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Fashion Rant
Sep. 14th, 2007 11:02 pmJust when I thought current fashion couldn't get much worse:
Look at it. It's a B A G. This hideous thing is not designed to flatter any figure or cover problem areas. This item belongs back on the mast of a ship, like where it came from. It's a sail, sewn together at the sides.
Now, the fact that such a dress was created is not my issue. Fashion houses routinely crank out poorly designed and crafted outfits that they know will never look good on any silhouette. I am not doubting the construction of the dress. It's pure silk, and moderate as the world of dresses go ($250 USD) - still not a dress the 'average' American consumer could afford.
What irks me is that this dress is designed to emphasize the fraility of the women who wears it. By being so grossly oversized and 'puff' (direct from retailer's description) it makes the woman appear as if they are anorexic. True anorexics are about the only demographic who could wear it successfully, and then only thanks to the current media image that heroin=sexy. This dress is everything that is wrong with Western societies view on current femininity.
Even as population's waistline is increasing exponentially, media figures are skinnier than ever. Twiggy used to be scarily thin, now she would be considered bloated. Example - as much as I dislike her, Brittany Spears is anything but 'fat'. Yes, she's had children, that changes a woman's body. Is she 'fat'? Hardly. There were dozens more reason's to dislike her more recent appearances, but the weight issue is not one of them. America Ferriera is another one. I read a People magazine article about her today at lunch. They made a big stink about how she's a 'larger woman'. No, sorry, she's normal. In real life, she'd actually be considered thin. Is she a twig like the model wearing that bag-dress? No, she's healthy.
On the other hand, the Olsen twins and Nicole Richie, Angelina Jolie. Great, they're naturally thin. Good on them, they won the genetic lottery. I'm sure the personal chefs, personal trainers, next to unlimited cash flow, and lack of an 8am-6pm job with doesn't hurt either. By wearing clothes that make them appear even thinner and more frail then they are, and even if it's not their goal they make normal sized women feel fat. Of course, girls won't say that they feel fat 'cos they see models and actresses everywhere now, with the best cars and hottest men and fast lives. Frail and weak has become an ideal for a woman, something totally opposite from my upbringing as a Rom. Media does influence people, more so that it did twenty years ago because people are constantly plugged in now. The media is oversaturated and one is constantly bombarded with images of scarily thin people (men and women). Aside from Dove's short lived campaign I've yet to see one average sized women advertising a car, perfume, or line of make up.
As a child, I was taught now to raise livestock, put up hay, fire and maintain a gun, split wood and make a fire... Stuff that builds muscle and endurance. Enough generations of having to choose strong healthy women to help on the farm and people get bred to be a certain size. That's lacking in today's society. In the 60's, women were learning they could do anything they wanted, they were truely equal. And now, mere forty years later they've given it up, wanting a man to coddle and protect them from the world. Sure, a big lunk can be a nice barricade to the outside world, or keep one warm in bed, but what happens when he's gone? Could Ashlee Olson ring and take down a tree? Clean a deer? I doubt it. Her only method of self defense would be to stick her Manolo heel into the attacker's groin. Me, I'd left hook the bastard and then DDT him.
I like my stong women, girls with curves and a bit of meat on them. Emme, Ann Wilson, Kate Winslet, Mikyla Dodd... Healthy. Enough protein and calcium intake so build stong bones and not have osteoporosis at forty.
Size 0 on the left, Size 18 on the right. Who would survive a case of influenza if everything else was leveled out? Zero on the left has nothing to spare for illness, famine, or cushion. Size 18 at least has some time before she starves to death, more time to recover from the bug and get back to her life. William's mum gets sick and the first thing they do it put her on TPN so she doesn't loose any more weight. One illness and she's in the hospital for malnutrition. The same cold just keeps me in bed for a few days, but it's not an emergency.
Women shouldn't be coddled and mollified. Isn't that what the 60's was for? Or are we just going to throw that all away? I'm strong, dammit, why should I have to hide my biceps from putting on a roof, or be ashamed of my muscular thighs from carrying amps? The guys like it well enough, otherwise all the larger women would have been bred out.
