Could Old Be the New Cool? Shifting Aesthetics of the Aging Body
We often think of “cool” as an imperative of youth. But what does it mean to think of “cool” in relation to the aging body? This essay engages the shifting aesthetics of aging bodies asking what this view of the self and identity signals and in what contexts? In philosophy and political theory aging...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Bologna
2020-05-01
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| Series: | ZoneModa Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://zmj.unibo.it/article/view/10565 |
| _version_ | 1818844566391881728 |
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| author | Laurie E. Naranch |
| author_facet | Laurie E. Naranch |
| author_sort | Laurie E. Naranch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We often think of “cool” as an imperative of youth. But what does it mean to think of “cool” in relation to the aging body? This essay engages the shifting aesthetics of aging bodies asking what this view of the self and identity signals and in what contexts? In philosophy and political theory aging is rarely studied in terms of views of the self, experience, or aesthetics; more frequently we see aging in terms of demographics, workers past their prime, or in a framework of decline. I argue that there is an emerging “cool” aesthetics of aging bodies that is not simply about chasing youth. These aesthetics revolve in particular around what aging bodies wear, or do not wear. That is, fashion in terms of clothing, accessories, dress, and ways to augment assisting tools (canes for example) has an outsized role in the aesthetics of the aging body. Although who ages well and how, and who can dress well and how, are shaped by nation, gender, class, religion, and other social identity categories, aging is an identity still undertheorized in fashion and political philosophy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:15:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28d11b9306a54f25ad50b767835eee18 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2611-0563 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:15:48Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | University of Bologna |
| record_format | Article |
| series | ZoneModa Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-28d11b9306a54f25ad50b767835eee182022-12-21T20:34:40ZengUniversity of BolognaZoneModa Journal2611-05632020-05-01101S18519510.6092/issn.2611-0563/105658883Could Old Be the New Cool? Shifting Aesthetics of the Aging BodyLaurie E. Naranch0Siena College, New YorkWe often think of “cool” as an imperative of youth. But what does it mean to think of “cool” in relation to the aging body? This essay engages the shifting aesthetics of aging bodies asking what this view of the self and identity signals and in what contexts? In philosophy and political theory aging is rarely studied in terms of views of the self, experience, or aesthetics; more frequently we see aging in terms of demographics, workers past their prime, or in a framework of decline. I argue that there is an emerging “cool” aesthetics of aging bodies that is not simply about chasing youth. These aesthetics revolve in particular around what aging bodies wear, or do not wear. That is, fashion in terms of clothing, accessories, dress, and ways to augment assisting tools (canes for example) has an outsized role in the aesthetics of the aging body. Although who ages well and how, and who can dress well and how, are shaped by nation, gender, class, religion, and other social identity categories, aging is an identity still undertheorized in fashion and political philosophy.https://zmj.unibo.it/article/view/10565agefashioncoolphilosophyaesthetics |
| spellingShingle | Laurie E. Naranch Could Old Be the New Cool? Shifting Aesthetics of the Aging Body ZoneModa Journal age fashion cool philosophy aesthetics |
| title | Could Old Be the New Cool? Shifting Aesthetics of the Aging Body |
| title_full | Could Old Be the New Cool? Shifting Aesthetics of the Aging Body |
| title_fullStr | Could Old Be the New Cool? Shifting Aesthetics of the Aging Body |
| title_full_unstemmed | Could Old Be the New Cool? Shifting Aesthetics of the Aging Body |
| title_short | Could Old Be the New Cool? Shifting Aesthetics of the Aging Body |
| title_sort | could old be the new cool shifting aesthetics of the aging body |
| topic | age fashion cool philosophy aesthetics |
| url | https://zmj.unibo.it/article/view/10565 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laurieenaranch couldoldbethenewcoolshiftingaestheticsoftheagingbody |