The document discusses various biases related to gender, race, age, and size that are present in the fashion industry. It notes that gender roles are often reinforced through fashion and clothing choices. While there has been more diversity in recent decades, the industry still underrepresents racial minorities, older models, and larger sizes. For example, in 2013 only 6% of models at New York Fashion Week were black and only 2% were Latina. The document also provides some historical context on the representation of different groups over time.

1. GENDER, RACE, AGE, AND
SIZE BIASES IN FASHION
MARKETING
ERIN MOREAU

2. GENDER
• DEFINITION: ATTITUDES, FEELINGS, AND BEHAVIORS THAT A GIVEN CULTURE
ASSOCIATES WITH A PERSON’S BIOLOGICAL SEX.
• FASHION GENERATES AND ALTERS IDENTITIES BASED ON THE GENDER-BASED
RELATIONS IN A SOCIETY. A MAN WEARING CLOTHES OF A WOMAN IS GENERALLY
RIDICULED AS A FEMININE AND VICE VERSA.
• IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BEFORE WWII THE SAYING “HE BRINGS HOME THE BACON
AND SHE COOKS IT”
• GENDERISM IS THE CULTURAL BELIEF THAT GENDER IS A BINARY, OR THAT THERE ARE,
OR SHOULD BE, ONLY TWO GENDERS- MAN AND WOMAN.
• ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES- GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER (GLBTS)

5. ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES
• BJORN BORG ADVERTISEMENT:
HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=WWOI4PNEMFI
Geena Rocero:
Transgender
Model
Ruby Rose:
Lesbian
Model

6. RACE
• HELEN WILLIAMS WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FASHION MODEL TO CROSS
OVER INTO MAINSTREAM IN THE 1950S.
• SOME BELIEVE THAT THE INCREASE USE OF ETHNICALLY DIVERSE MODELS TODAY IS
JUST A FASHION TREND.
• THE FASHION INDUSTRY GOT A WAKEUP CALL WHEN THEY RECEIVED COMPLAINTS
THAT MANY SHOWS AND MAGAZINES ONLY FEATURED WHITE MODELS.
• IN NEW YORK’S FASHION WEEK OF 2013 6% OF THE MODELS WERE AFRICAN
AMERICAN AND ONLY 2% WERE LATINA.
• VOGUE MAGAZINE HAS 1,416 COVERS AND ONLY 14 HAVE FEATURED MINORITIES
OF ANY KIND.

9. AGE
• MANY FASHION MAGAZINES IGNORE WOMEN OVER A CERTAIN AGE WHICH MAKES IT
DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH FASHION TRENDS.
• VOGUE CELEBRATES WOMEN OF ALL AGES FROM THEIR TEENS TO THEIR 90S EVERY
YEAR IN ITS AUGUST ISSUE. (ONCE A YEAR)
• MAGAZINES PORTRAY CHILD MODELS AS ADULTS AND TRY TO DEEM THEM AS THE
“NEXT” ADULT MODEL.
• YOU CAN GET WORK AS A MODEL IF YOU ARE OLDER- AS LONG AS YOU DON’T
LOOK IT, IF YOU ARE THIN, IF YOU ARE NOT TOO SEXY AND AS LONG AS YOU DON’T
EXPECT TO ADVERTISE CERTAIN PRODUCTS.

12. SIZE
• MODELS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN TO BE THIN- “TOO SKINNY” DEBATE WITHIN
THE FASHION INDUSTRY.
• SIZE 12 AND ABOVE IS CONSIDERED “PLUS SIZE” AND MYLA DALBESIO IS A SIZE TEN
AND THROWN INTO THAT CATEGORY.
• PLUS SIZE MODELS ORIGINATED BY THE EARLY 1920S WHEN LANE BRYANT STARTED
SELLING CLOTHING UNDER A CATEGORY “FOR THE STOUT WOMEN”.
• IN THE 1950S PHOTOGRAPHS WERE INTEGRATED INTO THE CATALOGS AND LANE
BRYANT USED LARGER MODELS TO SHOW THEIR PLUS SIZE CLOTHING.
• VOGUE HAS USED PLUS SIZE MODELS ON THE COVER OF THEIR MAGAZINES.

16. WORKS CITED
• A HISTORY OF RACISM IN FASHION - THE BLACK DANDY. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12,
2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.COMPLEX.COM/STYLE/2012/09/A-HISTORY-OF-RACISM-IN-
FASHION/THE-BLACK-DANDY
• ARE WOMEN THE NEW MEN? (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM
HTTP://WWW.VOGUE.COM/946896/LA-COURSE-THOR-WOMAN-FDNY-FEMALE-CALENDAR/
• DEFINITION OF TERMS: SEX, GENDER, GENDER IDENTITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION. (N.D.).
RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM
HTTP://WWW.APA.ORG/PI/LGBT/RESOURCES/SEXUALITY-DEFINITIONS.PDF
• FASHION AND GENDER ROLES. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM
HTTP://WWW.ACADEMIA.EDU/5349062/FASHION_AND_GENDER_ROLES
• KARPF, A. (2014, FEBRUARY 22). OLDER MODEL: THE WOMEN IN THEIR 60'S 70S AND 80S WHO
ARE SHAKING UP FASHION. RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM
HTTP://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM/FASHION/2014/FEB/22/OLDER-MODELS-IN-FASHION
• LEA-GREENWOOD, GAYNOR. FASHION MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS. SOMERSET, NJ, USA:
JOHN WILEY & SONS, 2012. PROQUEST EBRARY. WEB. 7 NOVEMBER 2014.
• MUST READ STYLE TIPS FOR WOMEN OVER 50. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM
HTTP://FASHION.ABOUT.COM/CS/TIPSADVICE/A/FASHIONOVER50.HTM

17. WORKS CITED
CONT.
• RATH, P. (2008). THE WHY OF THE BUY: CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND FASHION MARKETING. NEW YORK:
FAIRCHILD BOOKS
• SEE THE GORGEOUS SIZE-10 MODEL SOME PEOPLE ARE CALLING PLUS-SIZE. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12,
2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.WHOWHATWEAR.COM/CALVIN-KLEIN-SIZE-10-MODEL/
• THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S RACE PROBLEM: MODELS OF COLOR RARELY GET HIRED. (N.D.). RETRIEVED
NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://THINKPROGRESS.ORG/ECONOMY/2013/08/09/2443841/THE-
FASHION-INDUSTRYS-RACE-PROBLEM/
• TOO BLACK FOR AMERICA: 1950'S BEAUTY HELEN WILLIAMS - THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FASHION
MODEL. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.AROGUNDADE.COM/HELEN-WILLIAMS-
THE-FIRST-BLACK-FEMALE-FASHION-MODEL.HTML
• VALENTINO REWRITES THE RULEBOOK ON HAUTE CUISINE IN A NEW BOOK. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12,
2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.VOGUE.COM/3621933/VALENTINO-AT-THE-EMPERORS-TABLE-BOOK/
• VOGUE BRINGS BACK CONTROVERSIAL CHILD MODEL THYLANE BLONDEAU TO MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE
ALL OVER AGAIN. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014, FROM
HTTP://WWW.THEGLOSS.COM/2014/03/25/BEAUTY/THYLANE-BLONDEAU-PHOTOS-VOGUE-JALOUSE-
CHILD-MODEL-CONTROVERSY/
• WEBSTER, G. (1970, JANUARY 1). RACE AND FASHION: STILL AN ISSUE? RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 12, 2014,
FROM HTTP://WWW.CNN.COM/2011/10/07/LIVING/FASHION-INDUSTRY-RACE/