A Reader's Beef

Jul 23, 2008 @ 3:44pm

style come look of the day.jpg Dear Fashionista,

You know, I've followed fashion pretty closely for twenty plus years, but I've never gotten caught up in the debate on weight.

Yet, for some reason Style.com's inclusion of Allegra Versace among today's "Look of the Day" candidates REALLY got under my skin. I mean the poor girl is so very emaciated and looks so mal-developed - she is clearly still battling anorexia. And she's offered up for consideration as an ideal?

It's just crazy. What's your take on this? Maybe I am overreacting? If you think it's an interesting enough topic for debate, I'd love to see you post on it.

Best,
A Fit Fashion Fan

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 3:59PM

I completely agree. That bruised blush she's wearing doesn't help her look any healthier either.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:02PM

look at Alexa Chung's legs. They don't look so great next to Daisy Lowe's healthy physique. What i'm trying to say is that they are plenty of 'too thin' ladies in the industry but let's not leave the recovering anorexics out of the 'look of the day' just because of that. Look at her clothes!

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:05PM

Yes, I question these images often on their website and in the magazine. It's strange that they host health forums on the issue and then perpetually use the same negative, unhealthy images and deem it stylish.

posted by brett_kane

Jul 23, 2008 4:10PM

forget the skinny issue.

Daisy. Peaches. Lily. Allegra. Star Progeny central at the Dark Knight premiere, who knew?

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:10PM

My thoughts exactly. I would never place my vote for her look simply based on principle. On the bright side, at least this can serve as a means of bringing the issue even further into the spotlight...

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:12PM

her outfit is awesome and if she is battling anorexia, give her a break, it must be difficult, but her style is still aces despite her body.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:13PM

yeah that alexa chung person looks as bad or worse. is this really new though..?

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:16PM

She looks so little, scared, and sad in the picture. Is that what style.com is saying? as long as your wearing the right label, it's stylish, even though you look absolutely miserable?

ugh.

posted by casey

Jul 23, 2008 4:19PM

I agree as well. and what about Genevieve Jones on this week's best dressed list? http://www.style.com/vogue/bestdressed/071908

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:22PM

i don't think they are advocating that her weight is what is making her stylish and considering what she has been through and what she has looked like in the past (and hooked to a feeding tube no less) i would applaud that she is back (hopefully) on the road to recovery and out and about...

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:25PM

i was similarly outraged - the point is she is ILL and is being featured as something to which to aspire.

let's not kid ourselves: by putting her image in their magazine they are saying "look at this! isn't it lovely?"

no, it's tragic.

jin

posted by marybelle

Jul 23, 2008 4:40PM

Really - almost all of the girls pictured looked faar too skinny. Allegra is anorexic because she and her family have acknowledged it. But the other women looked just as frail and thin- especially Lily Collins.
Daisy Lowe looked the best and even she is REALLY thin.

Personally I am proud of Allegra for continuing to live her life and go through the struggle. I don't think its fair that she is not a 'best dressed' contender because she has an E.D. It's still a great dress.

:-)

posted by AshBash44

Jul 23, 2008 4:40PM

SO inappropriate to put a young girl battling anorexia up for the look of the day. they should not be "glamorizing" her condition. poor girl.

posted by HauteTopicTumblr

Jul 23, 2008 4:42PM

I actually audibly gasped when I first saw shots of Allerga from the Dark Knight premiere. The shot on style.com is definitely more "flattering." She looks absolutely skeletal in others. I usually stay out of the weight debate as well, but I think the line has been crossed when a well known, very sick anorexic is heralded. One could also argue that even the ill deserve to feel good. She shouldn't be hiding and afraid to appear in public. Her dress is stunning and she is very well put together, but Style certainly knows that their site is frequented by fashionitas and impressionable girls. I would have no problem with an item noting her style and wishing her well, but to pit her against others in a poll seems uncouth.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:43PM

Tough one. They're not calling her anorexia stylish, they are commenting on her outfit choice. I understand the hand-in-hand relationship, but I dont think calling her stylish is endorsing anorexia in any way.

The alternative, pushing her to the background or ignoring her, wouldn't do anything to help solve eating disorders. Of course, calling her stylish doesn't solve the too-thin problem either. My point is just that whether she is on this list or not is inconsequential, in my opinion.

The only way to really help is to talk openly and honestly about the weight problems that are, have always, and always will be common place in younger women.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:43PM

I voted for Allegra, bless her. May she get well.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 4:51PM

It's clear to me that Allegra is still in a pretty early age in her recovery. It bothers me that because she has gained a smidgen of weight, style.com is now touting her as an example of style. Not only does that send a poor message to the women who frequent style.com, but it also sends the message to Allegra that she shouldn't gain any more weight, because apparently she looks good.
Some of the pictures that Style.com uses to highlight trends are incredibly questionable. It seems as though no one is making any effort to correct the very inaccurate notion that extreme thinness = beauty.

posted by romantics

Jul 23, 2008 4:52PM

Aside from the weight issues, who knew Phil Collins' daughter was so adorable? I just googled her.

posted by samanthaiam

Jul 23, 2008 5:07PM

It is a completely backwards step for the website. Of late, there have been so many headlines on the health of the fashion industry such as Vogue's (disastrous) Shape Issue or the recent Health Forums. It's disappointing that even style.com can be behind the times. Not many of us think emaciated-looking girls qualifies as "look of the day".

