“The fatter the general population, the thinner the idealized woman. And for all the public posturing and blogging, the only force that stopped people from buying clothes and magazines was the souring economy, not righteous indignation over skinny models. Fashion doesn’t just reject the overweight and the obese. It also gives the average a hard time, too; it makes them worry about every cookie eaten at the end of a meal or every exercise commitment that goes unmet. Fashion is a purveyor of status. It is a badge of honor for having outrun, outfasted saddlebags — unless they are floral-printed and made by Dolce & Gabbana. Those who can indulge in fashion feel their prize is that much more valuable.” —Robin Givhan in an article on why it shouldn’t be surprising that thin is still in in the fashion industry.
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posted by rachel gilman
Oct 19, 2009 12:53PM
well said, plus people like high quality and expressing themselves, but she hit a very valid point as usual.
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posted by Jean Voltaire
Oct 19, 2009 1:02PM
It is a pretty sick and twisted industry we all, for different reasons, love and aspire to crack. I guess models these days have to be thinner than mannequins...
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posted by guest
Oct 19, 2009 1:57PM
She is completely right about her very first sentence, “The fatter the general population, the thinner the idealized woman." The opposite is in effect in more developing countries, where due to lack of nutrition, the general population is very skinny, therefore making the idealized woman one that is more robust in her body type. This is evident in India, take one look at Vogue India or a Bollywood flick, the women are always curvacious and womanly in a world where the general population is considered to be skinny.
Hasn't this always been the case in history?
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posted by RashomonRebel
Oct 19, 2009 3:03PM
When it comes to fashion, yes, I would like the girls to be thin. But when it comes to boning, I'd rather the Mark Fast girl.
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posted by guest
Oct 19, 2009 11:16PM
the fashion industry should not be blamed for anorexia, extreme dieting, or to put it plainly, making people feel bad about their body image.
ultimately, there are way too many variables for anyone to bash on the fashion industry.
instead of scapegoating, people should find out why members of our society are so over weight, or why people are so vulnerable to developing a negative self image. it is an easy way out to pick on fashion. wake up people, false rationalization doesnt justify our poor self image.
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posted by guest
Oct 20, 2009 3:34PM
"why people are so vulnerable to developing a negative self-image"...
If you don't see how the fashion industry contributes to that vulnerability, you are either wilfully blind or just not thinking very hard. People, particularly young women, are vulnerable because they don't see any media images of "beauty" that are anything like what they look like, so they conclude that they are not beautiful, and the one thing in common that all those idealized images have is that they are very, very, thin, so therefore to be extremely thin is to be more beautiful. Yes, to some extent they are reflecting existing social paradigms of beauty, but they are also helping create them... just see how much universally thinner models and actresses are today than in previous eras.
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posted by rachel gilman
Oct 20, 2009 5:41PM
have you noticed that when an actress gets really thin, she makes the covers of tabloids and thus has more media coverage...................and more attention to her for her career
posted by guest
Oct 19, 2009 12:16PM
robin keeps it real