Women in fashion advertising

Even today, women are still being portrayed as sexual objects in advertisements. Models are often asked to pose in suggestive positions wearing next to nothing, even when it has nothing to do with the product being advertised. These intimate photos turn the woman into an object and often make her look vulnerable. It’s quite shocking that in 2015, where feminism is discussed and pushed more than ever before, that companies are still using sex to sell their products.

‘The male gaze’ is a theory devised by feminist Laura Mulvey. This is the idea that visual arts are structured to please the heterosexual male viewer. Although its very common for adverts aimed at men to contain women in little clothing, this is a common feature in adverts aimed at women too. For example, here is an ad for tom ford’s fragrance. Obviously, the aim of this is to sell the fragrance, but they have used a naked woman to do so. The woman is squashing the bottle of cologne between her boobs (which is obviously appealing to men). The advert is basically suggesting that the ladies love this fragrance, and you will be very popular with them if you wear it. This is a perfect example of how sex is used to sell products.   

 Although it is very common in adverts aimed at men, it is just as common in adverts aimed at women, too. For example, this coco Chanel mademoiselle advert. You can see here that Keira knightly is posed seductively with just her brace covering her nipple. This advert is suggesting that if you wear this perfume, you will look just as sexy as Keira does in all of these photos. The caption at the bottom of the advert says ‘feminine and sexy, young and exciting’- but do you have to be naked to be all of those things? That is what the advert is suggesting. Although this advert is predominantly aimed at women, they have managed to create something that looks like it’s aimed at men.