Let me just start this blog by saying I love all women.
Black, white, short, tall, slim and plus-sized. Ladies you are all beautiful the way you are. I’ve dated women of all shapes and sizes.
But ladies, you’ve got to be honest with yourselves, if you are not rail thin then your chances of being an actual runway model are even thinner. I’m not talking about your KING Magazine models either, I’m talking about your “Paris Fashion Week – strutting it on the runway” type of model.
The way that fashion designers make their clothes to fit runway models normally doesn’t reflect the proportions of an average woman. These models are there to simply show the clothing, and while some do have shapes, they are there to act as a walking hanger to showcase the garments. Normal women, even those on the slim side, are not right for this sort of job.
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The former requirement measurements for models used to be 35.5-23.5-35.5in, which were the alleged measurements of Marilyn Monroe. However today, according to the British Association of Model Agents (AMA), female models should be around 34-24-34in and at least 5 ft 8 in tall and be a size 0 or even a 00. Even the Victoria’s Secret models in the picture above are probably too big for the average high fashion runway show.
As you can imagine, the fashion industry has come under a lot of scrutiny because of their unnatural requirements, but as long as nobody is being hurt then I don’t understand what the problem is.
And while I do know that unhealthy images can affect people negatively and may lead to anorexia or bulimia, we honestly just have to learn to deal with it. Or better yet, find safe ways of avoiding it, because eating disorders are a very serious issue that must be addressed.
Runway models are such a niche market that I can’t imagine it ever being revolutionized. There may be 500 good models WORLDWIDE and from that pool of women, there may be 20 that are household names – they became that way because designers were able to use them to best show off their clothing. So even if you don’t look at weight, the modeling profession as a whole isn’t made for the average woman.
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And while we are on the topic of the average woman, the average size for an American woman is size 14, however plus-size models are normally a size 10 or 12. So even plus-sized models are smaller than the average woman, but you think that larger women should be on the runway? Let’s be real.
Women, I love you all, but this whole campaign for fashion designers to stop using thin models will never come to fruition.
Love yourself, know what clothing fits you and be comfortable in your own skin. Stop trying to make miracles happen.
Travis Barker is one of my favorite white musicians, but I know I will NEVER be able to play him if they ever made a movie about his life. The same goes for you beautiful size 14’s out there. I love you, but you will never be right for the runway.
The sooner we all realize that, the better off we will be.
-Jason Brooks
