Lucie Mowat
Abstract
Past authors, philosophers, critics, and scholars have debated the importance of fashion design in our media and how judgments of it influence our culture’s choices and opinions. However, not many industry professionals have considered the impact that fashion in popular fairy tales has on societal stereotyping based on one’s outward appearance. In her article titled “Fairy Tales And Fashion Criticism,” Rachel Matthews brings up the frustrating dichotomy between wanting to care about one’s appearance and not wanting to come across as excessively vain and self-obsessed (Matthews). This conflict arises due to the media’s ruthless scrutiny and appraisal of fashion. Tales that identify a character by their clothing can greatly inform us about their attributes, sexuality, status, goals, and faults. While reading these stories, we must ask ourselves a question. How does fashion within fairy tales influence the social context of our lives and expose the ramifications of our implicit biases towards what someone is wearing? I will be identifying the importance of fashion design within fairy tales such as “Cinderella” and children’s movie classics such as Brave by examining the social repercussions that prominent articles of clothing in these tales have uncovered. I will articulate how fairy tales reinforce class hierarchy through the portrayal of fashion in a few ways. These tales construct happy endings as class mobility represented by one’s attire and depict beauty standards as the primary conduit for gendered class mobility over other methods of agency. In doing so, these iconic fairy tales relegate power to unattainable iconography in fashion. My extensive research illustrates how the stereotypes perpetuated in mainstream literary media are the root of common implicit biases we hold towards one another daily. We predominantly base many of our initial opinions of others on our judgments of their physical nature, i.e., their clothing. In just a few seconds of meeting someone, we have come up with assumptions, correct or not, about their gender, personality, status, and wealth. It is important to understand why we make these superficial judgments and where they materialize in our psyche in order to eradicate them effectively.
How Fairy Tales Reinforce Class Hierarchy through the Portrayal of Fashion
While humans have worn clothing for over 170,000 years (“UF”), the intention behind the design and creation of garments only emerged 163 years ago (“History”). This purposeful construction of clothing characterizes what we have come to know as the art of fashion design. Today, avant-garde designs grace fashion runways and collections, leaving consumers hypnotized by these outrageous, typically unwearable, garments.
To better identify where the inspiration for these looks comes from, we must turn to our cultures’ literary media consumption to see how different fashion designs popularize within our society. The decade-old medium of storytelling and fairy tales greatly influences our fashion choices more than most people realize. Fashion in fairy tales can escalate a character’s status, privilege, and power by transforming their outward appearance. The barrage of stereotypes in literary media encourages societal biases towards one another based on clothing. These judgments inspire the sexualization of women and the concept of clothing’s ability to elevate social rank. With this in mind, how does fairy tale fashion influence the social context of our lives and expose the ramifications of our implicit biases towards what someone is wearing?
To answer this question, I will articulate how fairy tales reinforce class hierarchy through the portrayal of fashion in a few ways. To support my argument, I will reference fairy tales such as “Cinderella” and children’s movies such as Brave. The stories provide iconic female characters whose personality traits, status transformations, and societal reputations reflect and depend upon their appearances and clothing. I will also briefly mention the fictional superhero, Superman, to aid my argument regarding the power of symbolism in fashion.
The Brothers Grimm version of “Cinderella” follows the tale of a young girl whose two stepsisters and evil stepmother maliciously torment her after her mother’s death. With the aid of a white bird, Cinderella is able to attend the King’s three-day festival, each day showing up in a gown more stunning than the last. Due to her beauty, the prince falls in love with Cinderella and is adamant about discovering her true identity. In the end, Cinderella and her prince earn their happily ever after, and the stepsisters get “punished with blindness as long as they live” (Grimm). This classic fairy tale conveys to young children that people will treat you better if you have an attractive outward appearance. Cinderella’s value as an individual is ascribed to her clothing rather than her personality.
Brave, Pixar’s first ever fairy-tale-based movie, greatly contrasts the leading female depiction in Cinderella by portraying a young Princess Merida as strong, athletic, and brave. While Merida’s family expects her to find a husband, she would rather be off practicing archery and exploring the forest. Merida decides to take matters into her own hands by consulting a witch who promises to change her fate. Merida is constantly being told by her mother to “act like a princess,” which perpetuates the idea she must act and look a particular way to be desired by the opposite sex.
With the aid of these examples, I will articulate how fairy tales reinforce class hierarchy through the portrayal of fashion in a few ways. These tales construct happy endings as class mobility represented by one’s attire and depict beauty standards as the primary conduit for gendered class mobility over other methods of agency. In doing so, these iconic fairy tales relegate power to unattainable iconography in fashion.
These damaging literary depictions are significant due to the strong influence they have on young children who look up to the prominent figures in these tales. These tales teach young consumers that what someone wears is directly related to how that person should be treated. This dangerous mindset reflects harsh beauty standards that infest the fashion industry today.
