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[ReineD]

I've made an observation about the fashion industry.

The magazines do us a disservice in order to get our money. They picture the most exaggerated, seductive poses and clothes with OTT accessories sometimes, on way more beautiful girls than the average in ideal deserted settings, making us all want to look like that. I've fallen for it a few times and when the clothes came I just didn't wear them, since compared to my local grocery store customers, I looked like a hooker or was way overdressed. lol. I think a lot of CDs fall for the fashion mag "image", but they carry it out in public and maybe this is why they get negative comments. Just a thought.

What I'm saying is that a lot of the clothes in the young, hip, fashion mags don't look improper on the models in those settings, but when you translate them to real life in settings that are not nightclubs, they do make the wearer seem out of place. I'm not talking JC Penny. lol.

If you stood on a busy street in an urban area and took photos of passerby GGs, there'd be a huge difference between their looks and what we all see in fashion mags.

How many of you fall for the "look" in mags, but don't end up wearing the stuff in public just because it seems out of place? Or how many of you do wear those outfits and end up getting stared at?

[BRANDYJ]

I know exactly what you mean Reine. They exaggerate what you might look like in that garment. Most models are tall and skinny. That is nothing like the average woman at all. Then add the setting, the perfect hair and makeup, not to mentiont he touch up of the photos and you have a fantasy shot not much different from what some CD's might do to look good. lol
I for one like the look of a woman that is anything but skinny. I once read that the average size for American women is size 14. That is a size that women with nice feminine curves would be. Give me the thicker thighs, bigger hips and I see that as so much more feminine then the models that could pass as boys (body shape wise) in other clothes.
The ideal back in the 30's, 40's and even 50's was woman built like Marilyn Monroe or Jane Mansfield. They had some meat on their bodies and were beautiful, feminine and sexy.
No, I don't fall for the phony look of the designer clothes on the skinny models. Nice to look at perhaps, but not reality.

[busker]

Reine, I too have thought that but one could say the same for men's magazines. I recently looked at a Forbes magazine that was specifically addressing very expensive "toys" more or less and was absolutely fascinated and awed at the prices of a Swiss watch that chimed the hours--850,000.00. Yup, nearly a million bucks. What I think happens is that the real audience for a lot of fashion is small, but in order to pay for the "display" they try to appeal to the average person and often do. As you say, it looks great in the mag, but in reality, you wind up looking like a hooker and out of place.
Men's mags sell the same look--GQ for example, but men --in most cases--just don't dress that way anymore. The only males that I see now wearing suits are the young guys from the Mormon church.
The other side is that I think more and more women dress in the "I don't give a s..t mode a lot these days. When I read what the girls here say about dressing, and then I try to fit that in with what I actually see, I know why a lot of girls get read and ugly comments--they simply don't fit in with the norm. I've lived in California for 50+ years and have seen the fashion of both men and women hit the skids--also in part to the fashion industry that caters to the "grunge?" look--torn pants, poor choice of color matching, etc.
It used to be "dressy "casual here (loafers, wool pants or khakis, sweaters or jackets; dresses for the women or slacks and blouse. Now it is jeans and sneakers and tee shirts for far too many, especially older women) -now it is slovenly at best.
Most of the GGs I see probably haven't worn garters and hose since the sixties and while there is certainly some eroticism to them, they do seem over the top in ordinary wear but certainly not if porn fashion is what drives a lot of people. I just don't know and haven't figured that one out yet.
If one is a stay-at-home CD, then any fashion can work, even over the top, because one is never OTT in one's own company.
It is mostly fantasy anyway, isn't it?

[ReineD]

It is mostly fantasy anyway, isn't it?

For those who don't go out, I suppose it could be. But the danger is when CDs attempt to emulate the looks and they do go out in public. And then wonder why the gaping. It's really sad because all they want is to be accepted for who they are, and not be made spectacles of.

[jeannanj]

I've often fell for that "Look". Still do on occassion but certainly don't have the body of those girls lol. Now that I'm serious thinking about going out for my first time I have become much more interested in casual attire. Just like so many have mentioned here. I don't want to draw anymore attention.

[abigail43]

Going out is not about standing out it is about blending in I dress for the occasion if I am going shopping I generally dress comfortably and wear my flat shoes I still like to feel pretty and this can be achieved with out being over the top you can still be glamorous and not look out of place. As for the magazine look the Advertisers are just trying to get you to buy their gear they have to make a living as well. If you were Advertising something wouldn't you present it in the best possible way

[az_azeel]

from the great Scots bard himself Robert Burns...

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!

PM me if you want a translation....

[TxKimberly]

Well for me, it's a good news / bad news thing.
For the most part, I don't really care what is popular or what the magizines show. I've never bought a single magazine, though of course I have admired thousands of covers standing in check out lines.

I wear what I think looks nice. I wear what pleases me and makes me feel confident and attractive.

