Hello lovely’s
The fashion weeks come and go, and each time raises the issues of the size of the models who walk the catwalks, normally 5″8 minimum height, with the size 6 frame. Before we get too into this, these are just my thoughts that I hope will provoke thought from you lot, so you do not in any way have to agree with me and also if there are comments please respect other people’s views on the matter of size.
So basically as I write this I am tucking into 2 digestives and a cup of tea (one sugar) and feel a bit conflicted as a teenage girl, you need to be happy in your body, but you also can’t be ‘big’ because that is obesity, which is considered bad? I guess that’s what confuses me, because if I was a size 16, I am meant to feel confident and happy, but then also should be considering weight loss. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel the line between obesity and size have been blurred and as a teenager it’s hard to understand what is correct? And that has inspired this post.
Okay, back to body image in fashion. 2 or 3 years ago this subject really interested me, I even made a YouTube video about it being the frizzy haired opinion filled 13 year old I was, but now I’m older and more into high end fashion I feel I can look at high fashion models in a different light. Firstly I think that we need to establish that high fashion and high street fashion are very different, which is very apparent in the photo below. (No offence if you wear hats like that.)
So if the clothes are so different, why should the models not be different. The models used in high end fashion are 5″8, size 6 girls because the clothes are designed for that and look the most effective to be shown in that way, in a way they are hangers. Hangers display the clothes and hang in the best way, and they all look the same because that design works the best. The models just display the clothes, you are not looking at the model themselves, unless they are the famous sort, you are looking at the clothes, so if they were different it would take from the clothes. Of course, I do not in any way agree with models who starve themselves, high fashion has always had this template of model, therefore it will be so hard to change. But these women who walk the catwalks are still ‘real women’; I hate when people say ‘real women should walk the catwalk’, ‘they aren’t real women’, ‘real women aren’t in fashion’. Well however big or small, short or tall a women is, they are very much alive and have boobs upon their chests (even if they are tiny) they are real women.
People are forever mocking high fashion, laughing at the crazy designs, and how they don’t look like ‘normal’ clothes most of us wear, so if we don’t expect high fashion to look like how we dress everyday, we shouldn’t expect the women to look like us, because most of us would never wear those clothes out to Tescos would we? In a way high fashion is like an art gallery, we go to art galleries to admire the art, sometimes it’s crazy or just a chair in the middle of the room, we admire it for what it is and the thought and effort that has gone into it, but we would never have it in our house, but instead buy more commercial art. Just like what we wear. High fashion and high street need to be seen and appreciated in completely different ways, just like art. Along with the models.
Then it comes onto high street models, this is where I believe the whole ‘be happy in your size message’ should be seen more, because these are the ‘normal clothes’. Where girls with of all sizes, curves or not, should be celebrated because these are the clothes we all wear. Instead of trying to change something that doesn’t even apply to many of us, high end fashion, we should change what really does. But this does not mean get rid of the size 6 high street models, because size 6 girls still exist, as much as a size 16. Clothes should be modeled on a mix of girls in fashion campaigns, so it becomes the ‘norm’ not just replace all the smaller models. Like a pick n’ mix of mix of women. Oh’ but it doesn’t end there, throw in some different ages along with the different sizes and boom perfect pick n’ mix. (I like pick n’ mix) In a way I think that will help my confusion with body image.
A pick n’ mix style M&S advertising campaign
I was a bit nervous about posting this because I know people have lots of different opinions on this topic, but I hope you can appreciate my thoughts and if you have your own, please feel free to comment them below because I love a debate. 😉 I could have gone on longer but I didn’t want to bore you, but if you liked this rant style post, let me know and I’ll give you some more of my thoughts on some more fashion/ beauty topics.
Does this count as a rant? Because I got quite a few of you wanting more Maisie rants.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Maisie x
Tags: Art, Beauty, body image, debate, Designer, fashion, life, lifestyle, London Fashion Week, make-up, Models, rant, teenage, thoughts
High Street Spy 