Fairy tales such as “Cinderella” construct happy endings as class mobility represented by the iconic dress, and in doing so, reinforce class hierarchy through the portrayal of fashion. In their version of “Cinderella,” the Grimm Brothers tell the story of a young woman who experiences a rags-to-riches transformation, a popular archetype in literature and media. At the beginning of the tale, Cinderella’s two stepsisters torment and treat her very poorly. The two girls “took her [Cinderella] beautiful clothes away from her, dressed her in an old gray smock, and gave her wooden shoes” (Grimm 148). From this moment on, Cinderella is cruelly mocked and mistreated by her stepsisters for looking “dusty and dirty” (148). Cinderella’s terrible treatment is directly reflective of her unpleasant physical appearance. Cinderella’s stepmother mocks her wishes to attend the King’s festival by declaring, “No, Cinderella, you have no clothes, and you don’t know how to dance. Everyone would only laugh at you” (Grimm 150). However, a white bird feels sorry for Cinderella and gives her a stunning gold and silver dress to wear to the festival. The stepmother and stepsisters do not recognize Cinderella and think “she must be the daughter of a foreign king “(Grimm 150). Cinderella’s beauty enchants the prince and causes everyone at the festival to treat her like royalty.
Through the use of lavish gowns and extravagant shoes, Cinderella drastically changes the way others perceive her. She is still the same person before and after the makeover, but her elegant attire has given her a superficial elevation of status. The rapid switch in Cinderella’s treatment shows how people’s minds explicitly relate someone’s looks to their status and self-worth. Rebecca-Anne Do Rozario, author of Fashion In The Fairy Tale Tradition, is fascinated by “the power of clothing to redefine identity” (Rozario 4) present in “Cinderella.” Rozario describes how Cinderella gains empowerment through wearing her lavish gown and slippers, similar to how certain clothes establish one’s public identity and authority in modern society.
While I believe that fashion can be a source of empowerment and confidence for many women, how the status of one’s character has become ascribed to clothing is hugely damaging. Our literary media contains countless stories like “Cinderella” that only further reinforce a superficial culture dependent on external appearance for internal worth. The children that consume these tales, especially young girls, are constantly told that their self-worth is contingent upon their physical nature rather than their personality traits, intelligence, and individuality. The fashion industry capitalizes on fairy tales that hide behind titles such as “women’s empowerment” to exploit people’s inherent competitive nature towards elevating their social status.
Fairy tales such as “Cinderella” and Pixar’s fairy tale movie Brave reinforce class hierarchy through the portrayal of fashion by representing beauty standards as the primary conduit for gendered class mobility over other methods of agency. As detailed above, the Brothers Grimm depicts Cinderella’s desirability as constantly defined by her appearances. Most fairy tales function this way, assigning women’s worth based on their physical attractiveness. Female characters are typically deemed good-looking if they are beautiful yet in a frail and delicate manner. This paradox holds true for most classic fairy tales, including “Cinderella.” To better understand this concept, we must engage a story that breaks away from this expectation.
Pixar’s 2012 animated fairy tale film, Brave, depicts a princess who desires to break away from her expected path of marriage and future queenship. Leading female Merida is told by her mother that “a princess should not have weapons” and that princesses should “strive for perfection” (Andrews). However, Merida doesn’t want to fit the stereotypical role of royalty that her family expects of her. Rather, she is a strong, curious, adventurous, and overall productive role model for young girls. Many applaud Brave for its nuanced depiction of a princess that differs from past female characters of similar influence. CarrieLynn D. Reinhard and Christopher J. Olson, editors of Heroes, Heroines, and Everything in between, claim that movies like Brave are paving the way for more frequent and normalized representations of female empowerment (Reinhard and Olson 9).
However, the movie succumbs to a common pitfall that many other films attempting to represent non-traditional characters similarly fall victim to. On the rare account that children’s media portrays leading females as strong and independent, they are seen as either having no suitors, incapable of attracting a man, or not interested in having one at all. While Merida is a multidimensional character in many other senses, she falls into the category of not being interested in attracting a person of the opposite sex. The movie renders this trait a character flaw of Meridas’; something is “wrong” with her for not wanting to pursue a man. To clarify, I do not aim to deduct from the recent progress made in terms of non-traditional representations of sex, gender, socioeconomic class, etc., in children’s media. While I acknowledge and appreciate the headway, we must be aware that the cultural dynamic of future generations depends upon expanding inclusivity in children’s media.
