What is America s Continuing Allure Quizlet
This is American beauty. But the following images — of stunning humans, brave ideas, and iconic innovations that are all changing the way we define beauty in the U.S. today — are only part of the story. Because there's also the young Cuban woman we met in Miami. And the intellectuals at Manhattan's all-female club, the Wing. And the Instagram girls who toss around their rainbow hair with irreverent joy. And the dermatologists who save our skin — and boost our confidence. And the politicians who work to ensure that women's rights are, in fact, human rights. And the makeup artists who discover perfection in all of us. And the leaders who see patriotism in dissent. And the women who unlock the doors each morning at health clinics, shelters, and animal rescues. And the writers, the painters, the tattoo artists, the poets who find humanity and meaning when we fail to. And every one of the moments, trends, people, and landscapes that make America a place of singular beauty.
The Inspirers
If someone asked you to paint a picture of feminism, what would it look like? Who would that woman be? A recent poll by research firm PerryUndem asked Americans whom they deemed the most prominent feminists in our country, and three of the top answers were women of color: Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Beyoncé. Today, the faces of American feminism are powerful activists, brilliant businesswomen, revolutionary artists. They are smart, creative, and utterly inspiring. With women like these leading the charge, we can rest assured that the future is most definitely female.
The Fly Girls
According to official Air Force guidelines, its members (while on duty) must always be "neat," "clean," "groomed," "pressed," "zipped," "snapped," "buttoned," "fitted," "trimmed," and "professional." We're talking about a military uniform, don't forget. But all those mandates don't leave a lot of room for personal style. Nearly one in five active-duty personnel in the Air Force is female, and among those 61,723 women exists every type of hair. "The women in the military are definitely growing in numbers and colors and shapes and sizes," says Captain Chavery McClanahan, who wears her natural, chin-length hair either down or in a neat bun when she's in uniform. (Out of uniform, it's a different story: She figuratively lets her hair down.) There are, of course, strict regulations (nothing below the collar, no locs, no shaved heads, no unnatural colors), but in the last few years, the Air Force — like the Army and, in some ways, the world at large — has loosened up. As of 2014, women can now have two-strand twists, French twists, and Dutch braids, and the Air Force has eliminated words like "matted" and "unkempt" from its guidelines. Captain McClanahan and her peers aren't complaining about the more lax approach to hair (after all, it's hair), but ultimately their jobs matter more. "Your hair is definitely an extension and an accessory of who you are, but it's not the definition of who you are. Your character is what defines you," says Captain McClanahan. Major Cindy Roberts agrees: "I'm a woman and the world sees it," she says, pausing. "And I serve and they see it."
The New Faces
A Honduran, a Czech, and a Native American walk into a studio...to be photographed as the freshest models in America. They hail from Queens and Phoenix and Lansing, Michigan, and their individuality is as striking as their beauty.
The Accessory
Lindsay Lohan. Billy Joel's "Modern Woman." The scrunchie. All three were born in New York in the summer of 1986. Only one is relevant in the summer of 2017. We'll let you guess. Ding, ding, ding! The scrunchie has long been an American beauty icon (and we don't use that word lightly) — the hair accessory of Olympians and First Ladies, the Tanner sisters and the Heathers, Madonna and Selena Gomez. And while it never disappeared, it's had its share of ups and downs and disrespect. Today, though, it stands strong and proud and, in some of its best moments, high on a head of glorious curls.
The Haircut
It's an act of bravery or a gesture of defiance. Maybe it's the mark of a new chapter. Or possibly you just wanted to see what you'd look like as a gamine. Whatever the reason, shaved cuts are gaining popularity (see: Zoë Kravitz, Katy Perry, Amandla Stenberg). With its stark simplicity and vaguely androgynous beauty, this most unlikely of cuts has come to be emblematic of the country itself: honest, strong, and self-possessed.
The Natural Beauty
"People ask about my long hair, but Native Americans, we don't cut our hair unless we lose a loved one," says Shania Russell, who is a member of the Crow tribe in Montana. To her, the real beauty is in the rivers and mountains all around her: "I live on a reservation. I see Wolf Mountain to my left, Bighorn to the right, and the hills in my backyard were Little Bighorn Battlefield." And all of it, including the sites where Native Americans fought for their freedom, "is sacred to us," she says. "I learned to value the land, not destroy it. Appreciating all aspects of life — my culture, my family, the mountains — that's American beauty. It's a way of life."
The Salon
Merengue is humming from the speakers. A cake sits in the corner. And strangers hug like family. But the women aren't crowding in for a birthday party. They are here for a blowout. A blowout before the party. To say the hair salon is important to the Dominican culture would be like saying the baseball diamond is a quintessential part of American life. There are nearly two dozen salons in Washington Heights (the New York City neighborhood that's home to Little Dominican Republic) alone. And on a Saturday morning, every single one will be jam-packed. "It's hair day, and I know I'll be here for four hours or more," says Mariela Cabrera, a customer of D'Amaly Beauty Center who arrived 30 minutes before opening. And with that, the cafecito makes the rounds, the blow-dryers start blaring, and the party gets started.
