Pricing Beauty

The Making of a Fashion Model

By: Ashley Mears

Narrated by: Cris Dukehart

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Sociologist Ashley Mears takes us behind the brightly lit runways and glossy advertisements of the fashion industry in this insider's study of the world of modeling. Mears, who worked as a model in New York and London, draws on observations as well as extensive interviews with male and female models, agents, clients, photographers, stylists, and others, to explore the economics and politics - and the arbitrariness - behind the business of glamour.

Exploring a largely hidden arena of cultural production, she shows how the right "look" is discovered, developed, and packaged to become a prized commodity. She examines how models sell themselves, how agents promote them, and how clients decide to hire them. An original contribution to the sociology of work in the new cultural economy, Pricing Beauty offers rich, accessible analysis of the invisible ways in which gender, race, and class shape worth in the marketplace.

©2011 Ashley Mears (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Mears gives voice to a group of women who are paid to be seen and not heard." (Slate)

"Mears has produced a fascinating study." (Boston Globe)

"Mears acknowledges that walking the runway can be a thrill unlike any other [but also] notes some of the industry's exploitative aspects." (Stylelist)

Great Modeling Primer

This book offers a great overview from the perspective of a model in a "primary" market. Though it lacks a little depth in overlooking secondary markets (the place where most models start) and constantly speaks about poor wages per job. It shows the author may be slightly out of touch with the realities of poverty.

It's a little disjointed in its transition from industry knowledge to dissertation but there is some excellent incite on model/scout/booker/client relationships.

For anyone curious about modeling, it's absolutely worth reading!

Putting Cash Numbers on a Model's Head

Pricing Beauty is a perceptive and eye opening look at the modeling industry and an investigation on model success and failure. You’ll find lots of delicious tidbits from fashion insiders and models in this book, so delicious!

Listen to exclusive interviews with models, agents, clients, designers, and stylists. Learn how the “right look” is discovered and developed, how far models and agents are willing to go to promote themselves, or how clients decide to hire them.

Listen to this book and you’ll never watch America’s Top Model the same way again.

One of the Best Insider Stories Read

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Not sure

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The author covers both male and female throughout the book.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Cris Dukehart?

Yes

Do you think Pricing Beauty needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, the new title would need a new author

Any additional comments?

Glad it was a book you could listen to.

Excellent book; many mispronunciations

This book is great because it's an excellent, theoretically rich academic work (hence 5 stars overall and for story), but also a really fascinating take on the inner workings of the modeling industry. I presume it's an audiobook for the latter reason. The reader was well-equipped for certain tasks, such as clever use of multiple types of British accents when necessary. But the reader was bad at pronouncing some of the academic words. There were several distracting errors, but the worst was "Foucault" pronounced "FOW-CALT." I almost died.

Boring

What would have made Pricing Beauty better?

Actually writing in an entertaining way

What do you think your next listen will be?

No idea

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Cris Dukehart?

Maybe a British English speaker? American-English read by women can be a bit sharp for the ear.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

Any additional comments?

Some texts are better written than auditive.

Like a freshman year sociology paper

Parts of this were interesting, but there was too much lingo, too much repetition and a whole lot of stating the obvious.