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Abstract

Through an examination of the social changes in contemporary Chinese society (mid-1960 until present), it is argued that concepts of beauty and fashion are defined by the dominant political ideology. One reason is that ideology defines the social norms and legitimizes the economic structure. It is also hypothesized that individuals have the ability to modify their sense of beauty and fashion within prevailing social norms.

Results from the content analysis of China Reconstructs and the 1994 ELLE (PRC) readership survey support these hypotheses. Beauty and fashion under Maoism were uniformed, and creativity suppressed. This was accomplished by the centralized, state-run economic structure. With the change in the infrastructure, i.e. the economic reform in the 1980s, creativity in fashion has been revitalized. Much of this change could also be attributed to the joint-ventures between China and the developed countries, as well as the creativity of the Chinese.

Keywords

China fashion ideology Maoism

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From Maoism to ELLE

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