a fairly plot-able pattern over the last two centuries, all one needs to do is look at the advertisements of the time period. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a 100% original copy of an Ann Taylor employee manual, or as seen in the photo---Your Brand Assimilation and Becoming Ann Inc. As we have yet to really cover the term ‘assimilate’ in a cultural sense, though it would still have dual meanings, the straight dictionary definition ranges from, “to understand”, all the way “to absorb” and “to resemble”. After a thorough reading of Bordo’s analysis accompanied by Ann Taylor’s ‘manuals’ I almost screamed with excitement, outrage, and disgust at being able to recognize and term what was written. The inter-textual references Bordo uses when speaking of the advertisements she analyzed were always rooted in the poses and body types of the women, skinny and masculine in clothing design, these women were meant to appear in control. As many of the interviewed women stated, to them not eating was being in control of what they consumed and thus how they appeared, and as implied by the media, how they were. Bordo’s exposure of the intention behind these advertisements is a perfect example of the socially constructed identity of ‘woman’. I plan to do more research into Ann’s assimilation manuals, but for now I would ask the guys in the group to comment and let me know what you think of when I say Ann Taylor, as well as the girls---it’s a little prep for a future project for another class. Thank you!
When I think of Ann Taylor, I think of a strong, independent, working woman. I think of blazers and dress pants and pumps. I see exactly the image that the clothing company wants me to see. Your blog was really interesting! I used to work at Abercrombie & Fitch... and we had an employee manual that was probably very similar to this one. We even had to watch a video upon being hired to be sure that we understood how to embody "the look" that A&F employees needed. They had strict rules for our appearance, down to our toenails and the style of makeup we could wear. All employees had to look like this one prototype of what an "A&F Girl" would wear. Needless to say, I quit that job after only a month.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar situation to Ally, but first, I think of an intelligent, sophisticated older woman who knows what she wants in life when I think about Ann Taylor. She sets goals for herself and reaches them independently. Basically, she does not stop until she get what she wants, and of course, she looks good doing it.
ReplyDeleteAs for other stores, I have a different outlook. A friend and I were walking home after class one afternoon when we were approached by two women who seemed to be in there 20's. They asked us a few questions about school and then proceeded to bring up Gilly Hicks (similar to Abercrombie & Fitch) and why we would be the perfect girls to work there. I am not trying to sound conceded, but it was pretty obvious that we were approached because of our looks or how we dressed. There were plenty of other girls walking near us who were completely disregarded and ignored. Needless to say, I did not want to be apart of a business that prides themselves in creating a certain "image" that someone needs to fulfill in order to work there.
Ann Taylor brings to my mind sophistication and business wear, perfectly fitting and tailored outfits, and classic pieces for any woman's wardrobe, and expensive but high quality clothing.
ReplyDeleteThe two stories above are quite interesting. I am often turned off by the workers at Hollister or Abercrombie and such stores because of the way they look like models and dress head to toe in their respective store's clothing. Not to mention I always feel intimidated going into those stores! While I do not like the way they going about hiring associates for their stores based on looks and body type, I also understand how and why they need to go about doing it that way. They want someone to endorse their clothing and look good doing it. By their admittedly good style, they are showing customers how the clothing looks on them and that, yes, they should buy it too. It's all about appearances and selling the product, which is part of the appeal why brand name stores like a&f are around.
Btw, it's cool you have that original manual!