Glamour is stepping up its efforts to push the boundaries of accepted beauty norms with a photo shoot for its November issue featuring all plus-sized models - in the buff. In the article accompanying the photograph (and yes, all the models actually ate the catered food at the shoot!), Glamour writer Genevieve Field discusses the fashion industry's obsession with weight, explaining that any model over a UK size 8 is often considered plus-size because she's too big for the designer samples that typically run from a size 4-6.
Field also talks about the stigma associated with high-end designers producing garments over size 12, giving kudos to Michael by Michael Kors, Baby Phat and Isaac Mizrahi for Liz Clairborne - all brands that embrace size 14 and above.
As Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive writes on her blog, the staff is completely behind the push for a "body image revolution," which will include a commitment "to featuring a greater range of body types in our pages," she writes, "including in fashion and beauty stories (traditionally the toughest areas for even the top 'plus-size' models to crack)." It seems even the stunning Scarlett Johansson, who appears on Glamour's November cover, has been slightly upstaged by the bevy of beauties wearing even less than the actress/singer. And that takes a lot!
Glamour's readers were torn between this new agenda to see more women like themselves in magazines versus the more idealized skinny versions. Where do you stand?
Weigh in, no pun intended, with a comment below.
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Monday 05 October
By Daisy Klock
Finally fashion people or the ones defend feminine fashion are coming to terms to make women beautiful for their health looks and not their sizes.
Since teens to early 30s I was size 12, but with age, hormonies changes I went up almost size 18.
Now at 45 I am between 16 going to 14.
The weight issue is only important when it comes to health. I also agree we look better slimmer in some fashionable clothes.
But I notice that my face and boobs look really nice now at 45, and when I drop few pounds I get this tired looks.
I supose with age we should accept our body will be bigger and different from 20s.
Good job to make us women feel confortable inside our own skins!
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Monday 19 October
By Diane
It's the same for me. I'm 16 trying to get as far as 14 (I don't think I'll ever see a 12 again) and I'm 46. I'm struggling to lose those last 7 lbs, but, when I see my size 10 47 year old sister I'm not sure if I want to lose too much as she looks great from a distance, but, close up looks much older, we need that extra bit of fat in our faces to stop looking drawn and haggard.
Tuesday 06 October
By Sandi
Huzzah, Glamour magazine! It's about time that a major magazine focused on the fact that not everyone in this world is a size 4 or 6 and that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
I wouldn't consider any of these women eally "plus-sized." To me, they are average in size, but fashion being what fashion is, this is their determination of plus size. Whatever. Nice to see something other than a gaunt sickly looking anorexic.
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Tuesday 06 October
By liz
Yee ha at last normal women....they look gorgeous ...so healthy and the way women should be...far better than the anorexic models you see on the cat walk and magazines...no wonder so many young girls have weight issues and problems it's because of the pressure they are put under ie ...tv.. mags..etc ....(plus men dont like skinny women).
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Wednesday 07 October
By denise rolph
lovely to see "normal sized women". my daughter and some friends have done a calendar shoot recently (called calendar girls) in aid of a very good cause - sending a friend and her children to eurodisney, the lady in question suffering cancer for the second time. the calendar will be on sale at the Body Shop end October and all the "models" are normal ladies who are consultants for Body Shop but want to help their manager who is suffering from cancer.
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Thursday 08 October
By Ian
I dont know if men are allowed to comment here, but here goes.
Glamour is finally doing a shoot that could go in a mans magazine,these usually feature real women and a lady of size 4 or 6 would be relegated to a specialist section. Dont be fooled ladies, designers like skinny girls because they are easier to fit clothes to.To a designer, curves are too much of a challenge
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Friday 09 October
By Peter
As a seasoned observer of the female form I think these ladies look absolutely gorgeous. It seems to me that the fashion industry has forgotten that a large number of men do not find skinny little twigs attractive. If women strive to be so thin in order to be attractive to men they may be doing themselves a great disservice.
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Friday 09 October
By jean
id just like to comment on the so called sizes 4 to 6 which i dont think really exist as such.im 53 when i was in my teens i was a size 12.a size 12 in those days was measurements 34 bust 24 inch waist 36 hips which were my measurements then,sizes have not remained the same.so probably a 6 these days is really the old size 12.wonder what other people think those who can remember what the old sizes were. jean
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Friday 09 October
By sarah b
i agree that these women could hardly be described as plus sized models but whole hearted congratulations to glamour magazine for shooting this attractive photo, which for the first time in years actually has women with more than an a-sized cupsize. i see so many models that look as if they could do with a burger and chips. maybe that's why they always look as miserable as sin.
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Sunday 11 October
By Ian McFerran
It's about time "normal" women had a shot at this type of work. These ladies are lovely and should be VERY proud of their figures. There's NOTHING wrong with reality. I suspect that the waffer-thin models make a lot of effort to be that thin. These ladies would grace the arm of any "real" man. Bravo ladies. Hold your heads up very high!!!
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