1970s & 80s
S
ex only became a more and more prominent feature in advertising, and from the 70s sex became the leading tool in the fashion industry. The fashion industry really profited from sex sells it was the idea if you sell people clothes on an attractive model people will believe that is how they will look and feel. In the 1970s it was really the beginning of the sexual revolution; sex had a serious impact on American society. This also became the time where the sexualisation of young women became an increasing issue. A
perfect example of this was in the 1980s when Calvin Klein started to find their brand from heavily sexualised advertisements, the first beginning with using the actress Brooke Shields who at the time was only 15 years old, with the tag line “Do you know what comes between me and my Calvin’s? Nothing.” This advert got severe backlash as the actress was only 15 years old which caused many U.S networks to ban the advert from being shown. However, Klein himself stood by his decision and did not see an issue with it whatsoever.
Jeans are sex. “The tighter they are the better they sell”
- Calvin Klein
“Do you know what comes between me and my Calvin’s? Nothing.”
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