The manner in which fairy tales relegate power to unattainable iconography in fashion influences and reinforces class hierarchy through the portrayal of clothing. There is an undeniable fascination surrounding the beautiful attire and marvelous realities we read about in our favorite fairy tales. There is also an interesting similarity between the idea of an out-of-reach world and the outlandish designs that grace runway fashion collections today. Colleen Hill, the author of Fairy Tale Fashion, asserts that the eccentric designs in runway collections are inaccessible to the average person and, in doing so, evoke an awe factor that keeps our youthful curiosity for the fantastical alive. There is a yearning for fantasy within the fashion industry. Hill believes that fairy tales can get us back to that state of magic and wonder by feeding our human craving for a more utopian reality.
Iconic garments and popularized looks within fairy tales perpetuate the message that particular significant articles of clothing contain the ability to assign power to an individual. Examples of this allurement can be identified in “Cinderella” with descriptions of “slippers embroidered with silk and silver” (Grimm 150) and dresses so splendid that everyone goes “speechless with amazement” (Grimm 152). High-end fashion utilizes similar awe tactics to captivate and lure consumers in with the promise of grandiose glamour and guaranteed adoration.
While the story of Superman does not technically classify as a fairy tale, the fictional superhero operates similarly in terms of assigning an enormous degree of power to certain symbolic dress. In Andrew Bolton’s book, Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, he states how “the ‘S’ emblem inscribed on his [Superman’s] chest and cape functions as a simplified statement of his identity” (Bolton 25). In popular culture, Superman’s distinguished “S” epitomizes fantasies, stereotypically male, of a heroic character with exceptional powers and strength.
However, there exists a predicament in the infatuation our culture has with media idols and fictional characters. The praise we give to these figures is dangerous because they live in realities where superhumans, fantasy, and magic exist. No human can attain Superman’s strength, similar to how no human can achieve Cinderella’s level of beauty and grace. These stories are not accurate reflections of the world we live in and therefore portray an unattainable expectation of power and status we expect to receive when mimicking their actions and clothing.
By considering the research detailed above, we can make a concrete analysis of how fairy tales reinforce class hierarchy through the portrayal of fashion in a few ways. Tales like “Cinderella” indicate to young readers that a “happily ever after” is defined by the ability to elevate one’s status by transforming one’s physical appearance. Stories like Brave depict beauty standards as the primary conduit for gendered class mobility over other methods of agency. Lastly, the fictional characters and fantastic worlds children and adults idolize in these tales accredit power to unattainable iconography in fashion.
The stereotypes we see in the media consequently affect how we view others and ourselves. This truth holds even more robust for children who are in the process of developing their own ideas of gender identity, physical appearance, and individuality. Children’s media has all the power to evolve our societal expectations of gender by targeting the minds of our future generations, which is why it is so vital for children to consume media that reinforces positive messaging and imagery regarding sexuality, gender, and appearance.
We experience real-life examples of these negative judgments in the way we insult someone’s clothing when we don’t like the person. We connotate their physical appearance to their identity and, in doing so, admit to associating their worth and status to their fashion choices. The idolization of significant figures or idols is present in how the media obsesses over catching and documenting celebrities wearing “normal clothing.” Our society sees superstars as much higher in status than the average person, so when their appearances begin to resemble ours, they lose their power and are suddenly just like us.
Over the years, fashion design has lost some of the innovation and ingenuity that I initially fell in love with. The superficial culture that has woven itself in the threads of the fashion industry pulls us away from the place of creativity and wonder where fashion initially formed. Clothing has become a stressful task, a mask of garments we drape upon ourselves to portray a facade that will make us feel included within society. Fashion should be electrifying, provocative, and dangerous, but instead, it has become a source of conformity that puts people’s individualism at risk.
Works Cited
Andrews, Mark, et al. Brave. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2012.
Bolton, Andrew, and Michael Chabon. Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008.
Clothes 170,000 Years Ago.” News, University of Florida, 6 Jan. 2011, news.ufl.edu/archive/2011/01/uf-study-of-lice-dna-shows-humans-first-wore-clothes-170000-years-ago.html.
Do Rozario, Rebecca-Anne C. Fashion in the Fairy Tale Tradition: What Cinderella Wore. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. “Cinderella.” The Classic Fairy Tales, edited by Maria Tater, W.W. Norton & Company, 2017, pp. 148-153.
Hill, Colleen. Fairy Tale Fashion. Yale University Press, 2016.
“History of Fashion Design.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Mar. 2021, 4:30 (UTC), en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_fashion_design.
Matthews, Rachel. “Fairytales And Fashion Criticism .” Reading Design , AddressPublications.com, 2014, www.readingdesign.org/fairytales-and-fashion-criticism.
Reinhard, CarrieLynn D., and Christopher J. Olson, editors. Heroes, Heroines, and Everything in between: Challenging Gender and Sexuality Stereotypes in Children’s Entertainment Media. Lexington Books, 2017.
