According to Vanessa Friedman, a writer for the Style section of ft.com "If we get used to seeing all kinds of bodies, all kinds of bodies will lose their stigmas. It won't solve all eating disorder problems but it might stop this endless debate. Then we could get into some really meaty topics."
In her article she reflects on her earlier years in writing, telling of one of her earliest assignments, to spend a weekend in the Hamptons with 10 young models, new to the business, all of whom were an average 15/16 years old. She claims that despite their good health, "what struck [her] at the time was their absolutely bizarre physical reality."
She then goes on to speak about the pledge that the 19 international Vogues made to "not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder.." and about the magazines' editorials in their June issues, which focus on healthy eating habits and lifestyles. She argues that the editorials wouldn't be seen as a promotion of healthy living, unless one were looking for a promotion of healthy lifestyles. Basically we should use all sorts of models in the fashion industry, just as much as skinny models to prevent the constant debate that is the size of models of the fashion world.
Personally, I understand her argument, but at the same time I just can't agree with it. I'm a person who likes traditionalism in certain cases, and I think that while it is absolutely brilliant to ensure that a model is healthy and of appropriate age, totally changing the criteria for one to be a model is too much for me. Of course, there should be petite and plus sized and average sized models, but the truth is that since the beginning of time, a standard criteria has been maintained when it comes to the dimensions of supermodels. Why should we break that criteria now for the sake of an insecure generation? If the criteria was the same several years prior, and the problems of eating disorders were not nearly as serious as they are today (I have no evidence that they were or weren't - I'm only assuming), why are we deeming the tradition the problem, rather than how the population is now? Is it that we've become too accustomed to obesity, whether extreme or slight, that being naturally skinny, or a little skinnier that normal is a total anomaly? Understand that I'm in noway condoning any form of malnutrition or eating disorder, I'm just questioning why it seems as though the world finds more fault in being anorexic or bulimic than in being obese, if both are forms of malnutrition.
What do you all think of Vanessa Friedman's post of ft.com. Here's the link, read it and tell me how you feel! Maybe I'm being biased because I'm naturally skinny, and because those around me seem to react in this manner to naturally skinny models, especially in a country where being thicker in the right places is ideal?
thank you so much i agree 100% with you! i am naturally skinny too so maybe that's why we have the same opinion haha but i completely agree, models have always been a certain body type for a reason, because it shows off clothes best. curves distract from the actual clothing itself, and skinny girls just have clothes hang better. i believe that eating disorders and other concerns of young girls are becoming more prominent because of the increased techonology of our time/generation, resulting in more media exposed to people. this also makes skinny models a more talked about and known discussion because they are being shown more in the media. models have always been skinny. they are just becoming a more contreversial topic because it is shown and talked so much in the media now to so many people.
ReplyDeleteWow, I never thought about the whole media thing, you're probably right!! I'm almost ashamed to say this, but a p to a a year or two ago, I believed that models on a whole had wider dimensions than those today, but they are exactly the same, and so are the requirements.. Thank you for commenting!
DeleteI could write a whole novel on this topic being a more curvier girl, but you use abstractions like "naturally skinny" -- well what does that entail exactly? Our standards of health are clearly changing for the better thinking of Lane Bryant models, the standard size 6 they look for is because designers don't want to spend too much money on fabric and any larger woman who wants to model would be far too expensive. Really that's what it all boils down to, the response to the size of the model is more up to society than the industry, who just wants to stay as cheap as possible with expensive fabric.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you're saying, but if "naturally skinny" is an abstraction, isn't the 'fact' that standards of health are "changing for the better" an abstraction too? Quite frankly, I think that the way of life of the population especially my generation is on a steep downward trend. And I understand that it boils down to cost for the industry, but if we can chastize the fashion industry for using skinny, healthy models, why aren't other industries or companies such as Apple Inc. chastized for their use of sweatshops, simply to cut down costs? Plus, how is it the industry's problem that this entire generation is so insecure that they suffer from eating disorders, why should an industry change it's tradition or even risk it's success to make some insecure teens happy? I don't know, maybe you have a point, but it really is a controversial topic, and I have a pretty strong opinion when it comes to this topic, thank you for commenting though!
Delete