Fashion Trends Have Effected females' Self-esteem
             Fashion can be thought of as a type of art utilizing cultural materials to transform the appearance of the natural body. It communicates things like social status and sex as well as enhancing attractiveness. While it may have evolutionary links with the flamboyant displays of peacocks and other birds it is clearly a way in which humans distance themselves from the natural world. Through the years, the definition for what was thought to be beautiful has changed a great deal, but culture as always had control over women's bodies. The multi-billion dollar fashion and beauty industry of today moves at such a fast pace that trends come and go everyday. What was considered beautiful two hundred years ago probably wouldn't be thought of in the same way today? The fashions and trends that have occurred over the past four decades are leading to a problem that is getting worse every year. It was somehow decided many years ago that it was desirable for women to be thin, or at least not over weight. And it seems that most beautiful and most admired women of today's age get smaller every year. To understand where we are at today, we must first understand the major influences that have happened in the fashion industry in the past 40 years.
             What has to be known as the "Youth Culture" started in the 1960's? During the same period of time Barbie was introduced to young girls. Though meant to be an ideal in "feminine glamour", Barbie was very unrealistically proportioned, with larger than average breasts, extremely long legs, and very slender hips. Fashion went to extremely different lengths during this decade. The fashion industry cut inches from the hems of skirts, creating the very popular miniskirt. Women started wearing bikinis instead of one-piece bathing suits, and tight fitting body suits also became popular. These "fashion revolutions"...