Women, fashion and liberation
Tuesday, 23. October 2007, 04:09:49
There has been a lot of talking about thin / skinny girls in the media lately. A talk about how girls starve themselves in order to live up to the models in the magazines.
But this phenomenon is not new at all.
The first forerunner of the thin womens ideal is the 1920's "flapper girl".
She stood for women's liberation. She didn't wear corset under her dress, and she was the woman that started wearing men's clothes: Trousers. She drove her own car, she drank and smoked and she had sex in the same pace as men did.
On the other hand she was a paradox regarding equality of status. She looked more like a boy than a woman: She had narrow hips, flat chest and a slender figure. She was an ideal that opened the way for women to make their own decisions, but bodily she was unattainable for most women.
1960's gave us the most sexy women's ideal of all times. Marilyn Monroe was a woman with a fuller figure, she had both breasts and butt. This body is attainable for more women, especially if you have good breast genes.
When it comes to equality of status, this type of woman wasn't a true ideal. Even though Marilyn was not a dumb blonde, she was known and loved as one. She was seen as a helpless adorable sexbomb in the middle of a bunch of strong handsome men.
That points in the direction that feminine, fuller figured women have to be a bit dumb to be accepted and appreciated.
The 1960s did also give us Twiggy.
Twiggy did look a lot like the 1920s Flapper girl with her pre-puberty body, but she was a different type of woman. She didn't live the wild, limit-breaking life.
She was the skinniest woman the fashion industry had seen, and she became a fashion icon. She was 16 years old when she started her model career, and she weighed only 6½ stone (41 kg / 90 lbs).
Twiggy was a doll that the designers could dress up.
1970s was the hippie-era. This was the years were the liberation of women really speeded up.
These were the times where women burned their bras in the name of liberality and everything were facing a more "natural" way of living.
But it was also the times where tall, slim women like Jerry Hall and Cher posed on Studio 54. They were strong and had charisma, but not a body easily achieved.
Diane Keaton's Annie Hall-figure did also have a big influence on the fashion. She was tall and skinny and she wore oversized men's clothes. The woman who had the teenage boy's characteristic was back as an ideal.
The 1980s was fast and rough, and gave us a new version of the masculine woman. She was sporty, top trained, and she showed her body in lurex aerobics outfits, and stuffed her shoulders in order to make them look bigger.
Grace Jones was a typical icon of the 80s and there was nothing innocent about her. Man and woman melted into one, and the ideal for both genders was to achieve their goals, even with their elbows first.
The 1990s changed the ideal a little bit, with models like Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell: Women who were still tall and slim, but with both butts and breasts.
As for today, it is hard to analyze when you're in the middle of it.
A lot of women try to achieve the size zero look. It's kind of a traume, really. We are surrounded by opportunities and demands. When we find out that we cannot meet all the demands, we seem to seek control and acceptance. Control of our body, and acceptance from the surroundings. And as long as the media glorifies skinny women, that is the image many women seek to shape themselves into.
But this phenomenon is not new at all.
The first forerunner of the thin womens ideal is the 1920's "flapper girl".
She stood for women's liberation. She didn't wear corset under her dress, and she was the woman that started wearing men's clothes: Trousers. She drove her own car, she drank and smoked and she had sex in the same pace as men did.
On the other hand she was a paradox regarding equality of status. She looked more like a boy than a woman: She had narrow hips, flat chest and a slender figure. She was an ideal that opened the way for women to make their own decisions, but bodily she was unattainable for most women.
1960's gave us the most sexy women's ideal of all times. Marilyn Monroe was a woman with a fuller figure, she had both breasts and butt. This body is attainable for more women, especially if you have good breast genes.
When it comes to equality of status, this type of woman wasn't a true ideal. Even though Marilyn was not a dumb blonde, she was known and loved as one. She was seen as a helpless adorable sexbomb in the middle of a bunch of strong handsome men.
That points in the direction that feminine, fuller figured women have to be a bit dumb to be accepted and appreciated.
