When Hans Christian Andersen wrote about the tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes, I don’t think he had the pretentiousness of the modern fashion industry in mind. But it does bear a striking similarity.
For those who don’t know, The Emperor’s New Clothes goes thus; a vain emperor who loves nothing more than fashion and changing clothes (You thanks to mass marketing, globalisation and fashion advertising) gets taken advantage of by two very clever scoundrels (the fashion industry) who claim to have invented a fabric that is invisible to all but the worthy. Those who are ignorant, or incompetent cannot see the fabric. His ministers and courtiers all pretend to see the fabric so as not to seem incompetent and, indeed even the emperor himself does not see the fabric, but pretends he does so as not to seem like the idiot he so clearly is. The emperor then decides to flaunt his clothes to a waiting public, who all pretend that these new clothes are magnificent. That is until a child, a paragon of innocence and speak-your-mind-ism says “Dude, I see your ding-a-ling. You’re wearing nothing but the air. You’re naked!” maybe not exactly like that, I don’t know any children that talk like that…But you see my point. Anyways, eventually these ignorant, and incompetent peasants all agree with the boy, that the emperor is wearing nothing but his birthday suit. The emperor and his minions meanwhile continue in their charade happy in the knowledge that the subjects they rule over are all ignorant.
The fact is, it doesn’t matter if you’re dressed in the finest, most expensive designer jeans and tee, or whether you’re wearing a mail-sack. You are beautiful. But there are many canny individuals all pretending they can weave you a garment in a fabric seen and worn by only those worthy. At what point in our insecure little lives do we forget the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes and actually buy into this fashion nonsense. At what point did we actually begin thinking it mattered?
The fact is you worrying about your appearance is big business. There are a whole lot of people that you are happy to pay to make you feel like shit. There are a lot of people who know human psychology inside out who play on it to manufacture desires that are entirely false. We all know the expression ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ but how many of us truly believe it? How many of us say that whilst tarting ourselves up to look nice for somebody else? How many of us say that while putting on a fashionable outfit?
It’s a difficult thing to debate because, I don’t want to seem like I’m standing in your way of looking good. I do not think we should all be a scruffy mess. But we do need to reconsider what we consider beauty because our current perception of it is entirely mythical. Many will make note of how in civilisations and times past beauty was considered an amalgamation of different qualities. Handsome men and beautiful women, and what makes them so, evolve over time. But surely now have we not got to such a stage in our evolution of thought and culture that we can admit that, actually, it’s just not important what someone looks like. That the person is the important thing and not the outward projection of the person.
I know it’s a difficult thing to try and shut off that judgemental first impression of appearance. But it was also difficult to make tools with our resources and establish a new dominant force in the natural order; but we did it. It was once difficult to travel from London to Sydney, particularly via one means of transport. But we did it. This is what mankind does. It evolves ideas, it evolves concepts and it evolves itself to suit its own needs as a species. Unfortunately those needs have been hijacked by economics, which now stunts progress. The fashion industry doesn’t want you thinking everything can be beautiful because feeling ugly sells. Feeling inferior makes them money. Why would they want mankind to develop out of superficiality when superficiality is a multi-billion dollar industry? They will pretend like they’re looking out for your interests, that you NEED to look beautiful, or people will judge you unfairly. They have twisted minds to judge people unfairly for how they look and how they dress. They pretend this is healthy for you but, to know if it’s healthy or not just think. How do you benefit from it?
Yeah, you might say you benefit because you’ve got the latest fashions, the latest trends and the latest gadgets. But they’ll change in time and leave you behind. You’ll feel insecure. You’ll feel upset. You’ll be judged. You’ll be outcast. You’ll break down in tears and say that without your latest trends and make-up you feel ‘naked’.
Until a child, the paragon of innocence and speak-your-mind-ism says “Christ love, take that coat off, you’ll roast in here. Too many clothes that’s your problem. Why are you crying anyway? You’re too pretty to cry.” Maybe not exactly like that, I don’t know any children that talk like that…But you see my point. I hope.
You’re all so damn sexy, handsome, pretty, beautiful and attractive people. I love you all.
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