Size Matters
By Alexis J. December 17, 2009
“These are fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly.” - Karl Lagerfeld
Photo: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
“Ninety per cent of them (the models) are quite normal, properly proportioned girls with less fat and more muscles who also eat pizzas and burgers.” – John Ribbe
The fashion world latched on to the idea of skinny models with the advent of the iconic Twiggy – one of the first super models known to the world. People’s initial reaction to this waif-like model? They blew her off with a “She won’t last in this industry very long.” But my! were they wrong! It wasn’t long before the “Skinny Revolution” came about – plebeians and models all took to this trend, like paparazzi to Lindsay Lohan as she half-drunkenly stumbles into her car after partying all night.
And that was when the downtrend began. Any woman over size two was now “fat” and the only women that were sexy were the ones that were size zero. The more she looked like a skeleton, the more ‘desirable’ a woman was. The more she resembled a hanger, the more exotic a find she was. And this trend continued to rule the fashion industry, though it was more of an unspoken rule than a publicized fact. For decades, thin was in. Designers created fabulous concoctions which promoted a false body image – one which all women aspired to. People give the standard spiel “No no! Being size zero is awful! Healthy women are sexy, beautiful women.” – only to go and empty out the contents of their previous meal from their stomachs into the nearest restroom.
The obsession to look like Gisele Bundchen drives women to desperate measure – little do they realize that most of the models they see in print or film are air-brushed to ‘perfection’ - what is supposed to be the beauty ideal! Christy Turlington told Elle magazine, “When women see pictures of models in fashion magazines and say, ‘I can never look like that,’ what they don’t realize is that no one can look that good without the help of a computer.” So many women today are either anorexic, bulimic or have some sort of eating disorder to help them keep fatness at bay and sure, it keeps them skinny. But is being thin worth facing side effects like hair loss, dry skin, stomach ulcers and irregular heart beat? A large number of women seem to think so.
However, finally a much needed stand is being taken up against this ridiculous craze to be skinny. Real women – stand up and be counted. Designers are actually doing something about this issue; using plus size models- yep, plus size – to showcase their collections.
Jean Paul Gaultier, known for his provocative collections, showcased a skimpy black corset on a voluptuous woman (size 20; if you must know) named Velvet. The designer wanted to show the world that he did truly believe that big can be beautiful and he did it with flair. Velvet was truly phenomenal on the runway and proved to the world that you didn’t have to be skin and bones to look good and more importantly, to feel good about yourself.
Another designer who has gone all out in an effort to show the world that real beauty is not about size, is Canadian designer Mark Fast. He chose realistic, US size 8 models to walk down the runway for his collection showcased in London. While many people argued that size 8 wasn’t necessarily ’healthy’ but merely normal, I’d like to think that this is the much needed start to something that could finally make the people realize that women who actually have meat on their bones are in fact, gorgeous.
Photo : http://www.stylebyme.net/
Though it isn’t just women who feel daunted by the size zero myth – girls who are just stepping into their teens feel the need to be waif-like in order to be accepted by their peers – a dangerous thought to put into anyones head. As it is girls in their teens struggle with issues of self esteem, body image and confidence, without the added need to feel they have to fit into the smallest size in the shop. The trend to be thin has affected girls as young as ten. Not unsurprising, considering we have adult women desperately trying to achieve the physical dimensions of 10 year olds!
Designers are not the only ones who believe in Big Beauty – V magazine (the very V magazine that has glorified the super skinny likes of Miranda Kerr and Cameron Diaz on it’s cover) now plans to dedicate it’s January 2010 issue to women of all shapes and sizes. “Big, little, pint-size, plus-size - every body is beautiful,”V’s editor-in-chief Stephen Gan told the New York Post. “And this issue is out to prove it.” We certainly hope so.
British label John Lewis reported that their sales increased significantly following the use of women with fuller figures for its advertisements . Seven years ago when Marks & Spencer tried a similar endeavor, using a size 16 model, they failed miserably. The times, they are a-changing; and we couldn’t possibly be happier.
Will this new found ideology become the new fashion trend of the future? Will normal women find their place in the sun? While people still scoff at such ideas, the fact is that women come in all sizes. Fashion gurus are beginning to advocate celebrating womanhood – not size. The new buzz words are ‘womanly’, ‘lush’, ‘curvy’, ‘voluptuous’. And we find designers eager to work this trend.
Maybe the world needs to seriously address the issue of fashion and self-image. Maybe its high time we found a ‘real’ alternative to Barbie dolls!
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Submitted on December 17, 2009 in Industry News.
Extremely passionate about fashion, Alexis Jefferson is a style and fashion writer who lives, eats and breathes fashion. Obsessed with shoes, this aspiring Carine Roitfeld writes for several online publications and websites - Haute Mimi International, Liberating Style Magazine, Glossy Magazine etc. - as well as her own blog Candid Couture - http://www.candid-couture.com/
Alexis J. has contributed 29 articles to Models & Moguls.
I like the dialog, because it is important to under stand that less then 20% of the women in America are a size 0-4 and 60% of American women are consider to be plus size. As a plus size model I find this article has inspired women of all sizes and have given images that are more realistic. The Fashion World is headed in the right direction.
I really dont like the marketing slogans of the plus size movement like “womanly” to describe a female’s body or “Real women have curves” that’s just another punch to thin women. Don’t need to put down another group to make your self feel or look good. Women are women and we come in different shapes and sizes. We shouldn’t beat each other up or talk about the other on the sly, the cattyness and bitchyness needs to stop yesterday.
[...] and Mark Fast using a size-range of women in some of their shows. Check out this great article from ‘Models and Moguls’. And with the addition of some ‘plus-sized’ supermodels being featured in magazines [...]