Beauty Regimes A History of Power and Modern Empire in the Philippines, 1898-1941

In Beauty Regimes, Genevieve Alva Clutario traces how beauty and fashion in the Philippines shapes the intertwined projects of imperial expansion and modern nation building during the turbulent transition between Spanish, US and Japanese empires. Clutario takes readers through vivid scenes of beauty's collision with empire: from sartorial confrontations between white women and Filipinas about beauty and power, the spectacular Manila Carnival Queen pageants, and the global industry of Philippines embroidery and lingerie to Manila's high fashion designers and the exploitation of unfree labor in colonial prisons and schools. Drawing on English, Spanish and Tagalog archival sources, Clutario demonstrates the way beauty shaped political debates among colonial administrators and nationalists and defined the everyday lifelihoods of working class women, fashion designers and elite Filipinas.

Published in 2023 by Duke University Press

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