Why did the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover bring me to tears? (Hint: It had nothing to do with wanting to look like the model.) It was because I have no idea how I’m going to explain the image to my two sons (ages six and eight), who love sports and are about to be… Continue Reading →
The ugly truth about the Victoria’s Secret fashion show
Our newest article on Victoria’s Secret is Victoria’s Secret, you’re going down (and I like it). Every year around this time, I’m deeply troubled by the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Not because I don’t like a great-fitting and sexy bra as much as the next lady (I do! In fact, I purchase plenty of… Continue Reading →
Disclaimer for airbrushed models: an effective solution?
Airbrushed images of women and girls are bad for our overall health: mental, emotional, and sometimes physical. We can reasonably assume that the vast majority of media images are altered, even those of famous figures who are celebrated as examples of these “attainable” beauty standards. So, why not draw attention to this issue through an… Continue Reading →
Plus-size models? Check. Disabled models? Check.
Remember earlier this year, when Abercombie & Fitch’s CEO Mike Jeffries announced that he “doesn’t want larger people shopping in his store?” (Elizabeth wrote a great post about it!) Debenhams — a department store chain in the UK, Ireland, and Denmark — aimed for the opposite in its inclusive and body-positive “High Summer Look Book”… Continue Reading →
The earth isn’t flat… and neither are stomachs
I can honestly say that almost every female stomach I have ever seen in the media has been flat. And this is a fact that makes me sick. In no way do I have anything against flat stomachs or people who have them. I accept all body types. I just wish that the media would… Continue Reading →
Retailers embrace body diversity like it’s NBD
Recently, there has been an interesting spate of retailers using a diverse range of body types to model their clothing. It’s not like we haven’t seen this in the past, but usually the advertiser or magazine editorial will make a point of it, like: “Look at us! We’re being soooo amazingly inclusive! Aren’t we cutting-edge?”… Continue Reading →
How low can you go? Scouting for talent at eating disorder treatment clinics
Recently, as I was scrolling through news articles on my cell phone, I came across an article that caught my eye. The article was on the scouting of new talent by model agencies at the one place that they should NEVER be looking for talent: an eating disorder treatment clinic. As someone who is in… Continue Reading →
The numbers don’t lie: racial diversity among models falls short
Recently, Jezebel put out their annual report on the racial diversity among models at New York Fashion Week. The findings were not surprising, with Caucasian models being an overwhelming majority of the models. We are well aware of the harmful messages that modeling and fashion sends out about body image. However, I feel there is little… Continue Reading →
Supermodel Cameron Russell and the gene pool lottery
“Young girls shouldn’t aspire to be models.” Most people wouldn’t expect these words of advice to come from one of the most successful models of the year, but last week, Cameron Russell, a Columbia University grad and successful supermodel, appeared on CNN to discuss her TedX Talk that recently went viral, “Image is Powerful.” [media… Continue Reading →