I’ve never understood why fashion designers believe clothes look better hung on waif-like models. So my bouquet of the week goes to the organisers of Madrid Fashion Week who are banning skinny women to develop a more healthy image.
Have you ever noticed skinny male models? Would men starve themselves to squeeze into a pair of two-sizes-too-small Calvin Kleins? Would you find a male skeleton lookalike attractive as he strutted his stuff?
Why should women be placed under this ridiculous pressure when we were made with curves, some more obvious than others. Why aren’t these considered attractive by fashion houses and glossy mags? Let’s be happy with the way nature made us, whether it’s pear or apple shaped with melons to boot. That’s got to be an improvement to resembling a toothpick.
If only our role models could get this important message across to our young people who put their health at risk so they can look like their favourite fashion models and pop stars.
I hope these wise words of wisdom from former Marie Claire Editor Liz Jones have not fallen on deaf ears (I know she is a bit of a nutcase, but in this case she is right).
Let’s hope other fashion houses follow in the same footsteps as Madrid. As this wonderful city is home to Victoria Beckham, she should get the message too.
Ellee, what a wonderful post. Thank you. More of us should rebel. We’ve got fashion houses designing clothes that only look good on women who look like boys and I was appalled when I recently read about the “pro-anorexia” websites. A friend of mine who has terminal cancer recently said, “But I’ve lost 2 stone – that’s good” [this in about 3 weeks]. This is tragic. What is wrong, for heaven’s sake, with looking like a woman?!
hey that’s true.. I don’t know where they got the idea of being healthier when you look like that. Very untrue, as her body probably tells her at least every month.. 🙁 Women are supposed to be able to have children, and that is a normal and should-be desired weight. Unfortunately nowadays we see all these bones walking down the road with brain damage, cz that’s what happens when you don’t eat an adequate amount of healthy food – or if you turned to coke/meth/etc to keep you looking gross like that.
K Ellee, I’m not sure where that link is to yourpics 🙁 I see some books, presentations and the like, but no pics :((
Cari,
The Madrid fashion show organisers want to use models who look healthier, hence their ban on skinny women.
Here is the link to my pics, it is updated and can be found on the left side of my side under Ellee’s Flickr Feed. I hope you enjoy them, not sure they are up to your standard though. You will be able to see some of my holiday pics in Europe.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elleeseymour/
She is rather thin, Ellee. But I do hope your fashion editorials become a regular feature.
Daily Pundit, I’m afraid this won’t be a regular P3 slot, just as and when appropriate.
Check this out: http://www.gawker.com/news/vogue-australia/fattie-aussie-models-ruin-oz-fashion-week-kicked-out-of-oz-vogue-199434.php
(very weird. I read your post and then went and checked Gawker media for technical stories and this related story was there).
The first link is worth following. Quite amusing.
I must agree Ellee. These women are not representative of the majority. I for one have boobs, unlike the bird draped upon the car in the pic above!
Tim, many thanks, it was a very interesting link and obviously a case of great minds thinking alike. I hope Mara Joara’s sales soar as a result of connecting with real women. Michelle will find it interesting as this is her neck of the woods.
I’m always mildly amused by men who lech at models, as models are selected for their appeal to women rather than men – it is women, after all who are buying the clothes, or more realistically the perfumes that the couture houses use their collections to promote. I vaguely recall an interview with Linda Evangelesta some years back, where she said she was rarely hassled by men as they just didn’t find her fanciable. Her ‘I don’t get out of bed for less than $10 000’ reputation doubtless preceeded her too.
Ellee, I fully agree; we did more ‘real women’ modelling, instead of unattractive stick insects. Victoria Beckham is not attractive at all; one with curves is far better. Good for Madrid in realising this.
very nicely put, i myself do various posts like this on my own website. we also have petitions with the government, ie: to ban all forms of pornography, as it is degrading to women and sickens the minds of men.
You can find this petition @ http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Ban-Pornography/
You can also comment and read more on my website @ http://www.kronikgrl.co.uk
The picture you use as an an example of a waif-like model is in fact Jodie Kidd, who is anything but a waif. At 6 foot and 2 inches, I’m sure she would tower over you, Ellee, and most other women. She is quite well built in fact.
The Spaniards, as well as spokespeople from the UK government, need to recognise that there is a naturally thin body-type, the ectomorph, and that they don’t need to be berated by ignoramuses. Please do not confuse the dangerously under-weight (there are some) from the naturally thin. Jodie Kidd above looks pretty good by all accounts.