The Culture of Plastic Surgery in Brazil

The Culture of Plastic Surgery Among Rio’s Lower Classes

 

 

A ‘Necessary Vanity’

Alexander Edmonds, an anthropologist studied the culture of plastic surgery among Rio’s lower classes and found a desire for both equity and self-esteem:

I first met Ester through her former employer, a successful plastic surgeon, for whom she’d worked as his personal cook.  Ester lived nearby to the surgeon in Vidigal, a favela flanking the brilliant white sand beach of Leblon.  One day after she’d prepared dinner for his family she shyly told him in private, “Doutor, I want to put in silicone.”

After reading up on prosthetic materials in an Internet café, she’d settled on a midcost model of breast implant (1,500 real, or about $900), size (175 cm) and shape (natural), and convinced the doctor in a minute that she was a good candidate.  Hesitant to perform the surgery on his domestic employee, he referred her to a young resident in Pitanguy’s clinic.

Ester left school at 14 to work beside her mother as a maid and now has two young kids.  While taking night classes to get her high school diploma, she dreamed of “working with numbers.”  Job prospects were grim though, and she said she’d take anything, even “working for a family” (a euphemism for domestic service).  I asked her why she wanted to have the surgery.  “I didn’t put in an implant to exhibit myself, but to feel better. It wasn’t a simple vanity, but a  … necessary vanity.  Surgery improves a woman’s auto-estima.”

Edmonds reveals what this search for self-esteem through physical alteration says about the culture of Brazil’s therapeutic landscape:

Psychoanalysis and plastic surgery, both once maverick medical specialties, overlapped closely in their historical development.  While the “talking cure” treated bodily complaints via the mind, plastic surgery healed mental suffering via the body.  Historian Sander Gilman called plastic surgery “psychoanalysis in reverse.”  In Brazil, as in Argentina, psychoanalysis enjoyed extraordinary popularity among wealthier Brazilians. But many veterans of Freudian or Lacananian therapy have supplemented or supplanted it with plástica. For the patients at public hospitals, psychoanalysis had never been “an option,” a psychologist who worked in Pitanguy’s clinic told me. Echoing the words of the mischievous Carnival designer, she explained, “The poor prefer surgery.”

Read The Rest Here, Via NYT…

Fashion & Style: Brazil Beyond The Beach

Brazil Beyond The Beach – The Booming Brazilian Fashion Industry

Take a trip to Brazil to explore the country’s fashion industry and you will find it is not all samba and swimwear…

Brazil might have some of the world’s best beaches, gorgeous weather and a carnival atmosphere that resonates around every city, but when it comes to fashion it is not all gold lamé hot pants, exotic beachwear and those off-duty staple of the shoe world – Havaianas (made in Brazil – naturally).

Until you’ve experienced what this incredible country has to offer, it is easy to dismiss Brazilian fashion – which is worth an incredible $52 billion a year – as anything more than samba and swimwear.

But attending the Minas Trend Preview – one of the biggest fashion events in the country – was not only a chance to see the forthcoming S/S11 collections (summer starts in December), but also to witness what the Brazilian’s do best – creative catwalks infused with a happy local spirit and a lot of excellent designs that wouldn’t be out of place in the UAE. In fact, many of the designers brought their collections to the Emirates for last years Who’s Next fashion event and received a positive reaction from shoppers.

The Minas Trend trade show, held in the industrial city of Belo Horizonte, is a preview of what to expect at the large runway shows held at Fashion Rio and São Paulo Fashion Week. Now in its eighth year, the event hosted 31 brands and 19 catwalk shows and was curated by well known Brazilian designer Ronaldo Fraga. Under this edition’s theme of Oxygen, Fraga chose different looks from the various collections and built an amazing opening show featuring vibrant hues, colour blocking and a lot of sheer fabrics.

Highlight collections included Alessa – renowned for her modern prints that would suit both the Copacabana beach set as well as Dubai’s high society ladies – and Gig by Gina Guerra – a relatively young brand that makes very wearable clothes with a modern and feminine edge.

Here’s my pick of the best shows…

Alessa

Founded in 2002 by Carioca Alessa, the label sticks to its South American roots but adds a touch of modern day sophistication. The S/S11 collection has a very Brazilian touch with fun, flair and florals ruling the runway. Models were adorned in shimmering silk metallic midi dresses (very now), printed kaftans inspired by the Amazon and bold floral print maxis tied at the waist with bright yellow leather belts. Hair was worn up and accessorised with elaborate embellished hair pieces which cascaded down the models’ faces.

