The Frequency and Portrayal of Black Females in Fashion Advertisements

Abstract

Social psychological research has given scant attention to the portrayal of Black females in the media. The powerful impact of the media on attitudes and behaviors point to the importance of considering how frequently, and in what ways, minority females are presented in the media. In this research we examined the frequency and portrayal of Black females in the advertisements of leading fashion magazines from 1986-1988. The findings indicated that: 1) Black females appear infrequently in fashion adverstisements, compared to their percentage in the general population, and compared to the readership of fashion magazines. 2) Black females are more likely to appear in full-body view than in .ace -only view, and are more likely to appear in clothing ads than in make-up/skin care ads. These findings suggest that advertisers present Black females at a distance, either to avoid associating the product with Blacks, or because Black facial features do not match White standards of facial beauty. Implications of the infrequent use of Black females in fashion advertising are discussed in terms of the self-concepts of Black women.