Size zero?! A healthy more realistic alternative?

Question

If the fashion industry is not willing to ban all together size zero models on the catwalks (see London fashion show coming up), i thought a nice idea would be to have regular size 10/12 women walk hand in hand with the professionals to show off the clothes.
After all, the clothes we, regular women (i'm a size 10), find in high street shops, are only a vague reminder of what was shown onto the catwalks. The clothes are adapted to the mainstream public (thank god!) and very few women could actually wear the designer clothes in their every day life. So, keeping this in mind, it would be nice to see what WE would look like in the orginal designs in APPROPRIATE and more REALISTIC sizes.
I'm sure i'm not the only woman when i say skinny models don't reflect at all what the outfit would look like on me. I've hips, breasts and can only compare the models to my 13 year old teenage daughter.
What do you think about my idea?

Answer 1

Not all women are size 10/12's

Im size 0, and its hard for me to find pants that fit me because my legs are so short.

Maybe they should make it more realistic that all women aren't 6 foot tall AND a size 0????

The models are generally very TALL and THIN....thats the unrealistic part...because a woman who is 6 foot tall, shouldn't be able to wear a size 0! And a woman who wears a size 0....hardly ever fits into long jeans..

women of small bodies are usually short

women who are taller...around 5'6 or so.....their bodies are naturally wider....their bones are.

Answer 2

I'm not so sure about the whole size 0 thing.
When I was 13 I was a British size 10 and American size 8, I measured 34-20-34 way back then.
Now, many years later I can still comfortably wear a British size 10 and American size 4 or 6.
I'm 25lbs heavier now, added a few inches here and there, but clothes sizes have grown with me.
Your comment about regular size women as being size 10-12 is a little off too, average dress size for women in the UK is now 14-16, that would be 12-14 USA.

Answer 3

Free bird is right hun, the average in the UK is size 16 for us women.

I think there should be a variety of shapes and sizes on the catwalk to be honest. As we have said not all women look like walking skeletons.

I am a size 12 - 14 and without sounding a bit up my own you know what..... I know how to dress my body, knowing what I suite and what looks good on me.

Womens body should be celebrated in it's variety instead of just promoting 1 unobtainable look. The models are dropping dead and the designers and all the 'big wigs' are still not seeing the error of the ways.

Answer 4

Skinny models aren't meant to reflect what the design would look like on a woman of average build - they're meant to sell the clothes. For the same reason that 'aspirational' is the (shallow, meaningless, vapid) marketing buzzword of this decade, size zero models will continue to be used so long as they inspire desire, longing, and ambition in the target market: "If I wear that dress, I'll look like her." Banning women because of their size - whether they are large or small - is discriminatory. I do however, fully endorse what Madrid have done - and banned catwalk models with a BMI of less than 18. This is fuelled by health concerns, not (green-eyed?) prejudice. I'm a size 12, and I'm under no illusions that my love handles are 'aspirational' to the 'youth market', but I like them. Self esteem doesn't just come from the size of your hips.

Answer 5

I really dont get this size 0 thing at all! These poor young girls in the UK trying to get to size 0 which is a USA size anyway! When i was a teenager there wasnt this ridiculous idea that 'thin' was beautiful. A girl was referred to as 'slim' if she was slender and 'thin' meant unhealthy, being the opposite to 'fat', also unhealthy. Now we daren't say anyone is fat, and thin is supposed to be good!

I actually think your idea is an excellent one! It would be amazing to see and might actually bring home to people how the fashion industry is messing with everyone's brains. You are right - how could people wear the clothes in their real lives working in shops, offices, homes!

Why don't you propose your idea to one of the newspapers in the first instance, or even try a fashion house.I, for one, would be very glad to see your idea in action!

Answer 6

There are more real women out here who are normal size. Why oh why do they still insist on showing these ematiated models. Never mind the fashion industry wanting these models to show off their clothes, because they think they portray them as they should be should be worn. To real men I know it is a big turn off. I agree with you,yes, let the real size women model their clothes. We see curvy women in their clothes, and believe me they look far better than the stick thin models.

Answer 7

Why shouldn't those of us who are naurally thin (and many, but not all models are) be allowed to showcase our beauty? I'm not saying it's a realisitic aspiration for most girls (I actually don't think it should be an aspiration at all), but anyone who says they prefer size 0 is going to be voted down on here and I think that's unfair. I've been very thin all my life, and at times have found it very distressing that I simply cannot put on weight. Nonetheless, I would like to consider myself beautiful (and I've been told by many that I am) without being made to feel guilty about it by the likes of my "healthier" counterparts. I don't follow fashion; I probably couldn't name more than 5 supermodels, so I'm not conforming to anybody's standards but my own.

Answer 8

I am very thin, even thou i am a size 8 at 25 with two children, i once was a zero. People often make accusations that i starve myself, as i look aneroxic. Im not under or over weight. I dont agree that models should be banned because of their size, but i do agree if they are making themselves ill to be that size then ban them, until they overcome their illness.

Answer 9

as a guy i find the whole notion of womens dress and clothe sizes as ridiculous.
it is time that women and designers accepted the point that every woman is different.
as far as i know size zero is a US dress size and not in the UK. (though i've not needed to look at ladies clothes for years).
in my opinion, do liek us guys do and go by the actual inches or CM of your figure.
get that right and we will have a better healthier society.

what is a size zero in actual physical measurments? what is a size 10 or twelve?

in the UK at least anything between a uk size 10 and a uk size 14 depending on height and body shape would in my opinion be considered both normal and is more chance of a woman to be found attractive. slimmer or fatter can be seen as unhealthy in my opinion.

but what do i know. i'm just a single guy aged 33.
ladies guys as a rule do not care what dress size you wear if you are worried about that for example don't be. We care more about your overall look, do you look healthy, are you happy, do you have a great personality, do you have a pretty smile. if yes to all the above we ask ourselves do we find you attractive, and do we think we have a chance at a date?
dress size does not enter in to the equation. Well not for me at least. and i may only speaking for myself here.

in my opinion it is the unrealistic idealised figures on the anorexic models on the catwalks combined with the airbrushed artwork of celebrities etc. that in my view is the root of the eating disorder phenomenon that seems to be prevelent in today society amongst women in general. and in some guys.

so ban the unrealistic women. and get real women to model the average woman opn the streets.
a perfect example (almost) is shown in a leaflet posted through my door recently (junk mail) showing real women not skinny models but beautiful real looking women (if you know what i mean. the dove.co..uk campaign for real beauty leaflet.

just my opinion. no need to shoot me for it.

Answer 10

i am size 10 too, but my little sister is size 0.

as long as people are happy with their body, it is all good for me. i think healthy is more important, and some people just born in different ways.

i think designer should make the clothing for real people from size 0 - size 14, and another design for plus size. it is important to fit and feel great and sexy.

i know as much men to love size 0 as much as size 20, i think it is a personal preference, and more important, to feel great about yourself.

mass media is marketing, and you don't need to follow it, and your choice to be that way or refuse to like it all.