Chiclete

Inspired by Brazil’s Japanese population, the designers – Barbara Maciel and Louise Cristine – mixed contemporary Japanese design and traditional crafts from the Far East, such as origami, to produce a chic tailored collection for modern women. Red, pink and white dominated the collection and kimono style maxi-dresses, worn with large belts that looked like exotic lilies, created a stylish silhouette. But the biggest runway wow factor was the fan effect dress worn with high-waisted pure silk shorts in midnight blue, teamed with red Mary Janes.

ViVaZ

Bringing together the many characteristics of the Brazilian people, Elizabeth Faria, the designer behind Vivaz, closed day three with a glitzy show of glorious eveningwear. Frou frou frocks, gold and fawn coloured lamé dresses, turquoise one shoulder gowns and staggeringly high heels were in abundance. Elizabeth is not ashamed to exploit what Brazil does best – party – and showed the audience that fun doesn’t have to mean fast fashion. The luxury line, which is exported to the Middle East, did show some chic casual wear, but it’s this collection of feminine frocks that really brought the house down.

Gig

In the glorious outdoor surroundings of the Inhotim Contemporary Art Centre and Gardens, Gina Guerra showcased her S/S11 collection. Walking to the beat of Blondie, models were adorned in luxurious silks, light knitwear and sheer dresses. Her passion for colour wasn’t as evident as in previous collections, with pastels, pinks, nudes and white dominating the mostly evening wear-based show. The entire collection was beautifully feminine with cute blouses, short shift dresses, embellished detailing, waists nipped in with skinny belts and 50s inspired swimwear – a welcome change to the skimpy two-pieces that Brazil is so famous for. Gig is currently available across the USA and Europe but is yet to explore the Middle East, which is a shame as this is a label that could work very well in this region.

Patricia Motta

The 70s influence was a huge trend at the international S/S11 shows and that was no different in Brazil. Large floppy hats, tailored flared trousers, high-wasited shorts and crochet waistcoats adorned the open air catwalk set within 3,000 acres of Brazil’s finest parkland.  Snakeskin is also a huge trend for S/S11 and Patricia Motta incorporated it into everything from vest tops, to mini skirts, to jackets and belts, in a variety of neons and rainbow brights. A beautiful, sophisticated and very on trend collection from the woman whose name has become a byword for quality.

Via Emirates Woman

Culture: Fashion: Video: FashionTV Takes a Tour of Rio de Janeiro

Brazilian Style: Fashion TV Takes a Tour of Rio de Janeiro

Society News: Rising of the Brazilian Middle Class: Pedicures Lead Woman From Rio Slum To Home Ownership

Here’s a really interesting story written by CSM about how giving pedicures lead one hard-working Brazilian woman from the Brazilian slum (favela) to owning her own home. It’s the story of how one woman in Brazil used her high school education as a way out of poverty. Already, universal education has boosted half the Brazilian population into the middle class.

Meire, a Brazilian pedicurist, has lifted herself out of a Rio de Janiero slum and bought a house. She qualified for the mortgage using ‘social capital’ – that is, with help from her friends.

 

Rio de Janeiro

A paper cap corralling her long, curly hair and a white paper mask muffling the lilt of her salon gossip, Meire adjusts a neon ring of light and peers businesslike at the calloused foot of a client lying on a white leatherette recliner. Pedicures are serious business in this mecca of sun worship and sandals.As lowly a job as it may seem to bathe, poke, pluck, and massage other people’s feet, this job is golden. It has boosted Meire up the socioeconomic ladder and out of the slums: By serving the middle and upper classes in her cubicle at Ipanema’s Spa do Pé (Foot Spa), she has herself entered Brazil‘s burgeoning middle class.

“I love what I do,” she often says, as she straightens up from hunching over a client’s newly buffed feet. And that’s despite a three-hour round-trip bus commute to work five days a week – and frequent house-call detours she makes for extra cash.

Meire, who asked that the Monitor not use her real name for security reasons, is living the middle-class dream that is spreading across the globe. Her income – the equivalent of $1,000 a month – has enabled her to get a mortgage on a small house on a tree-lined street 15 minutes from her parents’ home in the giant Jacarezinho favela, or slum. Brazil’s middle class, swelling with people like her who have achieved higher levels of education than their parents, is now estimated to include half the nation’s population of 191 million. The burgeoning consumer appetite, say economists, buffered the country from the world recession that began in 2008: Unlike the United States and much of Europe, Brazil’s economy is booming, with 7.5 percent gross domestic product growth in 2010.