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 5:31PM

Totally agree with you, it's quite disturbing.

posted by BlairWaldorfsHeadband

Jul 23, 2008 5:33PM

Never mind the fact that Peaches' overdose happened the night before that photo was taken...

And Maggie Gyllenhaal is wearing a jumpsuit, not a gown. So I guess the whole thing is pretty confusing.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 6:12PM

I agree it's irresponsible of them to uphold images of anyone anorexic as the look of the day. I realize they're probably referring to the outfit, not the girl, but it's still going to send the wrong message to some impressionable young girls.

posted by bastylefilegirl

Jul 23, 2008 6:20PM

I'm not going to pick on Allegra, because she does have a diease, and I agree that this is shouldn't be what we are highlighting in a "look of the day" be highlighted as "best", but to tell you the truth Allegra isn't much smaller than some of the other "healthy" women on that are also featured.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 6:38PM

Should someone like Beth Ditto be barred from similar features because she is severely overweight and therefore also doesn't have a body that should be glamorized?

If not, then no, the recovering anorexic gets to stay.

The same principle would apply to so many girls, including Mary Kate Olson (although we all know she was in rehab for coke addiction, the story was "eating disorder", and she doesn't look any healthier these days).

The feature is supposed to draw attention to the outfits more than the role-model potential of the girls wearing them. Regardless of her health issues, she has a lovely outfit.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 6:49PM

I think the point is that she is getting a lot better and this is a congratulations by Vogue. In the past she has always covered her body in public but you could tell it was much worse. I think she looks markedly better.
Also- is Peaches Geldof any better? her reps confirmed she had a DRUG OVERDOSE the night before this primere.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 7:20PM

Being outraged at Allegra Versace's placement in "Look of the Day" is opening up Pandora's Box of how weight "weighs" in in the fashion industry. Anorexia is taboo so Allegra, being diagnosed with such a disease, is placed in a category where viewers harbour negative feelings towards her (pity, disgust, etc). Anorexia is not just a switch one can turn on and off, it is a psychiatric diagnosis that remains with someone for a long time. Allegra should be commended for seeking help for herself; she is obviously making progress and we should give her credence as the healing process is long and trying.

Additionally, we must remember that so many other members of the fashion community have many symptoms that would technically dub them anorexic. If you feel badly that Allegra was featured on the website, you should feel badly about the majority of people representing the fashion industry or you are a hypocrite.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 8:01PM

Come on give her a break...She can't hide for the rest of her life...I hope she get well, and her outfit was cute.

posted by Charlotte

Jul 23, 2008 8:35PM

What makes me really mad is what they were doing at the Dark Knight Premiere.

posted by Charlotte

Jul 23, 2008 8:52PM

But aside from that, I can agree on both sides, for one i agree with the poster because it isn't right that style.com or just vogue and the fashion industry in general is advocating such a thin look, and by having her be one of the best dressed it's simply pushing that.

But on the other hand, being thin may be a part of fashion, but it's all about the clothing and it's called 'best-dressed' so we should say... oh Allegra can't be on the best dressed just because she's thin. I think that models are the ones who omit this 'thin' problem because they are the ones acuatlly modeling the clothes. But if it's not a model like Allegra and she's just wearing a lovely dress, then we should veto her just because she's thin.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 9:39PM

Frankly, it just seems like a lose-lose situation. As someone with a previous eating disorder, it can be incredibly difficult to distinguish between compliments on appearance (and/or clothes) and weight. So if she is rated highly by the viewers, it would be easy for her to state that it was a result of her tiny frame. However, if she was rated poorly, it would be just as easy to state that it was because she wasn't tiny enough.

Of course, overcoming the correlation between the two is an issue between the doctor/therapist and the individual... but I just thought that someone should mention that it's not just the impressionable girls being affected, but the individual photographed as well.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 9:59PM

I hope Allegra hasn't fallen off the wagon again and back to being anorexic.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 10:59PM

I don't think the article was supposed to show her body as an ideal, but merely to say that her choice of ensemble was admirable. Personally I'm glad they included her. Her anorexia is a disease, and I think it's good that she isn't letting her disease hold her back from attending events and trying to have an otherwise normal life. Best wishes for her recovery.

posted by rebajonez

Jul 23, 2008 11:07PM

just want to chime in: the "look of the day" is stated to be about "who wore it well". maybe not so much about what they are wearing.

and guest@ 7:20PM, i agree with you--the whole industry is totally messed up and i do feel badly for everyone involved (readers like me included!) but is that supposed to give style.com a free pass to make a bad decision? (and it's vogue i'm showing disgust for not those poor people with the life-threatening disease.)

posted by guest

Jul 24, 2008 5:26AM

yes. ooh. I hate Allegra Versace. Donatella, listen up: "Leave real estate to Donald, and LOOK AFTER YOU FREAKING DAUGHTER!!!!!!!!!!!"

posted by guest

Jul 24, 2008 1:08PM

yes, it's not just about the dress but about how the person wore it. the dress is pretty, but the overall look isnt something anyone should aspire to.

posted by guest

Jul 24, 2008 1:16PM

yes, it's not just about the dress but about how the person wore it. the dress is pretty, but the overall look isnt something anyone should aspire to.

posted by guest

Jul 28, 2008 10:27PM

when hasn't she been anorexic?