What Purpose Does Nudity Serve In Women’s Fashion Except Titillating?

I deliberated for a long time about writing this piece. I know that putting my thoughts to paper on this one is going to open a can of worms. There are some who will agree with what I say, and there are going to be those who will be up in arms against it…it’s a possibility. Hence, my hesitancy about writing this!

But, when I broached my thoughts to my husband, he was vociferous in his support.

‘You have to write this,’ he said.

‘And, since when has your feminist writing not ruffled feathers? If you have an opinion then it needs to be shared…period. Give two hoots to people (that’s his favourite expression).’

So, here it is … my thoughts on an advertisement that I saw a week back.

*

A while back, ‘The Hyderabad Times’ carried a full page advertisement on the finalists for the Miss India Pageant 2022. The advertisement had thirty-one beautiful and intelligent women, chosen from each state of India to represent their state, in what is assuredly India’s biggest beauty pageant.

Never miss real stories from India's women.

Register Now

It’s a coveted title and participants prepare for months before they appear for the selection rounds. Most of the girls competing for the title are educated young ladies pursuing a graduate or a post graduate professional degree. They are young women of poise who carry both their beauty and their intellect with grace.

What had my hackles up was the fact that in the advertisement all of them were nude from the shoulder up!! They were all dressed in off-shoulder tops/tube tops and each image was a testament to the nudity of their shoulders and neck.

Now, I know that the pageantry world has certain requirements when it comes to beauty (chief among them being able to carry attire of all kinds including swimsuits). But, an exhibition of physical beauty need not be reflective of nudity. Isn’t that right? And, maybe such exhibitionism makes more than one of them conscious and uncomfortable.

This leads me to question –

Why must we unclothe a woman in the name of fashion?

Why must we measure her beauty based on how comfortable she is in her nakedness? Why does nudity define the beauty of a woman in the fashion industry? What purpose is this nudity serving except titillating the male audiences?

And, we see more and more evidence of such nudity nowadays and not just in advertisements for beauty pageants.

This year the MET Gala held annually, which is often referred to as the biggest night out for celebrities and fashionistas was overrun by the ‘Naked Dress Trend’.

The gala which is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York hosts its event to a particular theme every year. This year the theme was – America: An Anthology of Fashion.

The event saw the attendees take inspiration from the gilded age, a period of rapid US economic growth in the late 19th Century and nude dresses ruled the red carpet this year (Kim Kardashian, Lila Moss, Dove Cameron, Lily James, Karlie Kloss, Victoria Lee, etc.).

The above leads me to question – If the event is a fundraiser then what purpose is wearing nude dresses serving? Will nudity loosen the purse strings more? Isn’t nudity an exhibitionist’s tool to boost ratings on social media? If so, then perhaps we need better role models to use such events to bring about change for the better.

These recent trends that I am witnessing lead me to question

When will this exhibitionism end? What will this kind of symbolism lead to eventually? Are we to understand from these kinds of advertisements and exhibitionism that a woman can be beautiful only if she is semi-nude? Aren’t these things also body-shaming cloaked under layers of acceptance by ignorant masses?

It’s sad that today nudity defines high fashion. It’s sadder that women are unclothed in the name of fashion to help boost product or service sales. But, that’s what’s happening the world over and the saddest part is that it is us ‘women’ who facilitate this. It’s sparking a whole new range of insecurities which ultimately lead to psychological or self-esteem issues.

In my opinion, physical attributes do not make a woman beautiful. A woman is beautiful because she is the embodiment of kindness, love, compassion and sensitivity. Her beauty can never be limited to her physical attributes or any exhibitionism of those. Her beauty is reflective of the mettle that she is made of. But sadly, there is no pageant to judge such beauty.

What are your thoughts on this?

Published here first.

Images source: Hyderabad Times & YouTube

Comments