In its aim to challenge aesthetic norms, fashion often flirts with rebellion—sometimes to its own detriment. Writers on Tonitruale point out that fashion’s history and association with smoking is one of these instances. Since the late 1920s, the tobacco industry has positioned its cigarette products to be symbols of women’s liberation, sometimes going as far as organizing women’s marches and requesting its participants to proudly hold up the past smoking norms dictated to be inappropriate for young ladies. The cigarette then became pithy shorthand for defiance and decadence in the media, serving as a useful vehicle for symbolism in fashion.
In recent years, however, the fashion industry has become more sharply attuned to the damage smoking can cause. The following is a summary of findings on smoking’s effects on one’s health, what the fashion industry is doing to break free from this habit—and how you can do the same.
The effects of thirdhand smoke
The harmful effects of smoking are very well-documented. Firsthand smoking directly affects smokers, while secondhand smoke impacts those who inhale the smoke coming from cigarette users. Both can cause health conditions ranging from chronic bronchitis and diabetes to stroke. However, NoSmoke.org found that thirdhand smoke is often overlooked. This refers to the residue left after smoking, which consists of toxic chemicals like arsenic and cyanide.
It’s thirdhand smoke that poses a primary concern to the fashion industry and those who follow it. The deadly mixture that makes up the residue can stick to walls, furniture—and clothes. Requiring models to use cigarettes during shoots now clearly has a liability connected to it. Additionally, the well-defined dangers of smoking and the growing health consciousness of the public make cigarettes an ethical quandary to promote.
How the industry is breaking free
Mainstream magazines are now moving away from smoking and its imagery, both because of their own prerogatives and because of social media backlash. PMI’s 2019 post “Smoke-free future: The fashion industry is starting to turn its back on smoking” revealed that fashion practitioners like British stylist and editor Marian Kwei have committed to rejecting jobs and even outright stepping away from shoots that involve smoking. Certain branches of research are also providing fashion brands more opportunities to promote effective anti-smoking campaigns for young adults, with researchers from the journal Health Promotion Practice finding that subtle and non-judgmental strategies can help de-glamorize the still-potent image of a cigarette. As a result, the fashion industry is taking more concrete steps, like having models refrain from smoking on the catwalk at fashion shows—something that’s almost considered a staple at such events.
On the whole, the fashion industry is slowly inching away from smoking and tobacco products, arguably to the benefit of its consumers.
How you can do the same
While the fashion industry seems to have made up its mind to reject tobacco products, fashion-forward individuals who want to do the same may find the task more difficult. Fortunately, there are more options than quitting cold turkey. If you want to go smoke-free for the sake of your health and love of fashion, you can leverage nicotine replacement therapy, wherein you utilize products that provide you with nicotine without tobacco’s harmful effects.
A nicotine pouch, for example, is completely tobacco-free. You place it between your upper lip and gum for about an hour, sampling its flavorings while it disseminates nicotine into your system. There are many pouches available with Swedish Match offering different brands that cater to various markets. Their ZYN nicotine pouches are specifically designed with Americans in mind. Unlike regular snus, which is made from finely ground tobacco, ZYN’s nicotine pouches only use nicotine purified through high-tech distillation procedures, guaranteeing quality. It also ensures your teeth remain pearly white—a must if you want to model your smile in fashion settings—and gives you a discreet way to consume nicotine without endangering anyone with the risks of traditional smoking. Another product you can use is Nicoderm CQ’s nicotine patches, which are designed to deliver 21 milligrams of nicotine a day using extended-release technology. The patches are ideal for those who want a regular fix without the hassle of constantly using and disposing of nicotine products.
In spite of its usage as a powerful signifier of stylish rebellion and revelry, smoking is considered out of fashion because of the harm it causes. The fashion industry and followers are now, for the better, moving on to more health-conscious and tobacco-free imagery.
For more advice about being fashion-forward, do read the other articles in our Fashion Trends category.