"I’m not sure if you’ve noticed (I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed), but ever since we as a culture have started to include plus models in our fashion spreads and pictures, they’ve only come in one shape: the sort of shape that has a waistline considerably smaller than the bust and hips.
It’s everywhere, and it’s the only representation of a larger body that is deemed acceptable in our mainstream advertising. It’s SO important, apparently, that models with not 'enough' of an hourglass figure are padded underneath their clothes and then waists are nipped and tucked, rolls are eliminated, and all kinds of other digital voodoo happens to make sure we never see any other version than the 'coke bottle figure.'
ANY perpetuation of one universal body standard ain’t good for us, this one included. BUT, in the same breath, I’m also gonna acknowledge that including the hourglass figure in the media is much-needed progress.
There was a time when showing any larger shape was unheard of. But I think it’s time to be realistic about how unrealistic and fabricated this hourglass standard is and think about what it will take to normalize all fat body shapes." » Jes Baker
