Friday, March 7, 2008

REMEMBERING WHAT ONCE WAS THE BODY IDEAL...

HOW DID WE GO FROM THIS...


MARILYN, a size 14...

TO THIS, a size 0?





Who is responsible for the shift in perception of the "ideal" body for women during the past 40 years? Well, the answer is a no-brainer: The fashion industry.

From the emergence of Twiggy in the Swinging '60s to the skeletal models in magazines and on the catwalk these days, designers continue to fashion their clothing to fit their perception of the ideal body, citing that their clothes "hang and look better" on their model muses who are, almost without exception, rake thin.


According to Women's Wear Daily in the UK , size zero is the best selling size among the top-ranking fashion labels.

And because of the recent ban on size-zero models on some (but not all) runways, many designers and their financial backers have railed against the ban, saying that it interferes with their artistic process and business.

It is a shocking situation that I'm afraid isn't going to go away any time soon.

Remember when curves were beautiful?





LINKS:


http://www.amoeba.com/blog/tags/madonna/page1.html

http://www.piercemattie.com/blogs/industry_news/

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TMIQf8b9iEo&feature=related

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7 comments:

wackytobeme said...

Medusa,
You are so right. I was just thinking of this very topic recently. How does such a small group (the fashion 'elite') have so much influence? The majority of what I see on the runways are just plain UGLY!!!. I don't know anyone who would want to be seen in public wearing such things. I think the majority of people probably think the same thing. So how do they have so much influence??? Why are they given such star status? Any ideas on how to turn this kind of thing around?

Medusa said...

"Any ideas on how to turn this kind of thing around?"

I wish I had a simple answer to your question, wacky.

Other than boycotting the designers who use size-zero models, writing to your congressperson, and writing to the major fashion houses, I am at a loss for ideas.

Even though there is a ban in some cities in Europe forbidding the use of size-0 models, most designers continue to ignore the ban.

Girl with Curl said...

Oh my goodness. That is just not right. I'd rather be the before ideal. I just don't see how anyone can think what's ideal now is attractive at all.

I could see if you were naturally that skinny but, I don't think you can achieve that kind of skinniness unless you really tried or were sick.

Anonymous said...

I watched a size 0 documentary on UK television where an "expert" explained quite frankly that the designers and the fashion magazines want models who look like sickly stick insects,the more emaciated the better-because they compete for attention in the media and press.If a model dies on the catwalk they probably celebrate their good fortune=lots of media coverage!!Scarily skeletal=attention not going to the competition.It makes me want to puke!!/ Ida,Stockholm,angry anorexic.

Anonymous said...

Marilyn was a size 14 back then. Now she'd be more like a 6 (because of Vanity Sizing). She looked fabulous and healthy without a doubt.

Anonymous said...

I wanna be like Marylin Monroe :D

But I think MANY girls have issues with their self image so if we were to help one way is to reverse the effect that the media has on peoples self perception and; therefore, making their self esteem better. I mean when I see those skinny models I feel kind-of like "omg I wish i was that skinny and beautiful" but then I look at reality and that makes me feel good about myself cause I don't put myself down on how my body looks. I'm very happy on my body cause im not fat nor skinny but curvy yes. =]
I think that the girls struggling with those kind-of addictions should be happier with what they have and if they're not they should already know that they will just ruin themselves. Like a slow suicice beggining from the interior.

-Michelle C.

Ana said...

Apparently Marilyn Monroe had a bmi of 20. And she was curvy for the day. I think it's a myth that people preferred bigger women in the past, I heard that Judy Garland was starved by her studio. There has Always been pressure to be thin. Size 14 doesn't mean the same thing now as it did back in the day.