I saw this at Lindex in my local shopping centre the other day. A nice fit, healthy looking mannequin. The fact that I stopped and took a second look shows how unusual that is. I wish more clothing chains designed clothes for normal bodies – not clinically obese, not skeletally emaciated, but natural, healthy, fit and strong.
Åhléns in Sweden had these ones a few years ago, also nice and healthy and fit.
Unfortunately, mannequins like these ones, from Gina Tricot, are still the norm.
This is an endless cycle – magazines often feature very thin models. When they are called out on it they say that those are the sample sizes they receive from the designers. The designers in turn are often men, who say that they design for an ideal. Magazines admit that if they feature ‘normal’ sized women in and on their magazines, they don’t sell as many copies, because people strive after an ideal, a dream. Models are often very young and still growing. When they mature they battle to keep to weight they were at age 15 or 16. A few years back, size 0 was what many people strove for. That is a UK size 4, and a French size 32. There cannot be many people who are naturally that size?
There are laws in several countries that catwalkmodels have to have a certain BMI to be allowed to walk for designers. Still, designers often use very thin models.
The other thing is that the mannequ are often totally unrealistic, with tiny bottoms and flat chests. I used to frequently see fashion models on way home from work in central London. They all smoke to suppress their appetites and are abnormal in body shape and weight. As a result ordinary pretty young girls think this is the norm, hence bulimia, anorexia etc. I think some of these designers don’t actually know real, average women, and in fact the high end fashion industry is uninterested in the U.K. average dress size 12/14 woman. As for anyone outside the norm, either shorter or taller they have no interest at all. It’s a wonder any of us have closes in our wardrobes.
The live models, I’m sorry but that is just gross! Not sure why but I always find it funny how mannequins have their boobs designed. Maybe I am just a prude but, I don’t think it is necessary to make them so realistic.
Yes, they should be ‘vague’ like the packages on male mannequins!