So the good news for me is that I am not a slave to the fashion industry or it's ideals. The bad news is, as I am finding out more and more often lately, my prefered styles are somewhat dated and out of fashion. Perhaps I need a happy medium . . .

[sherib]

ReineD, I think your talking more about the clothes all the crossdressing stores sell. All the models are beautiful young girls with fabulous shapes and long beautiful legs. When we buy those clothes and put them on, we don't look anywhere close to how they looked in the advertisment. Thats why I try to buy all my clothes from regular department stores.

[Karinsamatha]

The magazines do us a disservice in order to get our money. They picture the most exaggerated, seductive poses and clothes with OTT accessories sometimes, on way more beautiful girls than the average in ideal deserted settings, making us all want to look like that. I've fallen for it a few times and when the clothes came I just didn't wear them, since compared to my local grocery store customers, I looked like a hooker or was way overdressed. lol. I think a lot of CDs fall for the fashion mag "image", but they carry it out in public and maybe this is why they get negative comments. Just a thought.

I don't have a snowballs chanch in $^(*& of fitting into those fashions and looking passable. And yes I did fall for it once.
A small fact that some gg overlook - is that those clothes are designed for people who wear nothing larger than a size 2 or 3. Strange when you consider the population is much larger.

[~Michelle~]

The bad news is, as I am finding out more and more often lately, my prefered styles are somewhat dated and out of fashion. Perhaps I need a happy medium . . .

Why is that bad news for you TxKimberly, because earlier you said "I wear what I think looks nice. I wear what pleases me and makes me feel confident and attractive."

[TxKimberly]

Why is that bad news for you TxKimberly, because earlier you said "I wear what I think looks nice. I wear what pleases me and makes me feel confident and attractive."

Well in a perfect world, what I like, and what makes me feel confident, WOULD be in fashion and in style. LOL

[linnea]

I think that you're right, Reine. And TxKimberly--you're doing what I try to do myself. I also spend a lot of time observing "ordinary" women (not gawking or staring, of course). Still, it's sometimes hard to find the right fit and look and feel. But I'll keep trying--mostly in thrift stores.

[Kathi Lake]

Well of course I would love to look like the younger, trendier models - I mean hey, who wouldn't? However, I am neither young or trendy. Instead, I have to settle for tall and thin. The clothes I wear are the ones that make me go wow when I see myself in them. Of course, the things that make me go wow aren't exactly ones you would see in a Vegas nightclub, but more of the ones you would see in a nicer mall - feminine, but classy. I could never pull off the look of the sexier women, but that's OK - I don't want to.



Kathi

[Von]

As a man, I've always thought much fashion was over the top. I'm not particularly attracted to fashion models (although there aren't many women who don't have something attractive about them), or to the clothes they wear. I've always told the women I've dated that they look sexy in a t-shirt or a robe. And meant it. Women are beautiful. Not that I mind seeing them in a skirt or a dress, but simple always works for me. Same goes for makeup.

When I'm wearing women's clothes, nothing quite seems to look feminine enough. I think it has to do with the underlying individual. I need 'more' to feel like I look feminine, whereas the average woman already looks feminine...

Having said that, I've never had on makeup, or a wig, or heels. It's feminine casual - shorts and a camisole, etc. Even though I feel like I need extra to look feminine, I'm quite conscious of over-the-top. I see plenty of CDs/TSs here who look feminine in a tasteful way. If I don't, no amount of gold leaf is going to change that...

[Karen564]

[SIZE=2]So what else is knew....they've been doing this since fashion has been around from day one..[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]As far as the marketing end of it, I know all about it from the editors I worked with when I was in the printing industry..[/SIZE]

[kellycan27]

I was going to stay clear of this thread, but I just had to ask...........
I agree with what Reine says about the advertising to a certain extent, but I am wondering if we ourselves are a little to blame. I am sure we have all seen outfits posted in some of the picture posts that are OTT, but in our desire to be supportive and pc, and maybe make an effort to spare some one's feelings we rant and rave about how "beautiful" you look. So in doing this are we not saying.. yeah you look great, giving someone the confidence to venture out in an outfit that maybe they shouldn't?
I am probably going to get hammered for what I am about to say next, but here goes.
Ladies, there actually is such a thing as age appropriate attire. I am talking cder's,gg's, TS's... all of us. I see it all the time here in Las Vegas. I see it and I watch other people's reactions. I see smiles, frowns, looks of puzzlement to down right amazement. You may be saying to yourself, hey kelly that's your opinion and... maybe it is, but I can say for certain just by people's reactions that it is an opinion shared. A lot of people don't have the body to pull to off, but I think that the combination of the "pink fog" and encouragement from our peers might cloud one's judgement at times.
I am not trying to be catty or cruel, I am just trying to keep it real. I would hate to see anyone hurt or ridiculed for just trying to do their thing. So take it for what it's worth and be happy.

