Definition

The word “aesthetics” is a noun which usually refers to beauty in the context of appearance or style. It can also be used to term a particular “idea” that has been built up or agreed upon by a certain group of individuals. An example of such an idea can be trends in the fashion industry since they are followed and agreed upon by multiple experts or individuals in the field. Further it has also been considered a branch of philosophy when describing and keeping in mind the notions of good/bad, beautiful or ugly. The word is generally associated with something positive, pleasing and appealing  to your senses. 

History/Background

The term ‘aesthetics’ like most english words has come up from a greek word ‘aesthesis’, which means perception. The word was used by Alexander Baumgarten in 1735 to describe the understanding of something being beautiful or ugly. However, the understanding of a person or object he was referring to is extremely subjective to each person’s perception and mainly judgements. The term is extremely similar to words such as artistic, creative, beautiful or pretty. According to me ‘Aesthetics’ was initially used only to describe specific or niche scenarios but it has now become more like a slang used by the younger generation to refer to an individual’s fashion sense or personality. The origin of the word only referred to beautiful or ugly but today’s world aesthetics have endless meanings and descriptions depending on an individual’s point of view. 

Examples

The term can be used in different scenarios. 1. Fashion, 2. Beauty 3. Individual personality 4. Art. Starting with fashion, in the fashion industry the aesthetic depends on multiple factors such as the pieces of clothing in discussion, their color, style, the print on the cloth and whether or not it is appropriate for the scenario being considered. This refers to the event in discussion such as firstly the type of the event, some examples include weddings, parties, seminars etc. Secondly, the theme of the event is something that is extremely relevant when keeping in mind the fashion aspect of it, some popular themes include 90s fashion, monochromatic and many more. To sum it up, the “aesthetic” in terms of fashion has many aspects and an example of a sentence where it can be used is “Mira’s clothing choice isn’t in line with the aesthetic of the event”. Some slangs of fashion aesthetics include cottage core, vintage, minimalist etc. Moving on to beauty aesthetics, while aesthetics usually deals with the appreciation of beauty, according to me beauty aesthetics in itself is an unspoken branch of aesthetics. The aesthetic of beauty can refer to features of an individual such as eyes, lips or cheeks that define an individual’s appearance in the most natural way. Beauty aesthetics can also include the use of makeup to create different looks based on the product used or the “vibe” to put in a more colloquial way. An example of a sentence to describe beauty aesthetics can be “She has used makeup efficiently to create an aesthetic look”. Further, from a personality point of view,  since the term itself has a positive connotation, it talks about a sort of people pleasing attitude that some individuals have such as being overly nice. The use of the word in a sentence for this aspect can be “Her aesthetic nature tends to be appreciated by all her friends and family.” Lastly, another prominent aspect to consider while thinking of the term aesthetic is art. Since art is a form of expression which not just refers to paintings but also sculptures or any type of media which uses different shapes, colors and forms to create something new each time. The aesthetics of art like fashion are extremely subjective. However, the aesthetic of a particular artform can refer to not just the beauty of the finished product but also the inspiration behind the piece such as which era it is based on. The use of the term in a sentence referring to art can be “It looks as if the aesthetics of that painting have been inspired by the Victorian Era.”  The effect of the term can be on any literature enthusiast, depending on how the term is used to target a specific  group. For example, “queer aesthetic” is associated with “pink”, “rainbow” fashion since this is extremely stereotypical; it is considered offensive and rude by the queer community.  However in reality, the term ‘queer aesthetics’ is more than its explicit meaning, it is a representation of the struggles and fights the community as a whole had to go through. Overall the term is extremely generic and has no specific category that it can be used for. 

Controversies

The term aesthetics can be extremely controversial depending on how and where it is used, since the word primarily associated with beauty the use of the word can be very controversial especially if it is used in a cultural or religious aspect. Such as, some cultures perceive beauty in a different way than others like in India the idea of beauty is usually associated with a goddess however in other cultures this may be looked down upon and perceived as a patriarchal society. Additionally it can also be offensive if used to describe a particular person’s personality and appearance as it can be looked upon as objectifying or judgy.  

Citations

“’;;.’” ‘;;’ – YouTube, 9 March 2019, https://www.bowiecreators.com/article/the-commodification-of-queer-culture-identities-through-aesthetics-and-materialities. Accessed 20 October 2023.

“’;;.’” ‘;;’ – YouTube, 9 March 2019, https://tfr.news/articles/2022/6/20/the-mainstreaming-and-commodifying-of-queer-aesthetics. Accessed 20 October 2023.

“AESTHETIC | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary.” Cambridge Dictionary, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/aesthetic. Accessed 20 October 2023.

“Aesthetic Definition & Meaning.” Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/aesthetic. Accessed 20 October 2023.

“aesthetic | Etymology, origin and meaning of aesthetic by etymonline.” Etymonline, https://www.etymonline.com/word/aesthetic. Accessed 20 October 2023.

Burke, Edmund. “Aesthetics.” Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/aesthetics. Accessed 20 October 2023.

Kant, Immanuel. “Aesthetic Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aesthetic. Accessed 20 October 2023.

Spellings, Sarah. “Do I Have an Aesthetic?” Vogue, 25 May 2021, https://www.vogue.com/article/do-i-have-an-aesthetic. Accessed 20 October 2023.