Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1. Introduction -- The personal becomes political : the trouble with shoes -- The costs and consequences of appearance -- Surveying the foundations : social, biological, economic, technological, and media forces -- Feminist challenges and responses -- Appearance discrimination : social wrongs and legal rights -- Legal frameworks -- A road map for reform -- 2. The importance of appearance and the costs of conformity -- Definitions of attractiveness and forms of discrimination -- Interpersonal relationships and economic opportunities -- Self-esteem, stigma, and quality of life -- Gender differences -- The price of upkeep : time and money -- Health risks -- Bias -- 3. The pursuit of beauty -- Sociobiological foundations -- Cultural values, status, and identity -- Market forces -- Technology -- The media -- Advertising -- The culture of beauty -- 4. Critics and their critics -- Nineteenth-and early-twentieth-century critics -- The contemporary women's movement -- Critiques -- Responses -- Personal interests and political commitments -- Beyond the impasse -- 5. The injustice of discrimination -- Ensuring equal opportunity : challenging stigma and stereotypes -- Challenging subordination based on class, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation -- Protecting self-expression : personal liberty and cultural identity -- The rationale for discrimination and resistance to prohibitions -- The parallel of sexual harassment -- The contributions of law -- 6. Legal frameworks -- The limitations of prevailing legal frameworks -- Prohibitions on appearance discrimination -- A comparative approach : European responses to appearance discrimination -- The contributions and limitations of legal prohibitions on appearance discrimination -- Consumer protection : prohibitions on false and fraudulent marketing practices -- Directions for reform -- 7. Strategies for change -- Defining the goal -- Individuals -- Business and the media -- Law and policy -- Notes -- Index.