Holiday bodies: Young women and their appearance

A holiday is an embodied experience yet little is known about how one's body image or physical appearance affects the experience. The study employed Memory-work to examine how young, Australian women felt about their physical appearance on holiday. The findings indicated that the women experienced their appearance through surveillance, social comparison and feedback. While most memories reflected reinforcement rather than resistance to the dominant discourse on women's appearance, experiences were contingent on the destination, type of holiday and the other people present. Viewing the body, not as static but, as “becoming” offers hope for transgression. The study contributes to the embodiment literature in examining the lived experiences of appearance in a holiday environment which is often gendered and sexualised.