Blog #3 - Advertisements: Leggings

   

     Its safe to say that leggings are a popular piece of clothing among females and more than likely all women own at least one or more pairs of leggings. Leggings are a great multi-use type of clothing; can be worn for comfort, style, working out, etc. This particular legging advertisement is for athletic, yoga leggings for women. It exemplifies a few examples of the possible variety of colors and patterns and how good your legs will look with them on, especially how popping your butt will be. I think that this particular advertisement is intending to draw women into buying this specific product of leggings because of their style appeal and the way they can make a persons legs and butt look. These leggings are more geared towards a more feminine look and style other than the quality it needs for participating in sports and working out. The way this advertisement is set up reminds me of the comparison of the Time Magazine covers in the beginning of chapter 5: "Women Sports" to the "New Ideal of Beauty" in Jamie Schultz's book, Qualifying Times. Schultz compares the shift between a cover from "Women In Sports," Time, June 26, 1978 and the cover from "Coming on Strong," Time, August 30, 1982. The cover from 1978's image is of two intercollegiate lacrosse players who are caught in the middle of a match and the main focus is on a women with her stick raised in mid-stride with her muscular legs exposed between the end of her skirt and the top of her socks. The women in this image were clearly playing without knowing any camera was present. While the cover from 1982's image is of a model posing in a provocative way for the camera in red, faintly transparent leotard with matching thigh-high leg warmers. Schultz compares how the action shot was shifted into the provocative posing for the camera shot and the effects of that change.
Since that shift advertisements and the media that cover women and gear it around them have a similar look and style to the provocative posing shot. Leading to how women need to have the 'total package' to get sponsors to be able to practice their sport for a living. This legging advertisement reminds me of the 1982 cover because of the deliberate posing that is no where close to the way a person would hold themselves while playing sports or working out. This advertisement is more centered on the 'feminine' look and style for active wear. These type of advertisements are seen all over the place for many different types of sportswear, clothing, etc. and unfortunately they are a part of the American society's cultural norms. I personally would like to see less 'provocative' posing that represents sportswear and more poses or action shots that show the particular piece of clothing in action and having a good quality for sports and working out wear and tear that it will endure.