Years ago, I never thought I'd ever write something positive about what appeared on the pages of Glamour magazine. I admit that I looked at its pages wistfully, as it regularly featured models and fashions of only a certain size, a size I wasn't.
I've come to recognize after perusing this magazine (and similar magazines) for years I knew that much of what was featured diet and exercise-wise was recycled. Fashion trends also cycle as well as preference in body shape...to a point. After all, no one is petitioning to bring back the women of Rubens' era, just using "plus size" models with airbrushing; with plus size being generally women of smaller than "average size."
The question Glamour correctly asks in its November 2009 issue is, "Is this want we really want to see?" It is based on the the age old question of, "What do women want?" At times we complain that models are too thin and unrealistic; take for example recent Ralph Lauren airbrushing where the model's head was the same width as her waist. Yet, we do like fantasy and don't always want to be confronted by the truth.
We are a culture that is bred on Cinderella, Snow White, Barbie and Slim Fast. We need to know that someday our Prince will come. We want to look in the Mirror on the wall and have it tell us that we are the fairest of them all. Can we really tolerate our models actually looking like us? After all, Disney has the Magic Kingdom, not the Magic Living Room.
It will require a huge paradigm shift on our part.
Like the Michael Jackson song "Man in the Mirror," can we start with looking at ourselves in the mirror and beginning to make change from within?
As Glamour states, many designers will not make clothes beyond size 10 or 12. Why? Often they may sell these clothes online. Old Navy/Gap and Ann Taylor sell larger sizes online than in what is stocked in the store. What if people do not buy their merchandise. What if these stores are boycotted?
At no point do we want to glorify obesity, but by continuing to vilify it, we trap people in a cycle of self hate and dieting. Self acceptance is the incredible first hurdle to living a healthy life.
Self acceptance.
It doesn't sound glamourous but it will make you the envy of others. You will eventually to be able to say that you like yourself despite whatever is happening around you. It will make you more confident and make others wonder what gives you confidence.
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