Recently, we have seen a dynamic shift in what people (especially women) wear. This
may be partly influenced by the pandemic. Ever since quarantine, a lot of women on TikTok
came to the consensus that modern fashion trends were a feature of the societal expectations
that women must maintain their appearance to please men. For instance, Doja Cat and Julia Fox, face huge scrutiny for their new looks that deviate from the beauty standards set for women. Thus, the term “male gaze” has been used more often than ever.
The term “male gaze” was coined in 1975 by Laura Mulvey, a British film theorist, to
explain the fantasy of heterosexual men of women in mainstream media for cinema studies,
however, today it means “something that pleases men”. Thus, many TikTok users use the term
“female gaze” to indicate that they are dressing for their own true desires. There is truth to the fact that the media does influence people. We form many of our
ideas and values from the media– and since it portrays women as mainly sex objects, it takes a
large toll on the women who are constantly exposed.
In relation to forming ideas and values through media, much of cinema, mainstream
cinema specifically, tends to neglect the nuances of human behavior. Although it is saddening to
see women revolve their self-expression to please men, we all alter our clothes in order to follow
social norms. Thus, accusing a woman of wearing clothes that “please men”, also known as
catering to the “male gaze”, conforms and neglects what it truly means to be a woman.
Additionally, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “gaze” means “the collective
and expectations of a usually privileged social group especially when imposed as a standard or
norm of other groups”. Since men have more power over women in a patriarchal society, they
get to decide the social norms. Thus, it would be naive to use the term to indicate a general
consensus of what women prefer, as they have less power to impose their desires onto other
groups.
Although Julia Fox may be praised for her “man-repellent” look, as she is a white
woman, beauty is more burdening for women of color and fat women as they are already
considered “ugly” in the eyes of what society has deemed a conventional beauty ideal. Thus,
women in marginalized groups can not relate to Fox’s trends as they are pressured to higher
beauty standards.Thus, it is not right to say that the female gaze has taken over in fashion. Since
patriarchy is not going away any time soon, the female perspective, let alone the “gaze” will take
time to dominate.
Sources:
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/tiktok-ugly-trend-julia-fox-feminism
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaze
https://thevarsity.ca/2022/02/13/opinion-dear-women-its-okay-to-dress-for-men/
https://www.strikemagazines.com/blog-2-1/dressing-for-the-female-gaze-versus-the-male-gaze#
:~:text=Oftentimes%2C%20dressing%20for%20the%20male,aesthetics%20unrelated%20to%2
0their%20bodies.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10127687/Are-dressing-male-gaze-TikTok-trend-seesusers-
change-style-stop-pleasing-men.html
https://sports.yahoo.com/julia-fox-reveals-why-she-162820299.html
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