George Peatty wrote:
> In article
newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net>, Steven L.
> says...
>
> [snip]
> >>> This isn't just a woman's health issue; it is a warped *male* standard of >>
>>> beauty that is at least partly responsible for this obsession.
>
>> No, I don't think it came from males generally.
>
>> From my recollections, the emphasis on super-thinness originated from
>> certain parts of the fashion industry and fashion magazines like Vogue.
>> And the fashion models on the runways got thinner and thinner, setting
>> the pace for the rest of the world's women.
>
>> As I recall, this was a conscious decision on the part of the clothing
>> designers: The original rationale was that a shapely, curvy, busty
>> fashion model would draw too much public attention to her body rather
>> than to the clothing she was modeling. IOW, they wanted a model's body
>> that would function solely as an anonymous "walking coat hanger," on
>> which the clothing would be displayed to potential customers without
>> drawing attention to the body underneath. That way, you notice and
>> admire the clothing, not the model wearing it.
>
> I agree with everything you've said here, but I have to point out that the
> people who were making these decisions were primarily male.
That's an irrelevant coincidence. It's just that most designers of
women's fashions are men.
> Furthermore, this
> does not explain why so many women not in the fashion industry have bought into
> this notion of beauty. You'd think some would thumb their noses, saying, "who
> wants to be a walking stick?"
Well, some have rejected it: actresses like Kate Winslet, and all the
variations of the TV show "Yo Soy Betty La Fea" (known as "Ugly Betty"
here in America).
http://www.serendipityprom.com/celebrityimages/kate%%20winslet.jpg
But most men and women tend to follow fashion. Men aren't any
different: As suit lapels get wider or narrower, men will buy the
latest suits and won't be caught dead wearing a suit with old-style
lapels. And notice how men's haircuts change so dramatically over the
years--hair gets longer, hair gets shorter, sideburns, no sideburns,
stubble, no stubble, etc.
And the modern fashion for women is SLIM.
--
Steven D. Litvintchouk
Email: sdlitvin@
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Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me.
