LatinaLista
When it comes to body image, it’s long been known that the fashion industry has a hand in determining for the rest of us what and who is beautiful or feo (ugly).
Thanks to size 0 models, or designers who create size 0 clothes, bigger size girls and women are considered, if not ugly, at least not of “desirable” proportions. It’s something that anyone who knows young girls has tried to combat — thankfully, it seems they hear the message.
(Photo: Max Rossi / Reuters)
Today, Girl Scouts of the USA released a press release about a new survey they’ve conducted gauging young girls’ opinions about the fashion industry. Due to the weather conditions in New York City, the press conference where the survey was to be released was postponed but the press release itself has some interesting insights.
From the survey, it’s seen that there is a real love-hate relationship between girls and the fashion industry:
The nationwide survey, which included more than 1,000 girls ages 13 to 17, finds many girls consider the body image sold by the fashion industry unrealistic, creating an unattainable model of beauty.
Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed say the fashion industry (89 percent) and/or the media (88 percent) place a lot of pressure on them to be thin. However, despite the criticism of this industry, three out of four girls say that fashion is “really important” to them.
There’s no doubt that fashion is important to young girls. New clothes make any girl and woman feel more attractive, at least for a little while. Yet, in this day and age where reality TV gets higher ratings than sitcoms, girls, according to the survey, want reality in fashion advertising too.
Eighty-one percent of teen girls say they would prefer to see natural photos of models rather than digitally altered and enhanced images. Seventy-five percent say they would be more likely to buy clothes they see on real-size models than on women who are super skinny.
Being super skinny is not a natural state for most women, and certainly for most Latinas. As our country gets behind the First Lady’s new initiative to combat childhood obesity, the fashion industry should seriously consider doing their part to promote healthy living as well — and they can do that by promoting healthy weights among their models and recognizing that Size 0 is not a size.
