Finally, the fashion industry has woken up and recognized the critical importance of projecting an image of health and full-figured beauty, rather than the ultra-thin, undersized image popularized by stars like Nicole Ritchie.
The “extra-bony trend” came undone this week when organizers at the Pasarela Cibeles fashion show in Madrid banned five models with a body mass index or height-to-weight ratio below 18. According to Spanish organizers, many of their 5 foot 7 models maintain a body mass index of 18, which barely amounts to 115 pounds. A normal BMI should fall between 18.5 and 24.9, and anything less than 18.5 is considered underweight.
Although the fashion world was caught off guard, the show’s organizers remained confident that the decision to reject these skeletal centerpieces would not “interfere in the aesthetic of any designers’ show.” Organizers openly admitted that they don’t want “walking skeletons” projecting “a gaunt, emaciated look” at Spain’s top annual fashion show.
Ultimately, Spain’s rejection of this long-popular body type illustrates the fashion world’s increasing awareness of the mounting pressure on young girls to be wafer-thin, like Kate Moss. The show’s decision demonstrates to women of all ages that starving themselves to be stick thin doesn’t make them beautiful.
In reaction to this decision, the British Fashion Council has also considered banning super-thin models at their London Fashion this week, with Tessa Jowell, Britain’s culture secretary, advising the London Fashion week organizers to follow in Madrid’s footsteps.
The majority of today’s models, who live under intense pressure from constantly being in the spotlight, can barely keep their expensive Valentino and Versace outfits from falling off their lean bodies. The fact that we still gawk at such fragile figures demonstrates that our culture has allowed us to become thin-obsessed and accept anorexia as the norm.
Even in the latest chick flick The Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway’s character was constantly being berated by her boss and coworkers for being overweight. She was insulted for eating calorie-loaded corn chowder but commended for slimming down and slipping into something two or three sizes smaller. Sadly, although the actress is already approximately 125 lbs, audiences seemed to support rather than condemn the way she was treated.
At a time when “dying to be thin” seems to be the in-thing and everybody is watching their carb intake, the recent announcement in Spain demonstrates to the fashion world and society at large that having a little meat on your bones could be more attractive than looking like the scarecrow in a corn patch.
