Today the fashion for natural female figures and healthy fullness is returning again. However, very thin and tall girls still perform on the catwalks. Why are fashion designers, designers and other trendsetters in no hurry to sew outfits for owners of popular curvaceous figures?
When did the fashion for thin models begin?
Fashion for female figures has been different at all times. Popular were either unearthly, fragile maidens, or curvaceous beauties, or slender and fit women. The stars of the 40s and 50s were by no means “skinny”. In the middle of the last century, girls who had feminine forms were considered beauties. But in the 60s there was a real revolution in the beauty industry. It was sparked by the appearance of model Leslie Hornby, known as Twiggy. With a height of 166 cm, the girl weighed only 40 kg (for comparison: Marilyn Monroe, whose height was also 166 cm, weighed 55 kg).
Fragile, weightless Twiggy, with her short haircut reminiscent of an eternal child, won the hearts of not only the British, but also residents of the whole world.Despite the fact that this girl very quickly ended her brilliant career, her influence on the fashion world turned out to be colossal. It was thanks to her that a new standard of beauty emerged that lasted for many years. Now a woman who looked like a teenager was considered a beauty: small breasts, “boyish” hips, thin legs, pronounced cheekbones. And fashion models and clothing designers were the first to pick up the new fashion. Following this, a “boom” for thinness began among fashionistas of all ages, but she found especially many followers among teenagers.
Despite numerous speeches by doctors who warned girls about the dangers of anorexia, thousands of schoolgirls and students tormented themselves with the most severe diets in an attempt to achieve an ideal figure. Often the pursuit of beauty ended in failure. This did not stop the young beauties, because everyone dreamed of having Twiggy’s figure. Many of the fashionistas stopped adequately assessing their appearance and brought themselves to exhaustion. There are known cases when models weighed 38, 35, or even 28 kilograms. Almost all of them died before reaching 30 years of age.
However, the fashion designers benefited from the new fashion. It turned out that the popularity of thinness is very practical and beneficial when creating costumes. And the images of the 50s, which required a woman to have curves, quickly became a thing of the past.
Why do designers prefer to work with tall and thin models?
The main reason is very simple: it is much easier to sew an outfit for a skinny girl. It is not necessary to work with the model personally. A figure devoid of any features does not require an individual approach.Any type of costume looks great on a tall and thin girl: short and long dresses, trousers and overalls, tops and pullovers... Even the most extravagant designer outfits fit the skinny model’s figure. Being thin allows you to boldly experiment with styles, and being tall makes a girl look like a “hanger”. Her clothes form spectacular loose folds. Viewers who see such an outfit have a desire to purchase it. But on plump ones, original designer products can look extremely comical.
For the beauty industry, a woman’s individual traits and “zest” do not matter. On the catwalks they show not beautiful girls, but new outfits. Viewers are not required to pay attention to the models themselves. Standardized body parameters make it possible to treat girls on the catwalk as moving mannequins. Working with a thin model gives the fashion designer complete scope for creativity, and initial knowledge of the model’s parameters helps to avoid mistakes when creating an outfit.
In addition, in photographs and videos, girls look fuller than in reality. And if the model is initially overweight, this can ruin the shot, which is unacceptable for business.
Is thinness in fashion for fashion models today?
Despite the fact that the fashion for thinness has lasted for decades, every year models with feminine shapes are gaining more and more popularity. Some “flat” models, who previously enjoyed success, are complaining about the loss of work - modeling agencies are abandoning the 90-60-90 parameters and are striving to fill their ranks with curvy girls. Now you won’t surprise anyone with a “chubby” victory at a beauty contest or “plus-size” outfits from leading designers.
But the overthrow of established fashion ideals from the pedestal lasted for many years.Neither the deaths of girls from anorexia, nor repeated warnings from doctors about the dangers of painful thinness could stop the wave of popularity of flat shapes. Only persistent propaganda of femininity gave owners of round figures a chance to gain the status of beauties without strict diets and grueling workouts in gyms.
However, this does not mean that fashion designers are ready today to abandon the usual model parameters. As before, skinny girls remain the queens of the catwalks. This is especially true for Eastern countries (China, Korea). Oriental designers create outfits for Asian beauties, who are naturally prone to thinness, have thin bones and short stature. Today, two fashions exist in parallel, the first of which exalts the figures of the 50s, and the second remains true to the Twiggy ideal.
Advertising makers are wary of changes in fashion. Most advertising photos and videos continue to feature thin and tall girls. If a company chooses a “donut” as a model for advertising, this is a rather bold and risky step. However, every year you can see fat models more and more often in advertising of clothes and lingerie.
The main trend of modern fashion is the emphasis on health and naturalness. Now well-groomed hair, smooth skin and neat nails are much more important than meeting the cherished 90-60-90. And if a girl takes care of herself, is attentive to her physical condition and does not neglect sports, she has every chance of becoming a model even if she has a couple of extra centimeters at her waist.
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