Ever since I started blogging at the start of the year, I have become more and more obsessed with looking at images online, whether it be the latest "it" bag or "it" girl wearing a particular fashion trend at the time. This obsession has led to many pics being reposted and snap-shots being taken to remember those all important fashion moments. However it doesn't just end there, most days I will be taking selfies and shots of what ever I deem relatable to my blog and what I believe my readers/followers want to see.
Now all this jabbering on leads me to question certain things about the blogging industry, but not just the blogging industry more so the fashion industry and its beliefs. The "weight" argument in the fashion industry is just one of a multitude of problems that go on, for example it was only in 2011 that Dior's designer Galliano was video recorded making racial slurs which then went on to sweep across the whole world via the web. The point I'm making here is the fact that one person in the public eye can have a massive impact on how we see things and influence us.
The fashion industry has this influence and for many years size zero was the only acceptable size to be walking down the catwalks. Ok so I may be a little extreme here in saying size zero, but you get my drift, skinny means skinny, not a curve in sight. So doing some research into the debate of the use of real sized girls versus skinny girls I was quite astonished to see how much body shapes have changed over the years!
Marilyn Monroe was the original pin up girl flaunting her curves in the 1950s.
Twiggy came crashing onto the scene in the swinging 60s, with her tiny frame and large eyes.
Jerry Hall at 6ft was also a very skinny model in the 70's.
Cindy Crawford became known as one of "The big six" in the eighties being the most popular and successful model.
A young fresh faced Kate Moss made the 90s all about the Calvin Klein brand!
Alessandra Ambrosio is a favourite of many since the Victoria Secrets campaign.
The girl with those "eyebrows", Kara Delevingne is the It girl who everyone wants modelling their fashion collections.
I have picked these particular models as I personally feel they do represent their time era in which they either started their career or were most popular, ( I do note that there are loads for each year that I could of picked but these are the ladies I particularly like).
However the shape of these models can't go unnoticed as in the fifties women embraced their natural curves and now in 2014 there are no curves left to be seen. Yeah we all like to look at beautiful things, women even, but at what price? Are we unrealistic in what we expect to be natural looking today? So the top super models are mega thin, skinny even, but then there is another world, the blogging world. Brands are now coming to bloggers to showcase their products to their followers, which in some popular bloggers cases can be thousands of followers on social media sites. Sites such as Twitter and Instagram can gain a blogger a lot of exposure as well as the company they are representing. Some fashion bloggers are now classed as celebrities and walk the red carpet like the a-listers. And why are they so popular, I hear you say! Are they the traditional size zero? No. They are the girl next door who everyone can relate to as they have more to offer to the fashion industry as reality is we all come in different shapes, sizes and ages and that can't be said of the pre selected models that the industry uses to promote their products.
Doing some research I asked friends and family into their thoughts on what they prefer to see online and in magazines, with regards to using real people for products or using high profile models. The response shocked me, as 85% said they preferred to see real women wearing the product than to see it on an actual model, 10% weren't fussed either way and 5% said they preferred to look at models. Further into this research I found several companies that have used bloggers and natural women in their latest campaigns and a particular company who only uses natural women to promote their clothing line, which is
My Cmora. Now what I personally like and prefer about this particular online clothing store is the fact they use real people so you can see exactly how the product fits and what it looks like on a woman whose figure is more realistic in this day and age than that of a size zero.
I found this picture through google and felt it perfect to sum up my own personal opinions on the use of real women for websites and campaigns. Yeah I love to see what the A-listers are wearing but when purchasing products for myself especially clothing I prefer to see natural woman representing the brand! So the next time you go to purchase the item, take note on who is actually wearing the product and are they a good representation of the brand?
Let me know your thoughts on the use of real sized people for brands!
Vicki xoxo
