What is Beauty? A Modern Take On Ancient Philosophy

be warned.  this gets deep.

Looking throughout history it is evident time and time again that fashion is driven by the economy.  I’m not talking about whether or not you specifically can afford nice things, but the economy as a whole.  When it’s doing well, the fashion swings towards luxury; silk, designer, class, diamonds, etc.  It was no coincidence that 2008 was despicably hipster.  Fashion was thrift.  Clothes were second hand and vintage was “in.”  Listening to my grandmother talk about living through the trends of the 20thcentury, from sock hop greasers to the amplified eighties, she could tell you more about fashion than any young, modern day expert.  Not only do fashion trends tell you about the economic status, but they are driven by the values of each generation as a whole.

When women rebelled (funny, but this clause precedes many-a-decade’s fashion trend) in the 20’s and shortened their dresses, the conservatives were outraged.  When men went to war ten years later, women started wearing pants and taking labor jobs.  Conservatives were outraged again, but with the upswing of technology and photography… new trends spread like wildfire nonetheless.  When protests broke out in the 60’s and 70’s, their bohemian fringe and long, messy hair was a statement of their rebellion.  The cycle spins, decade after decade, each one a stark contrast to the previous.

As I see many a craze that us millennials despised only a few short years ago start to pop up one by one, I’m struck by the question of beauty (i.e. chokers, etc).  Our mind, conformed to the culture surrounding us, finds it nearly impossible to rid itself of the pertinent influence of this beauty trap.  I’d like to explore this distortion in more depth.

Let me first differentiate subjective beauty and objective beauty.  You may think, what? Objective beauty? That isn’t possible.  Well, according to science, it is.

Objective beauty.  You remember learning about the Fibonacci sequence, the golden ratio, the Vitruvian man.  The perfect spiral.  The legacy of Pi.  There’s a scientific sequence threaded into the natural world, impossible to ignore.  What our brain registers as aesthetically pleasing despite our cultural imperative can be (mostly) classified as objective.

Soft objective beauty.  There are some things that most everyone in the world would agree are “beautiful.”  The great waterfalls at Iguazu, flooded with butterflies.  A rich lavender sunset setting over the water.  A peacock.  These are things that most all would feast their eyes on and feel bliss.

The bridge.  There is however a gap between culture, nature, and subjectivity.  To one, the New York skyline can exude glory, grandeur, and magnificence.  To others, the stinky streets scream loudly the of the Wall Street terrors.

Subjective Beauty.  You think its gorgeous and classy.  He thinks its inappropriate and trashy.  She thinks it is stunning.  Your mom thinks it is disgusting.  Opinions, opinions.  Whatcha gonna do.  I love the quote “Love of beauty is taste.  The creation of beauty is art,” from Ralph Waldo Emerson.  I believe it is true.  The reason why there are different artists and various pieces of work stems from that everchanging notion of this subjective beauty.  I ‘m not a fashion goddess by any means… but some styles literally baffle me.  Who, I mean, WHO thinks that _____ is beautiful?  I guess someone does.  I would challenge you to think about this concept when you buy a designer bag or flashy trend that will fade in days.

The millennials were thrust into a wild flame where new trends spread like wildfire and influencers are stronger than billboards.  Why do you buy what you buy?  Why do you wear what you wear?  How are you paying for it?

I’ll try to keep this short by giving a few examples.

Example 1:

I’m low key obsessed with Tammy Hembrow.  Don’t ask me why, I just am.  Do I agree with everything she posts? Nah.  Do I think she’s hot? Yes.  It would be interesting to see what percentage of her followers are female.  Anyhow, when I watched her makeup video, I went STRAIGHT to Sephora and bought EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT that she talked about.  Hundreds of dollars.  When I got home and put it on, I didn’t look THAT different.  A little disappointing.  But WHY on earth did she influence my buying in the way that she did?

Example 2:

Every once in a while I’ll try to wear something trending.  Let me tell you, when I buy something that is really popular but isn’t really my style, I regret it.  It doesn’t look good on me.  This has been the truth ever since Etnies in the 6thgrade.  As soon as I get it, it’s immediately gone out of style.  I would challenge you (and myself) to buy things that are staples, you can wear multiple times, and/or that just simply LOOK good on you.  Nude colors make my hair look yellow.  I’ve tried many-a-time but it just doesn’t work.  Why would I try so many times just because it was in style? Ahhhh.

Example 3:

The minimalist mentality.  At church a few months ago, we watched a movie on being a minimalist.  It is such a hard, hard concept that I struggle with… a lot.  It challenges you to rid yourself of the multitude of belongings and clothes and focus on quality.  Quality of brand (no sweat shops & equal trade), quality of material, and limited frivolity. I’m nottttt great at this.  And it’s hard to be a lifestyle blogger who likes fashion and wants to own 3 shirts.  You’d get bored of my pictures real quick.  But WHY is this so hard for us? We like things cheap, we like new things, and we are unknowingly obsessed.

In conclusion, I am trying to be more aware of my purchasing and more conscientious of my perception of beauty.  Hopefully this made you ponder. J

Out.