The image we should be....

I've seen multiple articles recently about controversy surrounding the right way to look. But who in fact decides what that image is? Why is it a constant struggle to live by this image that only a few people can really fit into?

A few weeks ago, it was an article about a woman who sued Prada because she was fired for being "ugly." Since when did it become all about JUST looks? Personality is a very important part of a person. It should in fact, be more important than looks... because looks fade. And to top it off, the single mom lost the lawsuit. Now Prada is countersuing her because "she" slandered the Prada name. Wait a second here, PRADA is suing her for damaging the company's reputation? Because of Prada's horrible decision to sue for $780,000, they as a company have in fact hurt the name even more.

Rina Bovrisse, the former employee of Prada.

I've also been amazed by this whole Abercrombie and Fitch controversy. What was CEO Mike Jeffries thinking? Saying he "doesn't want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people." That his customers should feel like the "cool kids..." The cool kids, really? Jeffries is obviously a bully. Was he never taught, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?" He is an example of why so many teens think they aren't cool enough or popular. What about the fact that most people can't afford $30+ for one shirt or $50 to upwards of $100 for a pair of jeans... so not having a certain label makes you uncool? 

This brings me to question, what is the image we need to be to fit in? You don't see many plus size mannequins, or companies that sell larger clothing... and that's just not fair. I've done multiple posts on this issue because it's mind boggling to sit here and think bigger sizes should be treated differently. I know I've struggled with weight just like every other woman out there and it's just not fair to make women feel worse because they can't find clothes to fit their body. It's crazy when I read these posts or articles about the constant, repetitive cycle of body image and what is right or wrong

And yet it's not just woman who are affected. This whole image issue is just a small glimpse into the world of bullying. Mean Girls is a perfect example. They had this idea that skinny is beautiful and if you were anything else other than skinny, with perfect hair, skin, features, you were in the burn book. So what guidelines are people following? and how do we break them down so people can be themselves and not have to worry about what criticism they will get for not looking a certain way or wearing a label? Creating that movie even unintentionally fueled the "image" fire because as much as they made fun of the "Mean Girls" they were also glamorized.

There are millions of women out there who strive to change the way we view beauty, and good for them! The more voices heard the better. Plus-sized blogger Gabi Gregg , who introduced a fabulous new two piece for plus size women and Jes, aka The Militant Baker, who did a photoshoot and wrote a great response to Mr. Jeffries, are just two examples of women stepping out to make a difference. I even read about a stepmother who required her daughter to wear secondhand clothing to teach the 4th grader empathy after she bullied a girl for her clothing.

Photo cred: Liora K Photography and Jes, the Militant Baker

These are all great examples of women who are trying to open our eyes and create a new idea of what we should look like. 

Remember: 

 Everyone has something that makes them beautiful, it just depends on if that person is going to let their beauty shine.

Bullies of Online Fashion Media

The fashion industry is under constant criticism for the way women are perceived and while most now strive to create better body images, unfortunately, it's sites like Skinny Gossip that continue to create this scrutiny.

Kate Upton got a lot of praise after her Sports Illustrated cover, but she also got some bashing. As the "Rookie of the Year" in 2011, the 19-year-old blond, all-American bombshell, landed the February cover, showing off her curves in a string bikini. The model's figure created quite a stir in the fashion world, but Upton doesn't seem to let it bother her. "I love my curves. You know, I'm healthy and I think that's what Sports Illustrated represents: healthy, confident women who love their bodies," Upton said in an interview.  

Photo from Huffington Post

After reading a tweet from Independent Fashion Bloggers last night, "Bloggers gone bad - Anyone who calls @KateUpton thick, vulgur and pornographic is clearly insane: http://bit.ly/LKoMM0,"  I was beyond curious to see what it was all about. I clicked the link and read the Elle write up. The woman in me was disgusted that anyone could write such hateful, horrible things, but the journalist in me said it's time to start writing.

I've always tried to write about hard-hitting stories in the fashion industry since I went to school for journalism and focused many of my pieces on fashion. It's the industry I love working for but, people need to know the good, the bad and the ugly in any industry. I knew this write up was a perfect example of why girls and women all around the world have such insecurities about their looks let alone themselves as individuals. I've always kept up with the body image issue vs fashion industry because every girl I know, including myself has had self-esteem issues.  

So, I went straight to the source: Skinny Gossip, Kate Upton Is Well-Marbled. The post started off comparing humans to cows and then insinuating that Kate Upton is one... Did you know that humans are 80% genetically identical to cows? Well, allow me to prove it to you…  The blogger goes on to joke about Upton "lumbering up a runway like there’s a buffet at the end of it," and that's just the first couple sentences.....  

Photo from Skinny Gossip

Not only does SG bash Upton's weight, the blogger bully tears Kate down about her style and class saying, "She looks like she would work in the back of a motorcycle shop in Nashville and give (bad) blow jobs for $25."

Photo from Huffington Post

Everyone has the right to their own opinion, but it's people like the blogger of Skinny Gossip and Maura Kelly, who create this constant bullying for others when they know they have at least a national audience. What good does it do to ramble on about how others looks, weight, ect, and bash them? It only shows that YOU, the bully, have deep issues that you need to battle yourself. 

