Cynthia Green
I am a historian (MA Emory University) and writer with a particular interest in cultural identity and textiles. Some of my work for Selvedge Magazine, History Workshop, The Voice of Fashion, JSTOR Daily, and Contingent Magazine, for example, can be found here.
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From female celebrities choosing to ‘go grey’ to bald women jokes at the Oscars and women around the world cutting their hair for a cause, women’s hair in 2022 has reminded us of a very old and unanswered question. Where do we draw the line between the body as a canvas for personal expression, and the body as an obligatory badge that reflects our place in society? ...
Take 21st century cosmetics for instance. When Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) recently renamed its ‘Fair & Lovely’ range of creams ‘Glow & Lovely’ and L'Oréal announced that it is removing the word “whitening” from its products, the world acknowledged a corporate response to the issue of colourism.
Whitening creams, though, are not a modern invention. From lead-based paint to rice flour to sandalwood paste, the history of topical whitening potions spans millennia and continents...
From female celebrities choosing to ‘go grey’ to bald women jokes at the Oscars and women around the world cutting their hair for a cause, women’s hair in 2022 has reminded us of a very old and unanswered question. Where do we draw the line between the body as a canvas for personal expression, and the body as an obligatory badge that reflects our place in society? ...
Take 21st century cosmetics for instance. When Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) recently renamed its ‘Fair & Lovely’ range of creams ‘Glow & Lovely’ and L'Oréal announced that it is removing the word “whitening” from its products, the world acknowledged a corporate response to the issue of colourism.
Whitening creams, though, are not a modern invention. From lead-based paint to rice flour to sandalwood paste, the history of topical whitening potions spans millennia and continents...