The Original
"Youth mania is insanity," says style icon Iris Apfel, not one to mince words. "There is beauty in every age." Many women will speak those words while simultaneously plotting their next line-erasing, cheek-plumping dermatologist visit. But Apfel is not many women. At 95, she is the embodiment of walking the walk. And she's doing it with more energy and style than women a quarter her age. She is also still paving the road for a generation of ageless American women: author and Céline model Joan Didion, 82; stylist and Rodin Olio Lusso founder Linda Rodin, 69; Instagram darling Helen Van Winkle, 88. With a slick of fuchsia lipstick and a toss of dove-gray waves, these women aren't just accepting their wrinkles — they're embracing them. "Being appropriate for your age doesn't mean you have to roll up into a ball and look like an old fuddy-duddy," says Apfel. "I think aging gracefully is the way to go.""
The Nude Perspective
How could "nude" ever characterize a single color? And yet. For a long, long, way too long time, the fashion and beauty industries (yes, ourselves included) used the word "nude" — to describe a lipstick, a bra, a nail polish — when what we meant was "some variation of beige." So first: We're sorry — for every time it happened. Second, we've evolved. And so have the biggest beauty companies in the country. Once focused on a narrow slice of the skin-tone spectrum, the best foundations and concealers now come in shades from palest porcelain to deepest mahogany — and the many, many colors in between. Lingerie brands are following suit. And shoe designer Christian Louboutin's "nude" palette, once one shade (yes, it was beige), is now seven. We'd call that a few steps in the right direction.
The Hand Signals
In 2017, nails are more than things we file and trim. They're works of art. Ten miniature canvases on which we can send any message we want. They're foundations for sculpture. Or stark simplicity. Tips with meaning. Points of pride. In an era when fingertips can be every bit as expressive as words, we asked nine manicurists from across the country to tell the story of their hometown.
[Top row from R to L: Nails by Chelsea King, Los Angeles, CA; Nails by Honey, Brooklyn, NY; Nails by Claire Scalzi at Poppy & Monroe Salon, Nashville, TN. Middle row from R to L: Nails by Marnae Orton at Nailsaloon salon, Washington, D.C.; Nails by Mei Kawajiri, New York, NY; Nails by Maria Salandra, Cliffside Park, NJ. Bottom Row from R to L: Nails by Cindy Garcia at Tenoverten salon, Austin, TX; Nails by Teana Grigorash, Los Angeles, CA; Nails by Nina Park, Boston, MA.]
The Surfer
She has inspired hair products, bathing suits, songs, and a timeless brand of windswept beauty. She's been around for decades and has barely changed, while we continue to grow more enamored. The American surfer girl — whether she's from North Carolina or the North Shore, Malibu or Montauk (like Quincy Davis here) — is as comfortable catching a wave as she is slipping out of a wet suit and into a sundress. Hers is a uniquely American blend of strength and sex appeal.
The Greatest Lashes
If there is a woman in this country who has not used, and loved,
A lengthening and thickening mascara
, we'd like to meet her. The packaging
has hardly changed in 47 years (it was inspired by Palm Beach's Lilly Pulitzer circa 1971). Neither has the love of the lengthening, thickening, blue-black tint inside. With 9,472 mascara options (we're rounding up) available in 2017, these hot-pink tubes have stayed on top. They currently sell at a rate of — wait for it — one every six seconds.
The Good Egg
When Rea Ann Silva cut the corners off her makeup sponges, there's no way she could have known what would happen next. That seamless little orb would go on to inspire legions of reality stars, makeup artists, and Instagram darlings who got the one thing they needed to turn their foundation (and concealer, and highlighter), into a stunning airbrushed haze. And the makeup artist from Los Angeles, who gave the world the
It's won so many awards it's hard to keep track.
, would find a place alongside Helena Rubinstein, Estée Lauder, and the other giants of the beauty industry.
A Moving Tradition
In 1962, President Kennedy asked an unlikely dance troupe to travel to the far corners of the planet, 10 countries in all. Theirs was no small task: Share the beauty of American art, dance, and culture with the rest of the world. The group was known as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and its unprecedented rise started in the performance space of the 92nd St. YM–YWHA (aka the Y) of New York City in 1958. Within a few years, the group had caught the eye of a president and the admiration of a nation. A few decades later, the troupe has performed for more than 25 million people in 71 countries and has been called a "vital American cultural ambassador to the world" in an official congressional resolution. But today, the men and women of this company-like Lake Escobosa here — are more than dancers, more even than ambassadors. They are symbols of strength and art and so much that is beautiful about America.
A version of this article originally appeared in the July 2017 issue of Allure. To get your copy, head to newsstands or subscribe now.
More on American Beauty:
- Muslim Model Halima Aden on Defying Beauty Standards
- We Asked 30 Celebrities and Beauty Pros to Define American Beauty
- 41 Women of Color Get REAL About Beauty and Diversity
Source: https://www.allure.com/story/redefining-american-beauty
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