The 1960s did also give us Twiggy.
Twiggy did look a lot like the 1920s Flapper girl with her pre-puberty body, but she was a different type of woman. She didn't live the wild, limit-breaking life.
She was the skinniest woman the fashion industry had seen, and she became a fashion icon. She was 16 years old when she started her model career, and she weighed only 6½ stone (41 kg / 90 lbs).
Twiggy was a doll that the designers could dress up.
1970s was the hippie-era. This was the years were the liberation of women really speeded up.
These were the times where women burned their bras in the name of liberality and everything were facing a more "natural" way of living.
But it was also the times where tall, slim women like Jerry Hall and Cher posed on Studio 54. They were strong and had charisma, but not a body easily achieved.
Diane Keaton's Annie Hall-figure did also have a big influence on the fashion. She was tall and skinny and she wore oversized men's clothes. The woman who had the teenage boy's characteristic was back as an ideal.
The 1980s was fast and rough, and gave us a new version of the masculine woman. She was sporty, top trained, and she showed her body in lurex aerobics outfits, and stuffed her shoulders in order to make them look bigger.
Grace Jones was a typical icon of the 80s and there was nothing innocent about her. Man and woman melted into one, and the ideal for both genders was to achieve their goals, even with their elbows first.
The 1990s changed the ideal a little bit, with models like Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell: Women who were still tall and slim, but with both butts and breasts.
As for today, it is hard to analyze when you're in the middle of it.
A lot of women try to achieve the size zero look. It's kind of a traume, really. We are surrounded by opportunities and demands. When we find out that we cannot meet all the demands, we seem to seek control and acceptance. Control of our body, and acceptance from the surroundings. And as long as the media glorifies skinny women, that is the image many women seek to shape themselves into.
(40%)
WIDGETIZE
Carol # 23. October 2007, 04:17
Attila # 23. October 2007, 04:18
Carol # 23. October 2007, 04:20
theoddbod # 23. October 2007, 06:24
Kimmie # 23. October 2007, 07:48
Even I doubt myself at times. But, hey. God gave me T,H and A, so I might as well enjoy them.
Some people are naturally very thin (far less are so than all those who claim it) and if that's who they are, then that's beauty too. Nobody should make themselves miserable or hungry for fashion's sake.
r♡se # 23. October 2007, 09:03
I've been thinking about posting the Dove commercial with the girl looking in the mirror. The first time I saw it, it brought a tear to my eye...
I agree with Kimmie. (H stands for head, right?
Kimmie # 23. October 2007, 09:37
And, LOL @ H stands for head
Santa Furie # 23. October 2007, 11:01
Women should be skinny!
*wobbles gigantic belly at the girls*
You're not allowed one of these. It's wrong for women.
On a slightly bizarre, but serious note, I have Marilyn Monroe's measurements.
Nicolas Borgsmidt # 23. October 2007, 11:44
Attila # 23. October 2007, 12:17
We should accept ourselves the way we are.
Nicolas Borgsmidt # 23. October 2007, 12:20
Santa Furie # 23. October 2007, 12:21
Attila # 23. October 2007, 12:22
Kimmie # 23. October 2007, 12:30
least some of us ahve our values right.
Brian # 23. October 2007, 12:41
r♡se # 23. October 2007, 12:42
(And sorry, it wasn't Dove, it was a Swedish help organization for anorexia/bulimia.)
In short, we see a teenage girl's reflection in a mirror. She's standing there, squeezing the "fat" on her thighs, stomach, waist - even face. When the camera pans out from the mirror, we see the real girl, clearly anorectic.
Attila # 23. October 2007, 12:43
And don't worry, there are lots of women out there with Marilyn's measurements!
Attila # 23. October 2007, 12:45
r♡se # 23. October 2007, 14:40
Carol # 23. October 2007, 15:13
Kimmie # 23. October 2007, 15:34
r♡se # 23. October 2007, 17:19
It was nominated for an award (best commercial, I think) in Sweden. Don't know how that went, but I hope people noticed it