Thanks to a constitutional provision for universal education enacted in 1987, Meire got a high school diploma. She worked at a General Electric light bulb factory for six years after high school. But when incandescent bulbs lost market share, the factory closed. Meire’s diploma saved her: It qualified her to take an 18-month specialized salon course.

“Brazilians are consuming more because they’re working more, and they’re working more because they went to school,” says economist Marcelo Neri, who last year produced the Getúlio Vargas Foundation study “The New Middle Class in Brazil: The Bright Side of the Poor.” Mr. Neri adds that enrollment in technical schools such as the one where Meire got her training grew 75 percent from 2004 to 2010.

The favela where Meire grew up is famous for a section where drug addicts openly use crack, undisturbed. And security is hardly provided by police: She recalls how she and a companion awoke in a favela apartment four years ago surrounded by police who threw a packet of cocaine on their bed in a mistaken-identity extortion bid…

Read More: (Via CSM)

Brazilian Portuguese Vocab: Jewelry

jóia – jewelry, jewl

bijuteria – costume jewelry

brincos – earrings

gema – gem (also means: egg yolk)

colar, corrente – necklace

anel – ring

pulseira – bracelet

diamante – diamond

brilhar – to sparkle

peircing – peircing

Advanced Brazilian Portuguese Fashion Vocabulary: Describing Clothes In Detail

Here are some terms for fashion enthusiasts to use when talking about a designer’s clothing line and for describing the clothes in detail in Portuguese. If you ever get the chance to attend a fashion show in Brazil, this advanced list of  “termos de moda” will really impress your guests. If you ever get the chance to attend São Paulo Fashion Week, it is an amazing experience.

FASHION SEASONS

Outono/Inverno – Autumn/Winter

Primavera/Verão – Spring/Summer

TYPES OF COLLARS

gola – collar

gola rulê – turtleneck

gola canoa – boat neck

gola careca – crewneck

CLOTHING DETAILS

punho – cuff (of a shirt, coat, etc.)

cava – armhole

mangas – sleeves

orla – edge, border, hem (clothes)

bojo – the foam padding sometimes built into a swimsuit top or shirt

bordado – embroidery

babado – frill

botões – buttons

alça – strap

lapela – lapel

 ponto (de costura) – stitch (n.)

passante – belt loop

SHOE DETAILS

salto (do sapato) – a shoe heel

salto alto – high heel

sapatilha, sapatos baixos – flats

sapatilhas – pumps

sapato – shoe

pantufa – slipper

cadarço – shoelace

sandália – sandal

chinelo – flip flop (*this is also a slang word for someone who is kind of a loser)

tênis – tennis shoes, sneakers

TAILORING

alfaiate – a tailor

costurar – to mend, sew

desfiar – to unravel, fray

tomar uma medida – to measure

cintura – the waist

ombro – the shoulder

THE FABRIC

tecido – fabric

tecido xadrez – checkered fabric

estampa – print

estampa leopardo – leopard print

raiado -striped

couro – leather

veludo – velvet

cetim – satin

seda – silk

 lã – wool

flanela – flannel

alça – strap

moletom – sweatshirt, or anything made out of sweatshirt material

algodão – cotton

roupas em malha retilínea – knitwear, mesh

tricotado – knitted

tricô – knitting

renda – lace

ADJECTIVES

comprido – short (for example, when referring to a dress or skirt)

manga comprida – long sleeved

manga curta – short sleeved

largo, folgado – baggy

moulage – draped

impermeável – waterproof

amarrotado – wrinkled, crumpled, creased

“ao avesso” – inside out

CUSTOM MADE / COTURE / DESIGNER WEAR / LABELS

encomenda – an order (something specially ordered or sent away for, custom made)

feito sob medida – custom made (clothes)

estilo – style

griffe – desidner label

traje – ensemble, outfit

roupa esportiva – sportswear

etiqueta, marca – label

 

Brazilian Beauty Vocab – At The Spa

spa – spa

serviços – services

tratamentos – treatments

depilação – waxing

cera de depilação – wax

banho de ofurô – japanese hot tub (popular at spas in Brazil)

massagem – massage

massagem terapêutica – therapeutic massage

máscara facial – facial mask

facial – facial

peeling químico – chemical peel

toxina botulínica – botox

promover bem-estar – to promote well being

hidratação – hydration

esfoliação – exfoliation

relaxar – to relax

depilação a laser – laser hair removal

revigorante – invigorating

revitalizante – revitalizing

para relaxar o corpo e a mente – to relax the body and the mind

terapia – therapy

terapia das pedras quentes – hot stone therapy

Brazilian Style – Maquiagem – Makeup

In Brazil, the cosmetics industry is huge, and many women of all socioeconomic levels invest in beauty. Maquiagem, or make-up, is a huge part of the grooming ritual for women in Brazil. One piece of advise I have for those of you traveling or going to live in Brazil is that makeup and cosmetics are VERY expensive anywhere you go (probably because they are mostly imported from Europe). For example, even the every-day brands of foundation that we find here at Walgreens, CVS or Rite Aid can cost up to 40-70 Reals. so I would recommend bringing a stock to last you the duration of your trip. Here is some vocab:

