February 2, 2007

"People who are already large are getting larger and on the other side is this shrinking ideal."

That's a quote from eating-disorder expert Cynthia M. Bulik, in Robin Givhan's excellent article describing super-thin runway models. "That makes the gulf between the actual and the ideal even bigger and that makes self-esteem plummet."

Designers claim to need extra-thin models to make their clothes look good when the clothes are designed thin. But isn't this a problem at the sales point? If the clothes are designed to look good when hanging from hanger-like shoulders, how is any real woman going to think they look right on her?
People buying designer clothes are super-thin.
Well, yeah. That's my point though. There are other people choosing not to buy. Why don't you want them as customers?
In the meantime, companies catering to the mass population, such as Coldwater Creek and Chico's, offer sizes 14 and 16 in lieu of 0 and 2.
Why do the designers concede all these customers?
Those in the fashion industry offer this reassurance: The pendulum will swing the other way. In due time, the industry will celebrate a more athletic ideal. This is discussed as if it will magically happen -- as if an outside force beyond the control of the industry will determine when that shift will occur.
The force of the market?

10 comments:

Simon said...

"Designers claim to need extra-thin models to make their clothes look good when the clothes are designed thin."

Which is no answer at alll - it just begs the question of why they design them thin. It's answering the question but evading the point -- "where am I?" "You're in a car."

I'm Full of Soup said...

Here is a really good soundbite from the article spoken by Dr. Bulik:

"Genes load the gun and environment pulls the trigger," Bulik says. "And the fashion industry is sitting there with its finger on the trigger."

Can't argue with that huh?

Bruce Hayden said...

I do have one person in my life whom I drive crazy with the answer of "I'm in the car" when called and asked where I am. By now, this person is getting a bit artful in trying to nail my location down a bit more precisely. Right now, it is something like: "Where geographically are you and the car right now?"

More to the point, I do see a slow shift towards a more athletic look in women. Or, maybe it is that I live in Colorado. But will it show up on the runway?

Simon said...

A related but off-topic question: I noticed that the new blogger allows one to subscribe to comments via an atom feed. Which is a really neat feature that I will use invariably.

However -- are there any RSS/atom clients for mac that are like alertbear? I don't really like rss clients that are kind of like email clients.

Guesst said...

The fashion industry is dominated by men who want women to look like skinny young boys.

Slim hips and buttocks, no breasts--gaunt and sad.

It will only change when women decide it's an unacceptable standard, being set for them by designers whose views of the ideal woman, is a man.

Eli Blake said...

Did you hear about the supermodel who stepped on an ant?

It carried her back to the anthill.

Anthony said...

Do any of these women out in the real world even look to fashion models for their body image? Do "young girls"? Me, I don't think so. The younger ones are watching MTV and The OC, the older ones are seeing movies and Desperate Housewives. Perhaps those who actually buy these clothes look to the models for inspiration, but they're about as representative of American women as I am.

vbspurs said...

Eli wrote:

Did you hear about the supermodel who stepped on an ant?

It carried her back to the anthill.


That's so mean. Hehe.

Of course, the actresses are imitating the models who are imitating the actresses, and so, in some concentration camp one-upmanship, Droste effect.

Have you seen dear Keira Knightley recently? Next time, she's not playing a pirate, but a skeleton in the brig.

(You know, I used to resemble Knightley, at least facially. Not no more...)

Cheers,
Victoria

katiebakes said...

Ann, I think you should add a Givhan tag!

amba said...

One of my sisters was fairly heavy for years. She found and wore beautiful clothes, and looked beautiful.