On Sept. 26, 1960, the first-ever televised political debate ushered in the era of celebrity politics. The story is well-known: the debonair and polished John F. Kennedy dominated the haggard and clammy Richard Nixon, and the United States revealed the extent of its bias towards the aesthetically appealing. Radio listeners,
Author: Anikka Sophia Villegas
Where Do You Draw The Line? Appreciation and Appropriation in Fashion
Halloween just passed, and for many of us, so have the slew of conversations surrounding cultural appropriation and political correctness that typically accompany it. In the fashion industry, however, the conversation is on a seemingly endless loop. Seldom a month passes without some designer or celebrity being accused of cultural
Pop Feminism and the Case of the Missing Razor
In today’s age of instantaneously available and markedly abundant knowledge and freedom of opinion, it is unsurprising that the internet has been consumed with a conversation about the slew of celebrities sprouting a new growth of underarm hair. Madonna and Miley Cyrus are among the most talked about, especially after
“Reigning Men” – An Education in Style
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) recently opened an exhibition aptly named “Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear 1715-2015,” focused solely on men’s fashion and its reflection of social, political, and ideological change in the past three centuries. As men’s fashion is often overshadowed by women’s, which tends to
Where are the Models in the Middle?
Ashley Graham, a 28-year-old size-16 model, recently graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. As might be expected, there was significant controversy over a plus-size model being one of the three cover models chosen for a self-identified 'sports magazine.' Cheryl Tiegs, a former supermodel and two-times Sports Illustrated cover model, was
Normalize the Nipple: The Case for Going Bra-less
American Vogue first mentioned the word “brassiere” in 1907. Seven years later, Mary Phelps Jacob patented the modern bra, and a century later, the bra is considered a necessary component of a woman’s wardrobe. While the average woman owns nine bras, more and more women are choosing to engage in
Moving the Runway from New York City to Claremont
With New York Fashion Week (NYFW) just behind us and Southern California’s sweet, sunny spring looking us in the face, I thought it might be apropos to compile a list of NYFW’s most 5C-applicable beauty trends. What’s 'in fashion' changes seasonally, so I prefer to own a few high-quality basics that I
L.A. Harptette Reaches Across Strings, Centuries
The Los Angeles Harptette, a group of four exceptionally talented harpists including Pomona College’s very own harp instructor, Mary Dropkin, performed at Bridges Hall of Music on Feb. 20. Audience members filed in to see four looming harps standing alone on stage, illuminated to emphasize their ethereal beauty. The four harpists entered