Social and Psychological Aspects

Negotiating an Appropriate Image: A Visual Analysis of Prom Magazine Editorials

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Abstract

Prom is a rite of passage in American society, a symbolic divide between youth and adulthood. The cultural importance of prom is felt by many young women who report feeling pressure to look and act in a certain manner to be suitable for the occasion (Zlatunich, 2009). Prom is used as a venue to construct and display an ideal feminine identity by adolescent girls. There is pleasure to be gained from interacting with beauty practices to achieve the feminine ideal for prom; however, there is a close relationship between enjoyment in feminine beauty rituals and pressure to engage in consumerism (Zlatunich, 2009). Prom is also one of the first and only times that adolescent girls are able to interact with their feminine sexuality.

Keywords: visual analysis, Editorials, Prom, Semiotics

How to Cite:

Stannard, C., (2013) “Negotiating an Appropriate Image: A Visual Analysis of Prom Magazine Editorials”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 70(1).