world where anyone can look like anything

[sunandshadow]

Say there is a fantasy or science fictional world where every person is able to look like whatever they want. There is no dieting, no exercising, no plastic surgery, instead people sell appearance designs, and beauty contests are about the creativity and artistic skill used to create the appearance. In a relationship a person might change themselves to look like whatever the other person wanted. How would people choose mates if appearance wasn't an issue? What would people look like if they didn't have a particular lover's taste to guide their choice? Would people use their appearance as a code to communicate what they were looking for, like a personal ad? What kind of interesting stories could happen in a world like this?

 

[scriptease]

Since these people can look like anything the other might want to see, I must wonder if their outer person starts to look more like their true inner self, or if the person's outer image is used to protect the inner self by creating a false image of what they really are not? Would looks really matter anymore since its not a valid way of differentiating people? Or, would the talent of being able to change into the most extreme form become something attractive? Would hoarding of certain posessions like cars, or homes help to advertise the inner self better?

Scriptease

 

[snooper]

Say there is a fantasy or science fictional world where every person is able to look like whatever they want. ...

Shape-shifting is a well-established fantasy theme. As Tom Holt pointed out, it is especially useful when encountering signs such as "Dogs must be carried on the moving walkway" if you don't have a dog with you, but do have a shapeshifter.

 

[Carnevil9]

I imagine in a world such as you describe, a person's appearance would be treated much as we treat clothing: as a matter of taste. You might like a person's taste in how they choose to appear (as we might like someone's means of dress), or you might not. And you might attempt to influence their choices (we might buy our girlfriend a short skirt; they might buy her a new pair of larger boobs).

As in our world, serious choices of a mate would be based on more permanent, harder-to-change things, such as personality, family, sexual prowess, vocation, or bank account. In your hypothetical world, appearance gets removed from the list of "harder to change" attributes, but the rest are still there to influence one's choices.

Just my thoughts, for what they're worth......Carney

 

[sunandshadow]

Would looks really matter anymore since its not a valid way of differentiating people?
Scriptease

Hmm, that makes me think that the most interesting scenario would be to follow a population of regular humans who suddenly get the ability to look like whatever they want (and be whatever gender they want), and see how their use of and attitude toward this ability would change over time and perhaps into the second generation.