Needless to say, I will not be purchasing said sackdress. It might be good for storing the potatoes tho.
Look at it. It's a B A G. This hideous thing is not designed to flatter any figure or cover problem areas. This item belongs back on the mast of a ship, like where it came from. It's a sail, sewn together at the sides.
Now, the fact that such a dress was created is not my issue. Fashion houses routinely crank out poorly designed and crafted outfits that they know will never look good on any silhouette. I am not doubting the construction of the dress. It's pure silk, and moderate as the world of dresses go ($250 USD) - still not a dress the 'average' American consumer could afford.
What irks me is that this dress is designed to emphasize the fraility of the women who wears it. By being so grossly oversized and 'puff' (direct from retailer's description) it makes the woman appear as if they are anorexic. True anorexics are about the only demographic who could wear it successfully, and then only thanks to the current media image that heroin=sexy. This dress is everything that is wrong with Western societies view on current femininity.
Even as population's waistline is increasing exponentially, media figures are skinnier than ever. Twiggy used to be scarily thin, now she would be considered bloated. Example - as much as I dislike her, Brittany Spears is anything but 'fat'. Yes, she's had children, that changes a woman's body. Is she 'fat'? Hardly. There were dozens more reason's to dislike her more recent appearances, but the weight issue is not one of them. America Ferriera is another one. I read a People magazine article about her today at lunch. They made a big stink about how she's a 'larger woman'. No, sorry, she's normal. In real life, she'd actually be considered thin. Is she a twig like the model wearing that bag-dress? No, she's healthy.
On the other hand, the Olsen twins and Nicole Richie, Angelina Jolie. Great, they're naturally thin. Good on them, they won the genetic lottery. I'm sure the personal chefs, personal trainers, next to unlimited cash flow, and lack of an 8am-6pm job with doesn't hurt either. By wearing clothes that make them appear even thinner and more frail then they are, and even if it's not their goal they make normal sized women feel fat. Of course, girls won't say that they feel fat 'cos they see models and actresses everywhere now, with the best cars and hottest men and fast lives. Frail and weak has become an ideal for a woman, something totally opposite from my upbringing as a Rom. Media does influence people, more so that it did twenty years ago because people are constantly plugged in now. The media is oversaturated and one is constantly bombarded with images of scarily thin people (men and women). Aside from Dove's short lived campaign I've yet to see one average sized women advertising a car, perfume, or line of make up.
As a child, I was taught now to raise livestock, put up hay, fire and maintain a gun, split wood and make a fire... Stuff that builds muscle and endurance. Enough generations of having to choose strong healthy women to help on the farm and people get bred to be a certain size. That's lacking in today's society. In the 60's, women were learning they could do anything they wanted, they were truely equal. And now, mere forty years later they've given it up, wanting a man to coddle and protect them from the world. Sure, a big lunk can be a nice barricade to the outside world, or keep one warm in bed, but what happens when he's gone? Could Ashlee Olson ring and take down a tree? Clean a deer? I doubt it. Her only method of self defense would be to stick her Manolo heel into the attacker's groin. Me, I'd left hook the bastard and then DDT him.
I like my stong women, girls with curves and a bit of meat on them. Emme, Ann Wilson, Kate Winslet, Mikyla Dodd... Healthy. Enough protein and calcium intake so build stong bones and not have osteoporosis at forty.
Size 0 on the left, Size 18 on the right. Who would survive a case of influenza if everything else was leveled out? Zero on the left has nothing to spare for illness, famine, or cushion. Size 18 at least has some time before she starves to death, more time to recover from the bug and get back to her life. William's mum gets sick and the first thing they do it put her on TPN so she doesn't loose any more weight. One illness and she's in the hospital for malnutrition. The same cold just keeps me in bed for a few days, but it's not an emergency.
Women shouldn't be coddled and mollified. Isn't that what the 60's was for? Or are we just going to throw that all away? I'm strong, dammit, why should I have to hide my biceps from putting on a roof, or be ashamed of my muscular thighs from carrying amps? The guys like it well enough, otherwise all the larger women would have been bred out.
Needless to say, I will not be purchasing said sackdress. It might be good for storing the potatoes tho.
