時尚與年輕職業婦女:論蘿倫．溫斯柏格在《穿著Prada的惡魔》中職場對服裝及身體的規範與年輕職業婦女的關係

Abstract

Through the narrative of Andrea Sach, a graduate who starts her first job in fashion magazines publishing, Lauren Weisberger presents the difficult working lives of fashion workers in her first novel—The Devil Wears Prada. Although always appearing glamorously and stylishly, these fashion workers actually endure much pressure in their working environment. The pressure comes from the strict regulations on dress and disciplines on the body. I regard the lives of fashion workers in the novel as an issue worth to discuss because their difficulties caused by regulations on dress and body are shared by other young career women, too. The thesis begins with the development of fashion industry, how it helped young women step into public working environment, and its close relationship with mass media. The first chapter discusses Andrea’s struggle with the regulations on dress and body in Runway magazine publishing, and analyzes the process of discovering her bodily autonomy. The second chapter explores Andrea’s colleagues’ devotion to fashion rules in order to survive in fashion industry. In the third chapter, by investigating the operation of Runway and presenting its readers’ various responses, I reveal how fashion industry relies on media to disseminate beauty ideology to consumers, and to what extent readers are influenced by such ideology. Finally, I point out the messages implied in fashion magazines are actually based on commercial consideration. How to interpret the messages in fashion magazines determines readers’ perspectives on their own appearances and bodies, and affects how they negotiate with fashion rules in order to present themselves in their own ways.