Sunday, August 22, 2010

Skinny Model Debate.

My input.

Everyone has had their input into the whole models are too skinny issue so I thought I would as well. Better late than never!

I'm not overweight and I'm actually towards the lower end of my BMI, believing in BMI is another issue altogether, and I feel that if I lost any more weight that I would look a bit minging to be honest. Don't get me wrong I don't think I'm amazing but when I look at the photos of models who are taller than me and weigh less than me and it actually makes me feel a bit sick.
I'm lucky that I am around 5'8" so I'm towards the taller end of the scale which in some circumstances can bode well for me, apart from the fact all my friends think of me as a mini-giant!

On average I can find that models, especially runway models need to be around 7st-8st and around 5'9'' to a whopping and beautiful 6'. The average BMI for these heights and weights range from a shocking 13.4 to a 17. Both underweight and well a bit gross to be honest!
Another thing which is rather annoying would be the fact Madrid banned skinny models then let these girls walk down the runway! Sorry did they turn to the side, I've lost them...
The worst part being, are you ready? I wouldn't be too sure, is that Plus size models are classed size 12 and above! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!
The average size of women in the US is a 14 (lol, apparently) and the UK is a 16!
What a joke! I used to be a size 14-16 back in me ol'hay day and if someone had told me I was going towards 'plus size' clothes I would've died, being only 17/18 at the time! How awful is this! I'm so unimpressed and feel this is why so many people are developing eating disorders.
(I'm concentrating mostly on girls and women but there is a rise in male eating disorders as well.)
 This is Crystal Renn and my god she is beautiful. Absolutely stunning and reminds me of my girl crush Nigella Lawson.

Obviously, throughout the years people have put together petitions and other ways to try and combat the model's weights. This blatantly isn't working and needs to be addressed. As much as I, like many other, love a bit of ol' Karl Lagerfeld (maybe just because he looks like he should be dead but is still going) states "These are fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly," going on to say that the fashion industry supports "dreams and illusions, and no one wants to see round women." 
Oh dear!
But, hey Jarl! If you wanna get me around to your way of thinking I'm sure a few Chanel goodies could do the trick....well y'know, gimmie a bell! oh ho ho.
Another thing which REALLY annoys me would be the fact that even though eating disorders are on the rise, obesity and people overweight is a far greater problem (again needs to be addresed, maybe another rant :P) and even though we can't make people jump on the treadmill the thought of seeing 'normal' people on the catwalk would be ever so appealing! It would show us that the fashion industry recognise that not everyone is a rake and that we can be happy in a normal sized frame. Yes, every so often people have put bigger models down the catwalk but that is only to shock and in general not a trend they continue, which they should.


This has turned into a slight rant, which I aplogise about, but I really feel this needs to be addressed. Apart from the fact I was younger and wanted to be like my friends, so I lost weight, I also felt pressure from magazines and society to be young and thin.


P.S I love Jean Paul Gaultier, he is amazing and focuses his designs around real women and shapes and continues to shock but please me in every way. By chucking every size and shape down the catwalk! :)
Jean Paul Gaultier, 2005.

2 comments:

  1. I totally agree. A strange thing I noticed also while watching different versions of America's Next Top Model, was that the Australian and Britain judges were SO much tougher on the models about their weight. The girls were twigs to begin with, and actually watching the judges pick apart their bodies and tell them "well, your hips are about an inch too big, you need to work on that" was DISGUSTING. It definitely opened my eyes to the fact that the "perfect body image" on that side of the world is different, and over here we seem to be a bit more accepting. It is a terrible thing that young girls growing up have to see this kind of thing in the media and think that it's normal to be a size 0.

    xo
    dana
    lifeofashopaholic.com

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  2. It is definitely tougher in certain parts of the world! Even though I live in a small area I have always been bombarded with how I 'should' look and how I didn't conform as such to these rules.
    If I told any of my size 12+ friends that would be classed as plus size models I could only imagine how heart-broken then would be! It's so horrible that the media can label people into such strict categories xx

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