Here's an example of how you could do your makeup using Brazilian colors for the World Cup in 2014 hahaha

maquiagem (maquiagens pl.) – make up

cosméticos – cosmetics

maquiar-se – to put on makeup

pincel (pincéis pl.) – a makeup brush (you can also use this word for a paint brush)

sobrancelhas – eyebrows

cílios superiores – top eyelashes 

cílios inferiores – bottom eyelashes

rímel – mascara (yes, this word derives from the brand Rimmel London)

batom – lipstick

lápis – eye liner (this is the Portuguese word for pencil)

delineador líquido – liquid eyeliner

sombra – eye shadow

curvex – eyelash curler

cílios postiços – fake lashes

base – foundation (pronounced “basie,” because you always pronounce the ‘e’ in Portuguese words ending in ‘e.’)

corretivo – concealer

perfume – perfume (this is the same word in Portuguese for men’s cologne)

pó  – powder

estojo de maquiagem – makeup case (an estojo is typically a soft material, smaller case. Say “maleta” if it’s a bigger suitcase-style makeup case)

blush– blush

paleta – pallet

kit – kit

gloss, brilho labial – gloss

delineador para lábios – lip liner

bronze – bronzer

removedor – makeup remover

compacta – compact (like a compact of foundation)

esponjinha para aplicação – application sponge

BELEZA – Brazilian Fashon, Style & Beauty – At The Salon

Wherever you go in Brazil, you will notice that people from all walks of life are extremely well dressed and well groomed. Brazilian (woman especially) seem to always have the money to go to the salon, and always have time to find the perfect accessories to go with their outfits. Beleza is the Portuguese word for Beauty. This word is used extremely frequently in Brazil because it has been adopted to also mean something along the lines of  “everything’s good,” “sounds good” or “alright”. It’s a colloquial or slang way of responding to the question “how are you” or even for asking “how are you?” or “what’s up?”.

Example:

Antônio:“Beleza Rodrigo? Vamos tomar uma cerva?” – “Everything good Rodrigo? You want to go have a beer?”
Rodrigo: “Beleza! Só se for agora!” – alright/sounds good, only if we can go now!

Beauty Vocabulary

Hair – Cabelos:

prancha (or chapinha) – hair straightener

pentear – to comb

escovar – to brush

enxaguar – to rinse

lavar – to wash

piranha (or grampo) – hair clip (piranha literally means piranha (as in the carnivorous fish)… and be careful…the word “piranha” also means “slut” when talking about a girl in Portuguese slang)

goma (or elastico) – hair tie

desgrenhado – discheveled (hair)

secador de cabelos – hair dryer

franja – bangs

cabelo comprido – long hair

cabelo curto – short hair

mechas – highlights

pintar os cabelos – to dye ones hair

trançar – to braid

trançinhas – braids

rabo de cavalo – ponytail

xampu – shampoo

condicionador – conditioner

gel – gel

corte – hair cut

cabelereiro – hairdresser

escova japonesa or relaxamento – permanent chemical hair straightening (often done with Brazilian Keratin treatment)

alongamento – hair extensions

ponta dupla – split end

Nails – Unhas:

acetona – nail polish remover

alicate – nail clippers (also the word for plant cutters/shears)

lixa – nail file (also the word for sandpaper)

lixar – to file

esmolte – nail polish

algodão, cotonete – cotton

unha francesa – french manicure

unhas postiças – fake nails, acrylic nails

Hair Removal & Waxing – Depilação

cera de depilação – wax

lâmina de barbear – shaving blade

gilete – razor

Adjectives – Adjetivos:

vaidoso(a)/vaidade – vain/vanity (Brazilians use this word fairly casually, for example, to describe a guy who wears gel in his hair or seems to care a bit about his appearence.)

…I will definitely keep adding to this list as I think of more words…or leave a comment if you have any suggestions 🙂

-Portuguese Blogger – portugueseblogger@gmail.com