Anytime someone bullies another it's because that person doesn't want to face reality and deal with their inner problems/demons. The writer of Skinny Gossip needs to take a look into what's really causing the attack on Kate Upton. Writing things like, "This girl belongs deep in the gutter of American commercialism – so don’t get any crazy ideas about her being a fashion model, OK?" only shows the world that you have deeper problems than you lead on. 


Two years ago, I wrote a piece about the Maura Kelly rant, a Marie Claire blogger wrote about the show Mike & Molly, attacking the show and people a like. Kelly compared overweight people to alcoholics and heroin addicts but as you read on, she apologizes and opens up about her struggle with anorexia. While it wasn't a valid excuse at all for the down right horrible things she said, it did show she had her own struggles that maybe caused her to not be fully happy with herself. 

There are some people out there that are taking the same steps as the Skinny Gossip blogger, sending SG hate mail and death threats, but what does that do? While yes, SG did something horribly wrong, and should not have shared the hateful rant with the world, I sit here writing this not to bash back but to make people aware of what's going on in the world around them.

So with that said, take a moment and think about what you write, text, post or say. You never know what someone is dealing with, everyone has their own battles to fight. And while celebrities are supposed to have "tough skin" and deal with haters all the time, remember....

Mocking model wins popular vote but doesn't win over American Apparel

Nancy Upton was one of about a thousand women who entered American Apparel's newest contest, but she was probably the ONLY one who entered hoping not to win. 

AA is no stranger to controversy but this time they've opened up a whole new can of worms. The company created a photo contest trying to find "The Next BIG Thing"(which it was conveniently titled) to show off their new "extended sizes." It was geared toward finding a plus-size model, size 12-14, based on votes from visitors. 

Here is part of the description from the contest:

"If you think you’ve got what it takes to be the next XLent model, send us photos of you and your junk to back it up."

Upton, was annoyed by the campaign's tone, feeling as though she was being talked down to for her size. "The puns, the insulting, giggly tones, and the over-used euphemisms for fat that were scattered throughout the campaign’s solicitation began to crystalize an opinion in my mind," Upton said. So she did something about it. Upton recruited a photographer friend, Shannon Skloss to take photos protesting the new contest. The size 12, 24-year-old, uploaded her photos, never expecting to win, just hoping to create awareness. 

She took the pictures to mock the contest and she shares how she would never model for American Apparel on her blog Extra Wiggle Room, dedicated to her journey with AA and aftermath: 

'I most certainly would not model for American Apparel, because (pretty obviously) I don’t agree with their business practices. I also would not expect to be asked to do so, even if I receive a majority of the votes (something I never planned on).'

She goes on to write how she disagrees with the message AA is sending but she respects others opinions.  

Here is Upton's description of the blog:

"MY NAME IS NANCY UPTON. I'M A SIZE 12 AND WANTED TO SHOW AMERICAN APPAREL MY FRESH FACE (AND FULL FIGURE). MY GOOD FRIEND SHANNON SKLOSS CAME OVER TO TAKE SOME "BOOTY-FUL" PHOTOS OF ME...BUT I JUST COULDN'T STOP EATING. 

I CAME IN FIRST PLACE IN THE AA 'NEXT BIG THING' CONTEST, BUT WON'T BE MODELING FOR THE COMPANY ANY TIME SOON."

As the company learned of Upton's antics and her angle on the contest, AA's Iris Alonzo fired back. (Here is a a few pieces of the 7 paragraph letter to show the response)

"It’s a shame that your project attempts to discredit the positive intentions of our challenge based on your personal distaste for our use of light-hearted language, and that “bootylicous” was too much for you to handle. While we may be a bit TOO inspired by Beyoncé, and do have a tendency to occasionally go pun-crazy, we try not to take ourselves too seriously around here. I wonder if you had taken just a moment to imagine that this campaign could actually be well intentioned, and that my team and I are not out to offend and insult women, would you have still behaved in the same way, mocking the confident and excited participants who put themselves out there? " 

"Oh - and regarding winning the contest, while you were clearly the popular choice, we have decided to award the prizes to other contestants that we feel truly exemplify the idea of beauty inside and out, and whom we will be proud to have representing our company."

Trying to take a stand against the contest, Upton's dream became a reality. She has now caused an international discussion, bringing the problem of plus-sized women and the media to a forefront.

Upton has been featured in many publications and news stations including: 

Fashionista
The Frisky
Yahoo News UK and Ireland
AOL UK
The Independent

CNN

ABC

and the list goes on....

While many people are siding with her, there are those who just don't agree and that is why this controversy has become such a heated debate. 

"I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do on a greater scale than I realized I was doing,” Upton said. “I've provoked discussion and promoted awareness about the depiction of plus-size women in the media."

Photos from: http://extrawiggleroom.tumblr.com/

With all the media buzz and controversy that has stirred up, Upton and AA have reached an agreement to fly her and photographer friend Skloss to American Apparel in L.A. They will be able to see what the company is like and she is allowed to write about whatever she sees.

Check her blog for future updates.

Fun fact:

The average woman now buys half her body weight – 62lb – in clothing in just one single year, according to new research..... Do you agree?

Read more: Britain's bulging closet.