For many of us, the way we see ourselves has been developed by the images and comments we are constantly exposed to. Magazines, movies and fashion campaigns all create beauty ideals for the world, and in turn, we compare ourselves to those beauty ideals. From the boyish figures of the flappers during the ’20s to the waifish, androgynous frames of models in the ’90s, there is no doubt that our perception of beauty has changed over time. The epitome of beauty is changing once again, and for that, I say, “Thank goodness.”
Recently France, the capital of all-things fashion, became the latest country to ban super-skinny models. France has joined the ranks of Spain, Italy and Israel to promote healthier body images on the runway as well as in fashion campaigns. By doing so, the French government is moving fashion into a healthier and more accepting industry. Now any model walking the runway or posing in fashion campaigns has to have body mass index (BMI) of at least 18.
While the movement in France is predominantly led by the government and interest groups, in the United States, it is predominantly led by models and designers themselves. Models like Ashley Graham, Robyn Lawley and Tess Munster are garnering more and more attention through social media and their involvement in fashion campaigns. With their rise to fame they are also bringing the message of acceptance into the fashion world. This new wave of models is calling upon us to embrace different body types and realize that there is beauty in every shape or size.
These models are partnering up with clothing brands that want to propel this idea of acceptance of all bodies. Ashley Graham is just one of the models who has joined Lane Bryant, a women’s clothing store focused on plus size clothing, in the #ImNoAngel campaign. This campaign takes a jab at of Victoria’s Secret and their limited view on beauty. Instead of using models with virtually one body shape, tall, fit and lean, Lane Bryant has cast
beautiful plus size women to represent her clothing as well as the many different shapes of women.
