What do you think of the fashion indusdtry banning waif/heroin chic models from the runways in Madrid??

Question

I read the article today where overly thin models are not being allowed on the runway during fashion week in Madrid. The officials state this is an attempt to portray healthier, more realistic models and acknowledges the fact that young girls often use the images of the uber thin (think Kate Moss) as their ideal, which often leads to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. I tend to think of this as a positive step and am impressed tha such a huge part of the fashion industrty is finally admitting that some of the choices of the past have had horrible effects on millions of young girls.

The first reply is intereseting. How do you think trying to achieve being 5ft10 and weighing about 110 pounds is an obtainable goal for the average teenage female? There are plenty of healthy living models out there (Tyra Banks, Claudia Schiffer) who refuse to starve themselves to meet the heron chic ideal. Even Kate Moss, one of the original models of the waif look, admits she looks healthier today. Madrid isn't banning every model...they are insisting that the models look healthy.

Answer 1

Look at models from 10-20 years ago. They were thin, but healthily so. Christie Brinkley, Cindy Crawford, Vanessa Williams, Daisy Fuentes, etc... This was not only a more attractive look, it was more realistic. This was a look the average woman could work for with the hope of achieving it.

The top models today aren't only super skinny, many of them are unnaturally so. Things like eating disorders, diet pills, unhealthy exercising, and in some cases, drugs, are dangerous to a woman's health. There have been reports of fainting, hospitalizations, and even death due to malnutrition. This is not how we want to portray beauty.

I don't see how this is any different from other health restrictions and laws. All over the world countries are trying to find ways to improve the overall health of the people, from smoking to obesity to drunk driving. Think about what is going on in the US alone, schools are taking soda vending machines out, public smoking bans have been passed as laws, BMI testing has been implemented in many schools starting as young as kindergarten, drunk drivers have been given longer and stricter sentencing, to name a few.

If we are ready to fight against other problems, then why not tackle the issue of women being underweight?

Answer 2

Yes, I think the Madrid Government was right to ban the stick thin sickly looking models because in real life how many girls are naturally stick thin. Not many will be the answer in reply to the above question. In real life if you diet for your looks it leads to big medical problems in later life. That doesn't mean to say you should eat junk food either. Your own metabolism decides whether you will be skinny or obese but it also depends on the sort of healthy diet you eat as well.

Answer 3

I think it is a very good step to take. After all, so many girls (including myself) look up to these people and believe only looking like that will make you feel attractive. I know that we have high obesity levels but what we don't need is more and more girls starving themselves until they believe they look attractive! A model does not have to look like a stick to carry off a look. They just need to wear the clothes confidently and strut their stuff. Life is too short to worry yourself about things like this, so i truly believe their hearts are in the right place by not allowing these terribly thin models to work. After all, a woman has curves, naturally, and you can still have curves if you're smaller....charlotte church, you go girl!

Answer 4

Its a big leap to admit that there is a problem with the size 0 5'11 models that we often see on the runway and print ads. It shows concern for the image the fashion industry is projecting to the world. being thin isnt bad, its the obsession to be too thin, that it gets unhealthy leading to eating disorders.

i agree with your point, and this is a positive step.

Answer 5

Yes, they should ban uber-thin models from fashion runways and quit glorifying them in magazines and on TV. Our young people already are confused enough with all the messages politicians put out. They don't need to think that you have to look like a famine victim to be "pretty."

Fashion shows should also show a variety of models from different ethnic groups. Evey ethnic group has it's own beauty but to be a mode you have to be tall and skinny, not every ethnic group has a lot of tall, skinny women.

Answer 6

I'm thrilled with this positive step towards accepting women as women. Women have hips and breasts. Fashion models do not look like women - they look like young boys. This will happen if you starve a woman so badly that her body will cannibalize her breasts to keep her alive. I don't know why anyone thinks that starvation looks attractive.

Hey fashion designers - if you want to design for that body type, then design boy's fashions. We know why you're not doing it - because women spend more money on clothes than boys - but guess what, you're seriously messing up young girls by warping their image of what an attractive woman looks like.

Personally, I would like a name and address to associate with this decision so I can write a thank you letter.

Answer 7

Muy bien por Madrid joder!lol

Answer 8

It's about time, bean pole models are not an accurate representation of the female form. I think a woman with curves gets the attention she deserves!

Answer 9

i think mit,s right a waif thin girl does not look attractive models should be a healthy size

Answer 10

I think its silly.
We have a growing epidemic of fat people. Obesity is running rampant in advanced civilizations (the same crowd these models show off for).

Now, how fat would we be, if we had nothing to work towards?

Vewwy vewwwy fat.