FAST FASHION: BODY SIZE
Recently, body size has become an increasingly debated topic when regarding fashion. The average size for women is 16; yet, in contrast, the models showcased on the runway are typically a size 0 or 2. Well-known brands and the media have consistently reinforced the ideals that thin equals beauty. Even brands with plus-size collections such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Michael Kors choose not to publicly represent this portion of the client base on their runways. With ads of these lean models airbrushed to perfection plastered on stores and buildings everywhere, it’s hard to not feel insecure. That insecurity can quickly lead to dangerous consequences such as eating disorders. Susan ALbers, a psychologist at the Cleveland clinic, states that “if a woman has a predisposition for an eating disorder and spends a lot of time looking at fashion magazines, this can be one of the factors that triggers feeling bad about her body, which she then turns into eating disorder behavior, like excessive dieting.” This idolization of thin models has shifted into a public health issue. People should not have to change themselves to fit this wrong definition of beauty. No man or woman on this planet are exactly alike and it’s about embracing the unique things that make us different.
While there has been major change in the recent years, there’s still a long ways to go. For me and others alike, we want to feel empowered and fit in a diverse community. Why can’t the industry change its standards of beauty to appreciate people that accurately reflect society?
