Sunday, March 8, 2009
Swimsuits should only be worn by women sizes 0 - 6
10 comments
We need about as much confirmation that we live in a society with impossible beauty standards as we do that the sky is blue. Just look at Fox News' particularly tasteful Spring Break Swimsuit Guide: The Best Suits for Every Shape! You hear that? EVERY shape, which they define as apple-shaped, pear-shaped, hourglass-shaped, or pencil-shaped. I'm expecting to see women from size 0 to the plus sizes.
Now, for the curvy hourglass figure, I'm thinking I'll see someone like, you know, Queen Latifah:
However, this is their idea of "hourglass-shaped":
The caption: "this suit would balance out the curves and enhance the shape of an hourglass." Those... are... curves?! I understand there are varying degrees of curviness, but for God's sake, the model representing the curviest body type has thighs that don't even touch.
Oh, and this is great. Here's their horribly distorted idea of "pear-shaped":
Even better is the caption: "The full bottom on this suit would help conceal the flaws of a pear shape." Who says anyone who isn't "pencil-shaped" has "flaws"? And what in the hell kind of society are we imprisoned by when this woman, who looks about a size 6 at the most, is "flawed"?
I wish more people would understand that the average American woman is a size 14.
Now, for the curvy hourglass figure, I'm thinking I'll see someone like, you know, Queen Latifah:
However, this is their idea of "hourglass-shaped":
The caption: "this suit would balance out the curves and enhance the shape of an hourglass." Those... are... curves?! I understand there are varying degrees of curviness, but for God's sake, the model representing the curviest body type has thighs that don't even touch.
Oh, and this is great. Here's their horribly distorted idea of "pear-shaped":
Even better is the caption: "The full bottom on this suit would help conceal the flaws of a pear shape." Who says anyone who isn't "pencil-shaped" has "flaws"? And what in the hell kind of society are we imprisoned by when this woman, who looks about a size 6 at the most, is "flawed"?
I wish more people would understand that the average American woman is a size 14.
Posts
March 9, 2009 at 1:18 AM
Whaaaat! She's "pear shaped" ??? Maybe because they have her hunched so that her top looks small, and wearing fug bathing suit bottoms that make her bottom look big! These girls are tiny!
March 9, 2009 at 6:43 AM
The thing about most of us actually curvy girls is that we don't usually care for swimsuits that display our mid-section. I can't think of any woman I know with any kind of real tummy who likes showing it off. Especially if going to the beach. Tankinis, sexy one pieces with some cut outs, fine! But I haven't been able to pull off a bikini style two-piece since I was 14. And even then I was probably kidding myself. And I also think my boobs didn't fit in it all that well and nearly popped out a few times.
What's even stranger is that I used to get a lot of vapid teeny mags when I was that age and I recall them recommending suits that really WERE for every type, whether you wanted to show your belly or not. So, has fashion actually regressed since then? Or are adult women expected to be forced to be more insecure than teenagers?
Now, there's nothing wrong those models pictured, but they hardly represent...well, the body types that they're SUPPOSED to represent! They should model tiny suits that fit on tiny framed women. Have a bigger model wear a bigger (or at least, less revealing) suit meant for bigger women. And considering the average plus size model is a size 12 (!) I don't think I'm asking all that much here.
P.S. Latifah looks cute in that suit!
March 10, 2009 at 2:07 AM
If they really wanted to help someone pick out a flattering swimsuit, they would've used women with discernible curves (like Catherine Zeta Jones for the hourglass, JLo for the pear shape; even if they aren't necessarily "plus-size" they aren't unhealthily skinny) instead of making me compare my hourglass figure to someone whose ribs I can see. That's just ridiculous.
May 4, 2009 at 12:57 PM
The woman in blue is more of an hourglass shape than queen Latifa is... notice how she actually goes IN at the waist! Queen Latifa is rounder and as a result the excess fat fills in the space where her curves at the waist should be.
You can certainly be slim and curvy at the same time - take Brigitte Bardot and her 20 inch waist as an example.
July 16, 2010 at 5:53 PM
I agree with Anonymous above. Hourglass =/= overweight. But of course, overweight =/= ugly. Queen Latifah is a beautiful woman, but the fact remains that she is not at the healthiest fat percentage. Neither are the women in the magazine, perhaps. HOWEVER, these are true examples of a pear and an hourglass. As the book Escape Your Shape notes, just because models are mostly rulers and many hourglasses are larger doesn't mean it isn't possible to be a size 2 hourglass or a size 12 ruler or a "teaspoon" (a tiny small spoon - what other books call a pear). Personally, I think both these girls are gorgeous, especially the example of an hourglass. Would she be a bit prettier to me with about ten more pounds on her? Sure! But that doesn't make her any less of a real woman. For reference, I'm a size ten with large thighs, and I like my body. I also like theirs.
August 2, 2010 at 4:51 PM
None of those women have hourglass figures. For an example of a true hourglass, do an image search for Kelly Brook.
May 24, 2011 at 8:37 AM
Thanks
May 25, 2011 at 1:21 AM
Wow! Lovely ladies I like your swimsuit, I want to pick one for my summer collection.
December 30, 2011 at 4:55 PM
ok to all you ignorant fat bitches complaining about the hour-glass and pear. you don't have to be over bearing-ly thick to be an hour glass or to have curve incase you didn't notice curve can also mean the curve of you stomach. so stop ripping on us skinny people we have feelings too. just like am sure that it hurt your feelings to see me call you fat bitches. and to be honest i saw something about hour glass and it was fat people... and i was baffled.
August 31, 2012 at 11:42 AM
I love the girl with bikini sky-blue, she is perfect is so beautiful...
Regards,
Guillermo