Inspiration comes in many forms and from many different sources. But when it comes to fashion, more often than not, our inspiration for the clothes
we buy and the style we choose comes from the glossy pages of a fashion
magazine, glamorous images from web pages, or from the television and movie
screens. We are constantly surrounded by endless images of beautiful
celebrities and models promoting the latest fashion and beauty trends.
But have you ever asked yourself why we so diligently emulate the styles of
celebrities?

Part of the answer is scientific, according to Dutch neuro-scientists who released a
study this past month. The study showed that the part of our brain
that is involved in cognitive decision making - the medial orbitofrontal
cortex - lights up each time we see a celebrity of the same sex
displaying eye-catching clothing or accessories!

Part two of the answer to our question lies in the enticing glamour, fabulous fame, and the elite social statuses of celebrities. We may not
realize it, but we imitate them in the hopes to capture some of that essence
for ourselves.

Fashion icons have been influencing the way we dress for decades. From Marilyn Monroe’s iconic white dress
to Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis’ impeccable fashion taste that spread like wildfire
throughout the country - or even all the way to Sarah Jessica Parker’s
inspirational shoe collection as Carrie in the Sex & the City empire,
celebrities consistently create style trends. Fashion conscious stars
such as Katie Holmes
have the ability to sum up a mood of the season by just a few paparazzi
snapshots.

We all remember the acid washed jeans and shoulder pads of the 80’s, made popular by icons such as Cory Heart, Billy Idol, and Madonna.
However, while many of us would like to forget much (or all!) of our 1980’s
wardrobe, it appears that celebrities are still hungry for clothing that
represents that era, such as leggings and off-the-shoulder tees. That
style has made a huge comeback this past year due to such celebrity enthusiasts
like Hillary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, Heidi Klum and Victoria Beckham.
Suddenly, leggings are everywhere and off-the-shoulder looks are the hot new
trend! This is no surprise, though. History has shown us time and
time again that Hollywood stars have an undeniable ability to influence the
style of the masses. Some of these looks are manufactured by stylists,
however others are truly spontaneous. Shopping for an outfit reminiscent
of the one you have seen your favorite star wear has been a socially accepted
practice in our culture for decades, and it is also an exciting and pleasurable
experience.

But what happens when women who used to enjoy such activities are suddenly thrown a fashion curve ball when they experience a drastic appearance change
due to medical hair loss or any other abrupt deviation from what our society
considers “the norm”? Former admiration for beautiful and healthy celebrities
is transformed into a very personal desire to feel attractive again.
Women who experience sudden appearance change often disconnect from their
normal life. They tend to feel alienated from fashion and fame.
Whether or not we care to admit it, for women, our appearance DOES matter to
us, and when fighting a battle against any disease, changes in appearance (such
as hair loss) can be mentally devastating. It is important to realize
that times like those are the most important to know how to love oneself.

Women confronting drastic appearance changes yearn for normalcy. I know when I lost my own hair, I was never more acutely aware of images of
women with hair and how I lost my ability to relate. My sense of style
remained, however none of my outfits or accessories looked the same without my
crowning glory!

I’ve yet to find a fashion magazine that highlights women without hair when portraying the season’s latest trends. I’m patiently waiting
for Hollywood to pick up the slack with its fictional female characters
undergoing chemotherapy. From Murphy’s cancer battle on Murphy Brown,
to Lynette of Desperate Housewives, and Samantha from Sex
& the City - television has been a prime venue for Hollywood to
portray a woman suffering from medical hair loss. Two current examples of
Hollywood depicting medical hair loss are found in the series “Brothers &
Sisters” and, more recently, “General Hospital.” As our former blogs on these
depictions stated, the female bald characters were forced to wear a variety of
unattractive and unfeminine head covering options.

Example one: In “Brothers & Sisters,” character Kitty Walker is portrayed as a successful, bold
and defiant woman with solid conservative beliefs. When she loses her
hair during her cancer treatment, her head wear options do not reflect at all
upon her character’s steadfast outlook on life. Rather, the lumpy turbans
she adorns call to mind the head wear of bearded Middle Eastern men!

Example two: In “General Hospital,” character Shirley Smith, a kind and classy older woman suffering
from brain cancer, is thrown into the General Hospital cast to mix things up at
the hospital with her frank and down-to-earth cool temper. Yet, what do
they adorn her baldness with but a childish arts and crafts-esque get up!

Hollywood continues to further stigmatize women with hair loss by portraying them in old fashioned and outdated head wear. Women still want to
fit in with society when they lose their hair. They do not desire to
stand out as different or sick. When Hollywood portrays female cancer
patients in century-old turbans and lumpy head wraps, it seems as if writers
and stylists don’t think their storyline would be supported without such
typical head coverings. It almost seems as if the chosen head wear is
meant to emphasize their illness. Don’t they get that
woman can lose her hair and STILL remain fashionable and stylish? Don’t
they get that when women are sick it is even MORE important to try and not draw
attention to their baldness? Instead, the continued portrayal in
unflattering head wraps causes the pubic to shudder at the possibility that if
they were to be diagnosed with cancer and lose their hair, those outdated ugly
turbans would be their only options.

The opportunity to help empower us through positive imagery is one that should never be passed up.

Calling all Hollywood stylists! You still have a chance to redeem yourself in the eyes of the bald and the beautiful. We’ve seen too many
of these outdated options - it’s time to show us something feminine, flowing
and fashionable. There are plenty of scarf options to choose from.
Get with it and keep in mind; we’ll be watching!