So, I just got my 1st paycheck of the summer! While I won't post the amount, I will tell you it was a pretty good check (although I was pretty broke so any amount of money would have been great!) So in celebration I decided to spend some of my hard-earned money at where else, but the mall! I decided to buy some new clothes that I could wear to work and wear out with friends... you know the drill.
Anyway, one thing that has always frustrated me about shopping is the sizing... why if I am a size 12 and not a 0 should I have to dig to the bottom of the pile just to find some shorts?! Why at certain stores are things labeled a size 11, but actually fit like a size 8 ?!?! ugh... I could go on forever. But instead, I wanted to post something I wrote along time ago on my MySpace... I call this the new size 0.
Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier sent this model down the runway the other day at the fashion show. This has caused quite a controversy. Some believe Gaultier was being sarcastic or rude, others embrace this dose of reality.
Here's my opinion on the whole thing. I think that obvioulsy our society and our idea of perfection or beauty is, in my opinion, absurd and so far from reality its crazy. Honestly, why do you think eating disorders exist? Because society pounds (no pun intended) this unrealistic image of perfection into our heads to the point where we feel insuperior because of those few extra pounds we all have.
I'm not gonna lie... I'm not perfect. I am far from the "perfect" size 0. I could starve myself and probably still wouldn't b a 0. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to go jean shopping, and be told that they don't make jeans that big. Why not? Why should I be forced to shop at a plus-size shop just because I don't look like Mischa Barton or Nicole Richie? The message I get when I walk into these stores and have to dig to the bottom of the pile to find my size is that they don't care about people who aren't a size 0 or 2. I'm sorry that I don't feel the need to eat lettuce my whole life and fake tan.
Where did the size 0 perfection idea originate? Who decided that you don't deserve to strut your stuff down the runway because you're not thin enough? Marilyn Monroe was a size 12 or something like that! Was she beautiful? YES. Was she a sex symbol? YES. Our society no longer applauds women like that, instead we shun them and act like it's something to be ashamed of.
However, I am on the fence as far as Gaultier's model goes... I feel like it's a little extreme. So we went from sending size 0's down the runway to... size 20+? Why not just a simple size 8? That is average, and it appeals to more women. Let's be honest. The bigger majority of us are not size 0's! So I applaud Gaultier for the message he's sending out, but I think he could have done it an a more subtle way.
What do you think about the whole size 0 is perfection thing? And about all the celebrities that look like skeletons? What do you think about this model going down the runway.. is it something you would get used to seeing?
2 comments:
First of all, I'd kill to be a size 12 - haha - but you are so right - America's perception of beauty is seriously twisted, especially because it makes girls of all ages feel terrible about themselves in a really unhealthy way. I think that women need to learn to work with what they've got and strive to be healthy - if healthy makes you a size 12, then awesome - work with it - and if you are a struggling size 20 (like me) the least you can do is dress properly for your size - you can make that sh*t look good, and if you aren't comfortable with that weight, do something about it! If you aren't ready for the change, then stop beating yourself up. Easier said than done, trust me I know.
It's about confidence - you need to be comfortable and confident in who you are, regardless of the package - if you can do that, others will likely like what they see also.
You are so welcome, and you are right, we all struggle with confidence - I'm sure even girls we think could not possible have low self esteem, probably do for one reason or another. Crazy.
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