The below post is an interview transcript between a Chinese American woman, whose name will be shortened to C, and me, who will be called M. Any potential grammatical errors are not changed for the sake of the precision of the transcript, but there may be ellipses for brevity.
M: What culture(s) do you identify with the most, other than America?
C: Canadian and Chinese.
M: What, in your opinion, are the most fundamental beauty standards for women in America?
C: Body size, such as a curvy structure, and face structure, as well as personality and virtue.
M: What, in your opinion, are the most fundamental beauty standards for women in your particular culture?
C: Skinniness and pale skin
M: How do you think these two cultures differ? Has that affected your way of thinking, appearance, self-esteem, etc?
Absolutely, I have body dysmorphia. Hate how fat I feel all the time, careful with what I eat, do weird diets, judge other people who eat too much or are less pretty and less conforming to standards.
M: Do you feel like you fit, or try fitting, into one or the other culture’s standards? Why or why not?
C: I definitely do, I try to be skinnier and have good face makeup.
M: How do you think beauty standards affect women? Who do you think is the culprit of the pressure put on them?
I think it’s wrong to say there’s a culprit, I believe it’s societal pressure where women also put it on themselves as much as men do. We do compare ourselves to other women whether because you think your BF is looking at other women or when you don’t even have a bf. Humans strive to achieve better, and it’s in our DNA to often strive for the better whatever that may mean. In this case, in this particular questionnaire, beauty is one we try to be better at.
M: Do you know what fast fashion is? What do you think is the general trend of consumerism in America?
C: Fast fashion is the cycle of new things coming through and generally made cheap or bad quality. I think it’s an epidemic, yes I understand that fast fashion allows people who don’t have the budget to buy things and I’m not condemning that. However, I think it’s bad that we all become very accustomed to fast fashion and don’t stop to think of the consequences, both psychologically, economically, and ecologically. I think the fashion cycle should slow down, and not cycle through at the pace it is today. It’s unsustainable. We’ve trained our brains to addict to the dopamine new fashion brings and that’s a much scarier thing for everyone. It’s an addiction and distraction.
M: Do you follow trends at all? Do you find it hard to keep up with them as they are constantly switching in and out? How do you feel about the potential effects this may have on people’s confidence in their appearance?
C: There is a big effect. If you’re not on trend, then you feel left behind, or worse, laughed at by peers. I do follow trends and it’s exhausting how quickly things change.
M: Do you mind sending a photo of an outfit that best encapsulates yourself and how you enjoy presenting yourself to others? What cultures do you think your clothes conform to? Do you think your outfit contributes to fast fashion?
C: I think my fashion sense is generally ahead of the curve. Currently, the trend is big brother style tops with cute skirts and bulky knee-high boots and I’ve definitely spotted that look pre-pandemic. I think my fashion sense definitely contributes to fast fashion, it’s not good but it’s addictive.
Next exhibit: Mexican vs American