Not that I subscribe to this attitude, but when I was studying fashion and asked that question, the instructor told me it was so the plus-size women mostly fade into the background, because "nobody wants to look at some fat ugly old lady, they only want to see the young pretty ones, so we make the pretty clothes for the smaller ones."
I told him that I didn't want to take any more courses from someone who was so blatantly fat-shaming and refused to allow that larger women have a right to wear flattering clothes and feel beautiful at any size, whether or not it offended his eyes. :p
As far as the models go, that right-hand model is probably somewhere around a US size 16. I know that many people would consider her plus-size, but considering how many women I see in the South who are way larger than that, she's around average. As a side note, that's pretty much my figure atm--still working on dropping the last 20 lbs to goal.
Anything between those two models' sizes should be considered the normal range, but the doctors and fashion industry have spent so many years telling us we need to be at a lower BMI and smaller size...and the BMI charts were based on women in freaking southeast Asia!! Most Caucasian women have to practically starve themselves to get to the lower end of the normal range.
The one on the right looks normal to me. I'd say that's what women look like outside the world of modeling. She isn't under- or over-weight. Exercises a bit, but not 7 days a week ... just enough to stay healthy.
10 years ago, I could fit into a kids' size 12 (I'm short). A friend, and former co-worker, used to make fun of me, though she watched my weight-loss transformation; she'd stand far away and blow, then say, "Look! She moved!" Due to medical reasons, I've gained a bit back, but I'm happy at my age being a size 6. I now often hear, "You look much healthier."
In the end, I'd rather see models that look real, not like they have an eating disorder (either way: too much or don't eat at all). You can get a better idea of what the garments will look like on you instead of a tall, super-skinny mannequin or model.
I also like the mannequin in the front better than the other one.
There's a chain of stores in Germany called "Forever 18" - even when I was still slim I cold hardly fit my arm through some of the trouser legs... lol!
Here's my personal challenge to the designers out there: I think designers who refuse to show their collection on a realistic body / mannequin might just not be good enough at their job! Go on, give us proof you can make anybody look gorgeous!
Yeah, Stef, the US version of that chain (called Forever 21) has the same bias toward ultra-skinny people, to the point that a friend of mine who was helping her much smaller sister shop was asked to leave because she didn't fit the image they wanted to portray to potential customers. Apparently the customers they want are so shallow that having to be in the same store with someone who isn't one of "the beautiful people" would prevent them from ever going to that store again. That friend, by the way, is a 5'9" size 20 with a near-perfect hourglass figure--she's gorgeous, and she kind of needs the hips and rear to avoid looking top-heavy (she's a 38F). I won't shop there even for earrings.
Great challenge to the designers, though unfortunately they'll likely never read it.
I tried to buy a pair of pyjamas today, but it appears that you're not supposed to wear them if you're over a certain size! I went to two different shops, but will have to look elsewhere to see if I can track some down.
Ha ha, that is quite funny though
Not that I subscribe to this attitude, but when I was studying fashion and asked that question, the instructor told me it was so the plus-size women mostly fade into the background, because "nobody wants to look at some fat ugly old lady, they only want to see the young pretty ones, so we make the pretty clothes for the smaller ones."
I told him that I didn't want to take any more courses from someone who was so blatantly fat-shaming and refused to allow that larger women have a right to wear flattering clothes and feel beautiful at any size, whether or not it offended his eyes. :p
As far as the models go, that right-hand model is probably somewhere around a US size 16. I know that many people would consider her plus-size, but considering how many women I see in the South who are way larger than that, she's around average. As a side note, that's pretty much my figure atm--still working on dropping the last 20 lbs to goal.
Anything between those two models' sizes should be considered the normal range, but the doctors and fashion industry have spent so many years telling us we need to be at a lower BMI and smaller size...and the BMI charts were based on women in freaking southeast Asia!! Most Caucasian women have to practically starve themselves to get to the lower end of the normal range.
The one on the right looks normal to me. I'd say that's what women look like outside the world of modeling. She isn't under- or over-weight. Exercises a bit, but not 7 days a week ... just enough to stay healthy.
10 years ago, I could fit into a kids' size 12 (I'm short). A friend, and former co-worker, used to make fun of me, though she watched my weight-loss transformation; she'd stand far away and blow, then say, "Look! She moved!" Due to medical reasons, I've gained a bit back, but I'm happy at my age being a size 6. I now often hear, "You look much healthier."
In the end, I'd rather see models that look real, not like they have an eating disorder (either way: too much or don't eat at all). You can get a better idea of what the garments will look like on you instead of a tall, super-skinny mannequin or model.
I also like the mannequin in the front better than the other one.
There's a chain of stores in Germany called "Forever 18" - even when I was still slim I cold hardly fit my arm through some of the trouser legs... lol!
Here's my personal challenge to the designers out there: I think designers who refuse to show their collection on a realistic body / mannequin might just not be good enough at their job! Go on, give us proof you can make anybody look gorgeous!
Yeah, Stef, the US version of that chain (called Forever 21) has the same bias toward ultra-skinny people, to the point that a friend of mine who was helping her much smaller sister shop was asked to leave because she didn't fit the image they wanted to portray to potential customers. Apparently the customers they want are so shallow that having to be in the same store with someone who isn't one of "the beautiful people" would prevent them from ever going to that store again. That friend, by the way, is a 5'9" size 20 with a near-perfect hourglass figure--she's gorgeous, and she kind of needs the hips and rear to avoid looking top-heavy (she's a 38F). I won't shop there even for earrings.
Great challenge to the designers, though unfortunately they'll likely never read it.
I tried to buy a pair of pyjamas today, but it appears that you're not supposed to wear them if you're over a certain size! I went to two different shops, but will have to look elsewhere to see if I can track some down.
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