It’s hard to tell if society is beginning to accept women for who they are, rather than what they should be in the eyes of the media. Any woman should have the confidence to “strut around” wearing whatever they choose, without individuals scrutinising and judging them in any way.
As my Mum used to say: “If you don’t like the look of something then don’t look at it”, or “Don’t say anything if you haven’t got anything nice to say.”
Magazines, news, TV, the Internet and practically everything else seems to perceive women in this size zero craziness. Whereas realistically, the majority of women in the UK are size 14-16. A lot of these women are hoping that one day they will ideally be a size 12, not a size zero. Even the famous Barbie doll has changed; now having a thinner waist, bigger boobs and a curvier bum, it’s horrible to think that children look at this doll and wish to be as “perfect” as it. It seems ridiculous and stupid.
Debenhams have, in the past few months, launched their new mannequins, which are size 16. Usually a mannequin wears a size 10 in the UK. Debenhams however, have been the first retail store to portray women in 170 stores in a more realistic way, at size 16. This is a fantastic step in the right direction towards promoting body confidence, however, there is just one little problem…
Harriet Walker, a fashion journalist, notes that these new mannequins which represent “real women” and portray a size 16, still have a flat stomach and a perfectly toned body. They look nothing like a women who actually wears size 16 clothes; it completely contradicts what they wanted. They have used the same mannequin, but have just made it a few inches wider and shorter. It does not accurately portray a size 16 woman at all. I guess at least it is a starting point and someone is trying to change a little bit.
Digitally manipulated photographs that are portrayed in every magazine, every shop and in everyday life are also utterly false through the use of Photoshop and airbrushing. The idea that these apparently portray women realistically is nonsense. Nothing seems real any more. We should be who we want to be, not what other people want us to be.