The concept of an 'ideal' femininity in Western cultures is subject to redefinition and change throughout historical periods. These fluctuating definitions of ideal femininity are produced and reproduced by media organizations, such as advertising, television, magazines, etc. This thesis will examine women's fashion and beauty magazines as a discursive site for the construction of a disciplining ideal of femininity. It is often the case that feminist research focuses its examination on larger social structures of power. I intend to examine the smaller structures or "micro practices" that women engage in to create a feminine, disciplined body. The articles and advertisements found in these magazines epitomize the micro practices of a constructed femininity. Finally, Foucauldian analyses and feminist debates will be employed to situate my thesis within a larger body of research: poststructuralist feminist work.