Kel

[Loni]

i have no problem wearing anything out of a "fashion" mag, as i can not afford those things anyway.
i just try to buy things that hopefully make me look good. fit right, and will still be around in a couple years.

but yes some of the lady's look great in them...but that is only a photo retouched up with a airbrush..wait that is old school now it is done on a computer.

.

[AKAMichelle]

Luckily I don't fall for the fashion mags. I know that at age 50 I need to look like a normal 50 year old women even if that means wearing clothes that are outstanding like in the mags.

[Kara Connor]

I like to see the models in fashion magazines. Many are gorgeous, and show the zenith of what can be achieved (often with a little computer enhancement). As long as you take it as something to aim for, but realize you are unlikely to achieve, I don't see the harm.

[Presh GG]

I'm in with Kelly on this one. [ And maybe I should leave it alone too]

But, here goes,, We belong to a great club and I can tell from 50 ft. if someone is accepted and/ or encouraged at home. Some of the gals are the nicest people you'd ever want to know but, gosh they need a helping hand with make-up and dress. [ hey, I'm not saying I'm at the top of my game always, either !

Yes, Kelly a little honesty is needed sometimes, never , ever to be catty, or mean .. just the opposite. To be a real sister.

All magazines should be in the same basket as the national inquirer.

Presh

[mklinden2010]

Ignoring the fact that the summary question basically boils down to, "How many of you are fools, or, have made fools of yourself..." I'll offer this response:

I'm not sure what "service" the fashion magazines owe "us..." So, I'm not sure they're doing us a dis-service by getting our attention, getting us to consider their product, and directing us to where it can be bought. Who, selling something, doesn't make a pitch?

Fashions come and go, so the selling has to sell the current idea of youth, sex, energy, social acceptance, and other non-tangibles for us to "care" about butt covers, chest covers, and head covers...

I do not feel dis-served. I ignore most of what is being offered. Look around... Most people do.

Too bad for the fashion industry... That just leaves them trying harder and harder... With ever more ridiculous pictures and poises.

Life goes on.

[Kathi Lake]

Well if Kelly is in for a penny, and Presh is in for a pound, I'm in for five pounds at least!

I try to post encouraging comments - or at least what I view as helpful comments - on the picture threads. Some threads, however, I open and immediately shut. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I'm not really into fetish clothing (though many people would say that a man wearing women's clothes is, incorrectly, a fetish), I'm not into thongs, and I am not into skirts short enough that you can almost see the wearer's colon. I don't try to overcompensate for my lack of femininity by wearing something that is so stereotypically (and incorrectly) female that most women wouldn't even touch it. Notice all of the "I" words in these statements. I'm talking about me. Not you. You are, by being you, not me and therefore are different. Not worse. Not better. Different.

As Reine said, it's about image. The image I'm trying desperately to convey is one of, "Hey, I'm just as normal as you are. And yes, it is a cute outfit. Thanks!"

Do I hit it? Not every time, or very well, but I try.

[Sammy777]

I don't think that fashion magazines really have that much of an impact [or are to blame] for how most dress.

That goes for GG's, CD'ers, TS's, and everybody inbetween.

Maybe it is the thrill of it, as some have said before: a bit too much of the "oh you look great", and "that's cute" or "you go girl" when someone on here is wearing something best left in the bedroom, or in their teen-aged/twenty somethings daughter's closet but is, in a way, given validation on it being something to wear out at all, let alone something you should not be wearing to run to the corner store for a gallon of milk.

If you want to wear something way out of your "age bracket" go ahead, but just be sure to realize you are in fact doing it, and not falling for all the "go girl" praises and cheering.

Not to point out any person or age range in particular, but I think it is just common sense to know that at a certain age it is time to put away the Brittney Spears 10 inch schoolgirl skirts, leather minis, Daisy Dukes and other such clothing that is better suited to high school and college aged girls.

And that has nothing to do with magazines, but a lot of time girls of a certain age just don't get it and think it is still ok to dress like a trashy 20 y/o in public.

If your going to do it, at least be aware that you are and be prepared to be called out on it, that's all I'm saying.

All of this reminds me of a pic I posted as a laugh some time ago, but still rings true today.

[AlisonRenee]

Reine,

You make a good point, and probably the best of that is just this - out of the millions of women on this planet, most aren't models nor do they fit the stereotypical ideal - whatever that's supposed to be. Women feel a lot of pressure to conform to that ideal and it's really pretty artificial and unrealistic.

From my own point of view - being fifty-something, I am far more comfortable in clothes that suit someone like me. I pay attention to the things that women who resemble me wear in their everyday walk through the world, with a little nod to style. What's reality for a typical fiftyish woman? She's had a couple of kids, gravity's done the bad thing, and she's going to dress to accentuate the positive and help her feel confident. The OTT look may sell magazines, but not to me.

What's realistic about a fifty-something in skimpy. body-hugging little outfits? I can't think of a worse way to call attention to myself, it's like "Where's Waldo-in-a-dress".