We’ve known for decades that the female form has been wrongly portrayed through magazines, barbies, mannequins and other public forms. As little girls we grew up thinking that a size 6 and smaller trumped all other sizes. Being a size 10 to 14 was unheard of and being curvy and voluptuous didn’t fall inline with the runway model look that everyone was after. Shopping in department stores and popular brand names stores didn’t help our self esteem as we were surrounded by mannequins that mirrored the size of women in magazines, and television. However, now a line in Sweden named Ahlens has rolled out a plus sized mannequin which has raised controversy and attracted mass amounts of press.
This story went viral when a group on facebook posted a picture of the plus sized mannequins with the caption ” Store mannequins in Sweden. They look like real women. The US should invest in some of these.” The comments on the facebook page were mixed. Many applauded the new figure while others believed that the smaller sized shapes were “real people too.” Others found that the larger mannequins were just another excuse for “Americans to be over weight.”
“According to a 2011 article by the Washington Post, a few years ago, clothing store G.A.P came under scrutiny because of how skinny their own mannequins were (source).”
The Chicago Tribunes states that mannequins are among some of the most unrealistic figures of women because they are usually 6 inches taller and 6 sizes smaller then the average woman. Whoa!
I think the real takeaway message here is that we shouldn’t be exposed to just ONE size that is universal. We also shouldn’t be exposed to just ONE shape. The advertisers, department stores and other public outlets need to embrace all shapes and sizes. This will help young women and men establish healthier body images knowing that we aren’t just a cookie cutter image of each other but rather, individuals with our own specific look and shape.
Love y0ur shape,
Adria
BS, CPT, CES, PES
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