There's been a lot of buzz on the Web about the recent picture of Lizzie Miller in Glamour magazine. I'll admit, I'm no skinny thing and look nothing like the women in these magazines, and I so appreciate the attention this is getting.
I will say that Lizzie is gorgeous and may be considered a plus-size model, but her overall appearrance is still not "typical" of every woman. She has no chins, her arms look skinny and she has no back fat. She just basically has bigger thighs, some stretch marks, and a little tummy (she just wasn't sucking in on this shot).
I just can't decide in my mind is it good for women and their body image? Should fashion magazines try to change the way we think about out bodies by having more realistic images in their pages, or do you enjoy looking at the surrealistic photos that are somewhat mythical in their representation of a woman's body?
I blogged about this EXACT same thing yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThe editor from Glamour said that they were going to start using more real life women...however, how many times have we heard that before and they never follow through?
Lizzie was in the mag in April as well (have the pic on my blog) but, they didn't get the same response because her belly isn't shown at the same angle...
I don't want to see unhealthy women, but bring on women shaped like Lizzie...
It would be nice to see just normal, wouldn't it. It's either one extreme or the other... fashion models can encourage outrageous over-working out and eating disorders, while at the same time, showing too many overweight "normal" women might not do too much to decrease the insane obesity rate in the US which is spreading to Europe and other countries as well... ah - I am conflicted.... but it does seem it's either size 00 or size 16... whatever happened to size 6 & 8?!?!?!
ReplyDeleteThat's a tough, tough question. The minute I say her belly I thought ugh, the same reaction I get when I see my belly, because mine looks just like that...I just don't know if seeing real women is comforting or not...
ReplyDeleteI have gone back and forth about this.
ReplyDeleteI don't see anything wrong with using the skinny minnies. I just wish they would stop airbrushing them so much! You know I am pretty thin, but I have stretch marks too! They are all over my thighs and rear end from being a runner.
I remember once when Sienna Miller said something about having stretch marks and dimply legs...and that she hated that they airbrushed her for magazines.
I don't think women need to see women of a certain weight. They just need to see that no woman is flawless. I say put the airbrush down, because even skinny girls have imperfections.
It is the imperfection that is relatable...not the size.
Hmm, great questions, hard one! I just had a baby so I can appreciate this photo because it makes me know that Im not the only woman out there looking this way right now... however I like the encouragement the "air brushed" pics bring! ;) HA!
ReplyDeleteGOOD POST!
Until I was 38, I was 5'9 and a size 6/8 after two kids. Then I had my third son. When I saw this pic, I was like, "Wow! That looks just like MY body!!" Then I saw that we were the same size. It actually made me feel sooo much better about myself.
ReplyDeletei say "BRING ON THE REAL WOMEN." As a mother to a little girl I really don't want her to have to try and live up to the media's idea of what is beautiful!! aka skinny.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great idea to use ALL types of women. Lizzie isn't BIG she just isn't super thin. I love it. I love the honesty.
ReplyDeleteGive me the "fake"...I can just look at me and see "reality"...
ReplyDeletesandy toe
Ironic that she was on the inside of the mag and another super skinny celeb was on the cover (can't remember who). But if there's a buzz I guess that's step in the right direction!
ReplyDeleteI think it's a step in the right direction to show that women of all shapes and sizes can be beautiful. Also, I agree with Mrs Newlywed - get rid of all the airbrushing!
ReplyDeleteHer smile knocks my socks off!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with Mrs. Newlywed- it's the airbrushing I hate. My biggest pet peeve is Victoria Secret catalog! I like the celebration of women's figures of many different sizes- small to large- with an emphasis on the healthy though.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a huge step in the right direction. As a make-up artist I know how much model's skin is retouched for a shoot. The media makes women strive to attain unrealistic and unreal attributes. What a blessing it would be to feel good in one's own skin- whatever size that is.
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