The Construction of Women’s Fashion Perceptions and Body Image on Social Platforms

Kang Wang

doi:10.62051/ebz5kb58

Authors

Kang Wang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62051/ebz5kb58

Keywords:

Fashion influencers; body image; digital femininity; Xiaohongshu; algorithmic aesthetics; social media.

Abstract

In the digital age, social media has revolutionized how young women perceive fashion, identity, and body image. Platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Instagram, and TikTok serve as spaces of expression, but also as mechanisms of commercial influence. This paper explores how two fashion influencers—Tansuan and Acrylicn—shape gendered aesthetics, body norms, and consumption behavior through curated content. Using feminist media theory and a socio-cultural lens, the study analyzes their posts and audience interactions to unpack the tensions between empowerment and conformity in digital culture. A third case study introduces Nuanhua, whose body-neutral approach contrasts with dominant influencer trends. As influencer culture continues to reshape how women relate to fashion, identity, and digital visibility, its impact cannot be left solely to platform algorithms, brand marketing teams, or personal taste. The findings of this study, drawn from three distinct yet influential figures, underscore the importance of developing multi-level strategies to ensure that the influencer ecosystem evolves in a more ethical, inclusive, and emotionally sustainable direction.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] B. E. Duffy, E. Hund, Gendered visibility on social media: Navigating Instagram’s authenticity bind, Int. J. Commun. 13 (2019) 4983 – 5002.

[2] A. Marwick, D. Boyd, to see and be seen: Celebrity practice on Twitter, Convergence 17 (2) (2011) 139 – 158.

[3] J. Fardouly, P.C. Diedrichs, L.R. Vartanian, E. Halliwell, Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women’s body image concerns and mood, Body Image 13 (2015) 38 – 45.

[4] M. Tiggemann, A. Slater, NetGirls: The Internet, Facebook, and body image concern in adolescent girls, Int. J. Eat. Disord. 47 (6) (2014) 630 – 643.

[5] S.V. Jin, E. Ryu, “I’ll buy what she’s #wearing”: The roles of envy toward and parasocial interaction with influencers in Instagram celebrity-based brand endorsement and social commerce, J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 55 (2020) 102121.

[6] J. Liu, social media and its impact on Chinese women’s body image, J. Psychol. Res. 12 (3) (2022) 258 – 270.

[7] J. Cwynar-Horta, The commodification of the body positive movement on Instagram, Stream: Cult. /Polit./Technol. 8 (2) (2016) 36 – 56.

[8] S. Bordo, Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body, University of California Press, 1993.

[9] S. Bishop, Algorithmic reckoning in influencer cultures, Soc. Media + Soc. 7 (1) (2021) 1 – 11.

[10] C. Abidin, Visibility labour: Engaging with influencers’ fashion brands and #OOTD advertorial campaigns on Instagram, Media Int. Aust. 161 (1) (2016) 86 – 100.

[11] S. Banet-Weiser, Empowered: Popular Feminism and Popular Misogyny, Duke University Press, 2018.

[12] S. U. Noble, Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, NYU Press, 2018.

[13] E. Goffman, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Doubleday, 1959.

[14] T. Gillespie, Custodians of the Internet: Platforms, Content Moderation, and the Hidden Decisions that Shape social media, Yale University Press, 2018.

[15] X. Zhang, L. Ma, A content analysis of body positive posts on Chinese social media, Body Image 45 (2023) 1 – 10.