http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/swedish-mannequins-cause-a-controversy--192108535.html
Imgur
An H&M clothing store in Sweden is being hailed by women around the
world after a photo of two surprisingly curvy mannequins there were
photographed and posted online.
More on Yahoo! Shine: Are These Plus-Size Mannequins Progressive or Just Weird?
Dressed
in skimpy lingerie, the mannequins displayed softer stomachs, fuller
thighs and generally more realistic proportions than the traditional
department store models. For comparison, most mannequins in the U.S. are
between a svelte size 4 or 6—a departure from the average American woman who is a size 14.
More on Yahoo! The Mannequins Are Watching You
On Tuesday, a blogger at I Am Bored
posted a photo of the mannequins to Facebook and the response was
overwhelming. "It's about time reality hit..." wrote out of almost 2,500
commentators. "Anybody saying these mannequins encourage obesity or
look unhealthy, you have a seriously warped perception of what is
healthy. I guarantee the "bigger" mannequin in the front there
represents a perfect BMI" wrote another. As of Thursday, the photo had
garnered almost 50,000 likes and shared almost 15,000 times. That's a
lot of attention for a hunk of fiber glass and plastic.
Mannequins
have been around for thousands of years but their function in fashion
is fairly recent, first appearing in store windows in the 1800s during
the Industrial Revolution
when window panes were installed in stores to display the latest
fashion trends. Throughout WW1 and the Depression, mannequins changed
their outfits and body proportions to reflect society at that time. Cut
to the 1960s, when British mannequin firm Rootstein began modeling their dolls after pop culture and fashion icons to reflect runway trends at the time.
Modern-day mannequins have long been critiqued for having tiny proportions. In 2007, British health officials demanded
that stores on London's fashionable High Street stop using stick-thin
models in an effort to reflect the wide range of sizes and shapes of
British women. In 2010, Club Monaco came under fire for featuring mannequins with protruding spines and clavicles. And in 2011, GAP
was chastised by bloggers for mannequins with bone-thin legs modeling
the "Always skinny" jeans display. “I'm wondering what the internal
project name for this was at Gap HQ,” wrote one blogger. "Death-camp
chic’? ‘Ana Pride’? ‘Famine fashion forward?"
And male mannequins haven't escaped scrutiny either. In 2010, Rootstein debuted male dolls under
their "Young and Restless" collection modeled after teenage boys with
35-inch chests and 27-inch waists. The company had to defend its
decision to use smaller models to eating disorders groups.
As
much as the public contests these down-sized mannequins, when designers
have attempted to create dolls that reflect real-life proportions
they're met with criticism, even disgust. In late 2012, when a Reddit user
posted a photo of an "obese mannequin" in satire, commentary ranged
from "Ew, fat people", "It's embarrassing how obese America is" and the
amusing, "He's not fat, just big foamed."
A recent published in the Journal of Consumer Research
shows that women's self esteem takes a nosedive when exposed to models
of any size, so maybe there is no easy answer. But as long as mannequins
are influencing people to buy fashion, reflecting real-life bodies is a
step in the right direction.
Before i had kids i looked like the mannequin in back, now i look like the one in front *sigh* those were the days lol.
I was a 6 before my kids and now i'm a 12, no way i'll ever be in a 6 again due to how much my hips spread during the pregs. I'm having to learn to love my body the way it is now, new curves and all, it's not easy.
I think these mannequins are great! Although at first glance, I didn't even see what the uproar was about.....it wasn't until I started to read the article that I realized it was about proportions. I think the one in front looks beautiful.
And the people who are freaking out about how portraying realistic women, mannequins, etc. is "encouraging obesity", I would actually argue that the opposite is true. A lot of women look at size-00 models and figure that they're never going to look like that, so what's the point in even trying to eat healthy and exercise? My sister does that, and she's obese. If girls had more realistic, healthy role models for what they should look like, maybe we wouldn't have this weird dichotomy of being obessed with skinny bodies but also being the fattest, unhealthiest nation in the country.
I think those mannequins look great and didn't even know what the uproar was about until I read the article. It's nice to see a more realistic portrayal of women.
It's quite ironic really in that the media and fashion push these super skinny women on us everyday, but I really think that instead of helping it does the opposite. Those skinny models are unattainable and unrealistic for most women and just contributes to low self-esteem, which in turn, leads to overeating and binging on food. It's unhealthy. If women were taught what healthy actually looked like, we may have more of a chance.
Good greif...I am a size 4 and look a LOT like the one in the front.
That is considered fat?
Good thing I have a good self image.
Before kids I looked like the one in the back...I was a size 0-1.
Neon Washable Paint
I don't like realistic mannequins. They creep me out. I don't like having to wonder if it's a model sitting really still and she's going to reach out and grab me.
I'd rather look at these all day long than the sticky twiggy ones
Does the Polygamous Community Deserve Food Stamps?
- Arroree
on Mar. 15, 2013 at 4:53 AM