As a insecure person myself, I too have wondered why models had to be so skinny. I would see them on television, and think, why can’t I ever look like that? Why can’t I be as perfect as them? Little did I know that other girls everywhere around the globe were questioning their bodies as well.
These models can affect girls, women, and even some young boys. Negative body image effects 97% of women (CBS News). Everyday, women look at their bodies and think they are overweight or “fat”. About 90% of people with anorexia are women. They completely dislike what they see in the mirror and juxtapose themselves to anorexic models. Some of the time, these women are even disgusted just by taking a glance at their reflections. Young people around the world have low self esteem, and are uncertain and anxious about their bodies. All because they are comparing themselves to unrealistic figures.
Many designers believe their clothing looks better on skinny models, so when they send samples in for photo shoots, they can only be worn by women who can fit into smaller sizes, as stated by The Hub, an online news source. Most of the designs are a tighter fit, so in order for the clothes to look flowy, they need skinnier bodies to fit into them to create that illusion. They do this to get more sales, since the clothing looks better on slimmer women. If those designers made their clothes fit for other women who aren’t all size zero, more women would be able to model in their clothes. The designers would never do so because then they would also lose a lot more income. Not as many people would buy clothes modeled by heavier women. In my opinion, this is absurd.
These models are suffering everyday just to keep their figure exactly the way the designers want. This must be painfully stressful, having to count every single calorie 24/7. Yet the designers never seem to validate the models mental or physical state. All the designers want is to be as wealthy as possible and many of them are achieving that goal. A model gets an average salary of around 32,000 to 48,000. These models make good money, but not enough to starve themselves their whole careers.
Brandy Melville for example, only sells clothes in one size; a small. So girls who aren’t smalls can’t wear their clothing, even if that’s their style. If we start small, let’s say make Brandy’s sizes bigger, then the company would grow itself, and teens would overall become happier. Then larger women can model in the clothes. Younger girls can feel more comfortable in their bodies, since they see models in Brandy’s clothes.
