Vogue representation

Why is the main image on the front cover important?

It is a close up of Sophia Loren who was a very famous model at the time and also known for being quite 'exotic'. The close up makes her seem important and a role model. Vogue play on the 'exotic' nature of the image by dressing her in traditionally middle eastern clothing. Hall may argue this presents her as 'other'.

How is Sheila Black's article unconventional of the time?

It is about women making investments and having financial power. This challenges the historical context of the time when women were often controlled financially by their husbands or fathers.

Why may this article reflect Vogue's readers?

The choice to represent women as having financial power may reflect the class and wealth of a typical vogue reader (AB socioeconomic group)

How may this article represent the changes in the 1960s when it comes to women and independence?

The article includes very basic definitions of financial terms, suggesting that women don't understand economics and investments. The article however still suggests that women are reliant on their husbands and unable to keep finances secret

How can Van Zoonen be applied to Vogue? pt 1

- She states that women are either sexualised or represented as domestic.

- For example the cutex advert the women appears to be naked and there is phrases that suggest nudity e.g. the "bare essentials"

- Rhetorical question "are you woman enough to wear them" suggests that femininity is linked to sexual appeal. This may also be shown in the Revlon advert where language such as "alluring" and "beguiling" connote that a women's role is to attract others visually

How can Van Zoonen be applied to Vogue? pt 2

- Imperial advert reflects stereotype that women are their to be domestic and maternal. Her facial expression shows women as emotional, caring and loving.

- The advert is talking about soap and being 'soft' on your skin which may also imply that women are also meant to be soft, not just children, showing them to be delicate or weak

Picnic article

- Shows women as passive and domestic. This may be because feminism was a fairly new idea and Vogue were aiming for a mainstream market.

- Includes references to royalty, Lords and Ladies which gives representation of upper classes

- It is in the style of old paintings of picnics, it isn't a parody (pastiche)

How is the clothing representative of the upper class?

White models often pictured in jewels and expensive clothing, showing their high status

How is ethnicity represented?

- Whiter skin tone normalised 'nude' colour is assumed to be for a white skin tone in cutex advert

- Ethnic minority doing white woman's work in Egyptian advert

- Black men are marginalised through placement in the background, being out of focus in boat picture

- All connote a post-colonialist representation