Philosophy - Fashion Sense And Sensibility - Handout

Intimacy is founded on rationality. Intimacy – possession of inner world; possessed only by humans The body cannot be separated from the person. To treat the body as an object is to treat the person as an object. The human body has an incredible value and dignity as it expresses the human person. It must be treated and presented in a way coherent with our dignity as rational and free beings.

FASHION SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Why do we experience shame? Why do we feel violated when something private becomes a spectacle for others? What does the phenomenon of shame reveal to us? Animals do not experience shame because only humans have a sense of shame or modesty. Shame has something to do with loss of intimacy. One experiences shame only if one is aware of one’s own intimacy, worth, and personal value. Shame is a tendency, uniquely characteristic of the human person, ton conceal sexual values sufficiently to prevent them from obscuring the value of person as such. The purpose of this tendency (shame) is the self-defence of the person, which does not wish to be an object to be used by another, whether in practice, or merely in intention… (Wojtyla) Shame points to an immanent need to protect and guard one’s intimacy, to protect one’s value as a person, to avoid that the person be treated as a thing. This is the origin of modesty, which is a constant eagerness to avoid what is shameless. Modesty in dressing Modesty is the guardian of intimacy. A modest look hides in order to reveal It hides what can distract so that what is essential can be shown. (Essence of man: to be human/rational) Modesty and Look To conceal the sexual value (related to the body) is to protect one’s personal value. It is to prevent that the part obscures the whole. Do not use body parts as accessories. “The eyes are the window to the soul” The face as a whole gives the clearest physical manifestation of the “interiority” of the person.

TIPS: 1) To judge the ethical value of a certain style, consider whether, in general, it fosters looking at others in the eyes or not. 2) If the style draws attention from the face toward other certain body parts, there may be an ethical problem. (“I want to be considered having a good body instead of being a good person”) 3) When the sexual value is emphasized in the look of a person (“sexy look”), the essential value is concealed or reduced to sexual values. (de-personalization by sexualization) 4) A provocative look, rather than achieving a unified look reflective of personal presence, obscures and discloses rather an objectifying image. (“I am here”, not “My body is here”) Provocative Look What is perceived is the body part to which the eye is drawn and not to a unified subject. The person is likely to be reduced to her body as object. From shame to love/respect Modesty is not only a defensive mechanism to protect one’s personhood. It also goes hand in hand with the “longing to inspire love” or respect, to inspire a ‘reaction’ to the value of a person. Modesty and Human Relationship When one attracts too much attention to the body, one is likely to build a relationship on a wrong footing. When one has a modest look, the relationship one develops becomes more personal. The other person focuses on your as a person instead of only on you as a body. Look and Character Our look (overall demeanor and bearing) conveys our position with respect to the other, our ethical sensibility with the other, or altruistic sensibility, other orientedness. How we present ourselves to others in the way we dress, talk, and interact, ethically matters. A pleasing look conveys sensitivity to the other as persons, as subjects. A provocative look conveys a sense of wanting to be perceived as object not as subject. Look and Moral Sensibility Since look is always dialogical, it also conveys our moral stand with respect to the other. “I take care of my appearance because I recognize the other as person, as someone with dignity. My look is my response to the presence of the other.”

The Look of Character Look is an “epiphany of one’s spirituality”. (epiphany – manifestation of who one is inside) Our look bears witness to our moral quality, our character, to the quality of our inner life. External look is continuous with the inner character. How we present ourselves in clothing and acting is a disclosure of having or lacking character. Look includes one’s overall being and interpersonal attitude. The look of character shows respect for the other as manifested in clothing and in relating to the other as a consequence of one’s respect for oneself as a person. This way of relating to the other in action is characterized by refinement or finesse of spirit. Finesse of Spirit Interior richness expressed in an exquisite way of behaving with the others. An expression of an interior virtue that informs all outer expressions and gives them a certain aura. It is not something “put on” like a jewelry or necktie. It is always with the person informing his or her very being. Finesse is non-transferable. It proceeds from the inside outwards. For one’s conduct to be refined, it is necessary that one’s interior world also be refined. The look of character A refined person always makes the other feel respected, a respect that comes from a deep conviction of the dignity of the person. This conviction is manifested in the refined way we related to the other, in the way we look at the person, the attention we give them, the choice of words, the tone of voice, etc. In practical terms, a refined person knows and practices good manners and etiquette. More Tips: A refined person: • Minds his language (is not coarse in words, e.g. cursing, swearing, etc.) • Knows how to listen • Says please when asking for something • Says thank you for favors received • Greets the other person Since good manners are a result of character, a person with finesse is refined wherever she or he may be (classroom, promenade, canteen, library, road, home, store, etc.) “…Character is how you behave when no one is looking…”

Benefits of Good Manners “Etiquette will attract people to you… But most of all, it will make you respect yourself… He who respects himself will earn the respect of all the world…” Parting Words Be a smart shopper. Value your dignity and body. Do not just follow the trend. Choose clothes that do not call attention to body parts: cleavage, bare back, abs, behind. Mind your look and manners. They speak volumes about your character. Be refined. You will not only cultivate yourself. You also help humanize the others.