Friday, June 4, 2010

::where's all the curvy girls?::

The fashion industry swears that the tables are turning and curvy models are making an entrance into the fashion world, but is it just an appearance? Will the media and society really accept plus size models? What is the point of lingerie, to just be sexy? Or actually be comfortable in your own skin? These are just some of the questions soceity is faced with today. Lane Bryant, a women's retail company for plus size clothing, launched their new commerical for their lingerie line which was banned from ABC for "too much cleavage." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvdU2xpgvdk&feature=player_embedded

This commerical looks no different than any of the other lingerie commericals seen on t.v. The only difference is that a curvier, plus size model is presented instead of a thin model we usually expect. This commercial was banned because it was "too racy" and "too much cleavage" was presented, but what about Victorias Secret? How can you say one thing is okay to show on t.v. and the other is unacceptable even though they both show the same amount of skin and both are selling the same products. Victoria's Secret is known for its commericals that are beyond racy and show way more skin. Their main goal is to sell "sexy", "be sexy", and try to convey to their target audience that to be sexy they have to buy their bras and panties. Why not sell being sexy and comfortable in your own skin? If this is so important in society today, to be comfortable and see yourself as sexy, why is Lane Bryant being scrutnized for a commercial that gives the average woman something to be pround of? And why is there so much controversy even though Lane Bryant's commerical is much like the ones from Victoria's Secret?





There is obviously a bias in the fashion industry, and the media is not representing the average american female correctly. Victorias Secret makes it known that their company is about representing every woman's body size, but are they really succeeding at this?

“Here at VS, we always embrace women’s curves and each individual’s shape and that’s why we have so many different types of swimsuits and bras to flatter each individual's body shape,” model Miranda Kerr told Pop Tarts while promoting the 5th Annual VS “What is Sexy” list at the label’s store in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

While the companies aim is to "embrace curves and individual's shape," plus size models are not even presented in their advertisements, commericals, or their annual Victorias Secret fashion show. How are they embracing the average american woman if they are not even being shown? Victorias Secret's mission statement is flawed in the sense that they "try" to embrace every body shape but are not actually presenting them. Looking at the Victorias Secret's website, almost all the models shown are thin or size zeros. Although these women do have curves, they are still thin and do not represent the average american female. How are females supposed to feel comfortable purchasing lingerie from them if they do not feel like they are represented?

“Victoria’s Secret's girls are so tiny and so thin. It's so interesting because they have a wide variety of ethnicities but considering this is a company that is based on body and lingerie, you'd think they'd have a bigger variety of body shapes,” Bloch said. “Where's the model with a little junk in her trunk? They have a very narrow vision and they need to expand.”

Most of their models are size zeros and even though they are respected for a varitey of nationalities, curvy models are not represented at all. If Victorias Secret wants to appeal to the average woman and make them feel sexy, how can they do that if they are not representing every size and shape?


Many companies and magazines are using curvier women and having columns dedicated to these women. I believe a company such as Victoria's Secret need to actually embrace the average woman and her curves and start showing various body shapes. At the same time, the media needs to give curvy models a chance. The companies that are actually trying to represent these women and allow the average women to feel comfortable in their own skin are being turned away. But why? Because no one wants to accept that this is what the average american female lookes like? We are always told to be comfortable in our own skin, but if we are constantly being shown women who look like they are wasting away, how is being comfortable in our own skin possible?

1 comment:

  1. I am so upset that the commercial was banned, people need to grow up and allow correct representation of the real world in the media. The billion dollar industry of beauty needs a ideal body to market in order to sell their products. Without us having a goal for ourselves, we won't spend money. Women aren't comfortable in their skin because this portrayal tells us we don't look the way we should.

    Although most everything that is said about Victoria's Secret is true, I feel like they are criticized way too much. One example, not really pertaining to your topic but interesting, is when people started protesting the crap out of their catalogs. Protesters were yelling they kills tress, well duh. So does the cardboard they're writing their protest message on. No one seemed to protest JC Penny catalogs. Do you remember those huge honkin things?! Those things are like a thousand pages!!!!

    For the news, it's all about what stories will sell, and criticizing Victoria's Secret will sell like crazy because they represent so much. They represent the ideal woman, the ideal fashion, and in return, that represents what most of us want. Beauty,thinness, and sexy. And we want that because its been sold to us through the media.

    I'm a bit bias about VS because I worked there for over a year and a half and the whole experience is a huge part of me. But Women would complain about not having anything there to work for them. I had one woman come in with a gift card, she had never done much shopping at VS, and she ended up crying because none of the bras fit. I consoled her and promised her that together we would find something to fit. And we did, she was able to buy underwear from the cotton collection. She was thankful for my assistance and showing her that even though she couldn't buy anything in the store, and that there was still options was a great feeling for the both of us!

    People always say that VS is all about the skinny models and what not, which is a thousand percent true, but I even encountered skinny girls who couldn't fit. Girls who were skinny but had naturally larger breasts, sizes VS didn't carry, like 34G (which was actually a co-worker of mine). What was most interesting was one woman who said she just had implants and she was a 32 DD (by the way, weirdest looking proportion ever!) She got implants to feel good, fit in, be sexy, etc and yet she can't even fit into the company that symbolizes all that!

    Anyways, I apologize for this being so long, as you can tell I'm pretty passionate about the topic of VS, because, to me, it symbolizes and represents so much good in my life, yet I know the negative affects the company has from my education.

    I noticed several changes in their products and marketing to reach a larger audience, like increasing their sizes and the bras available in the bigger sizes. When I left there (until April 2008) they carried some bras up to size 40DD. Once a woman becomes heavier than a 44-46 range, they are reaching unhealthy levels of weight. I don't necessarily blame VS with wanting to stay away from an unhealthy image like that (But, then again, that argument could be countered with the models being too thin)

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