Simply Be 'Sexiest Curves' competition.......

[missy_blue_eyez]

Ok, a little rant from me and please all let me know your thoughts because I am totally bewildered by it!

If your not from the Uk, or have never heard, Simply Be is a clothing catalogue that does a range of clothes for women of plus size. They go from a size 12-34ish. Not so long ago they ran a competition to find a model to represent what they represent.

So anyway, this morning, I log on to look for a dress, and see a link entitled 'Winner of our Sexiest Curves competition'. Now I am not bitter, the girl is absolutely gorgeous but she is hardly curvy!!!! Then after looking at the winner, I took a looksy on the runnners up....again none of them any bigger then a size 10/12, 14 at the absolute maximum.

So my rant is.......why on earth did they advertise such a competition making it seem like they wanted girls of real body shapes that use there catalogue. The average british woman is a size 16 and I dont feel that any of the girls whom got to the runner up/winner of the competition is representative of this at all. The judges of the competition obviously had an idea of what they wanted and to me, shouldnt have made it seem like they would consider anything because all the girls they have picked are jus so not curvy. Maybe they should have even picked a few girls who represented a few different body shapes, Im not jus saying they should have picked a fat girl for the sake of picking a fat girl but I am pretty sure that girls the size they have chosen probably shop in your regular high street stores and have no need to use a specialist chain!

I am just really annoyed that this catalogue talks about 'loving your curves' and 'accepting size' then being to chicken to actually represent women for what they really are.............

ok rant over.....here is the link if you wanna look!
http://simplybeuk.drct2u.com/page?pageId=1372
They are gorgeous girls....but curvy??? Hmmmmmmm what do you all think to this?

[prickly]

.......the conditioning is just so deep-seated, even amongst those claiming to be liberated from it.

[GWARrior]

Maybe they're werent a lot of bigger girls applying for the contest.

I mean, you can't pick a whats not there.

[LoveBHMS]

Models for average size clothing catalogues are typically sizes 0-4, even thought that isn't the average size of most of the customers. So it really is not different to have a model on the smallest end of the scale representing the whole customer base.

Keep in mind, these catalogues or stores exist for one reason, which is to sell clothing. They are not there to dictate what women should look like or to promote or destroy size acceptance. They are going to feature looks that zillions of dollars and zillions of years worth of sales and marketing research and trial and error have told them their customers respond to.

[missy_blue_eyez]

I know in the end its all about marketing and selling, but its such a shame that they had the opportunity to really promote what they say but didnt use it. The way they advertised the competition I feel was wrong when they obviously had exactly what they wanted in mind........they simply should have put requirements up for what they were looking for instead of making it seem like every girl out there had a chance......its just a shame. Ive seen american websites that use much curvier girls to promote there clothes and that to me is so inspiring and makes me think...oh I can actually see how that wud look on the frame its targetted at!

[Jes]

we've always heard (here in the US) that advertisers who try to use fat models for fat clothing don't make near the amount of sales as those who use thin models for fat clothing. Perhaps we, as a group of average fat shoppers, prefer looking at clothes on thin women and not clothes on women who look like we do. One can debate whethere this is true, or if it is, why it's true, but it's what I've heard many times. There's probably something to it. I think my sense of size is skewed--if I looked at models my size, I might be surprised with how clothes cling or hang. I don't hate myself, don't get me wrong, but I have no doubt that looking at a 3-D 'me' might well be jarring.

Anyway, the competition was 'sexiest curves,' not 'biggest curves,' and the judges clearly chose what they considered sexiest.

[qwertyman173]

Originally Posted by Jes

we've always heard (here in the US) that advertisers who try to use fat models for fat clothing don't make near the amount of sales as those who use thin models for fat clothing. Perhaps we, as a group of average fat shoppers, prefer looking at clothes on thin women and not clothes on women who look like we do.

I think that may be right. Most people look for clothes to make them look slimmer, and advertising plus size clothes with slim models helps that impression. Such a shame really.....

[BigCutieSasha]

Well dont you know? You can't be sexy and model over size 16. When I was 15 I got signed to a modeling agency for plus size women. I was a size 18, and was told I needed to tone up and lose some weight. Yes.... I needed to lose weight to be a fat model. After doing a few jobs I quit.

[fatchicksrockuk]

If you look at Simply Be's homepage, they offer clothes from 16 to 30. Now, I'm not brilliant at guessing women's dress sizes, but, the winners looks less than a size 16.

So, this means she is too small to actually model their clothes!! How does that make any sense? In my opinion, they should pick the middle of their range, say size 22-24, and recruit a model of that size. That way, it gives both larger and smaller women the best idea of how the clothes look. But hey, I'm not a fashion designer!

Mike

[prickly]

........i've mentioned in other threads (yes, i know, how terribly clever of me) how women of all sizes seem to have skewed images of themselves. so no doubt that comes into the proven marketing. all part of the conditioning though (and i was very clever to mention that one a few posts back).

[Jes]

Originally Posted by prickly

........i've mentioned in other threads (yes, i know, how terribly clever of me) how women of all sizes seem to have skewed images of themselves. so no doubt that comes into the proven marketing. all part of the conditioning though (and i was very clever to mention that one a few posts back).

well bully for you, prickly, bully for you.

[k1009]

The main fat girl store here does this with a few models who might fit the smallest sizes on a good day and the rest who no doubt need to have their clothes pinned back just so they fit.

It annoys me but I figure, if girls who are a size 10-12 need women wearing a size 4 to model their clothes, why should fat girls be any different? I'm not saying it's a good situation either way but at least there's consistency.

[Tooz]

Originally Posted by BigCutieSasha

I was a size 18, and was told I needed to tone up and lose some weight. Yes.... I needed to lose weight to be a fat model.

This statement is amazing. You should put it on a t-shirt and wear it everywhere.

I am so serious.

[missy_blue_eyez]

Originally Posted by fatchicksrockuk

If you look at Simply Be's homepage, they offer clothes from 16 to 30. Now, I'm not brilliant at guessing women's dress sizes, but, the winners looks less than a size 16.

So, this means she is too small to actually model their clothes!! How does that make any sense? In my opinion, they should pick the middle of their range, say size 22-24, and recruit a model of that size. That way, it gives both larger and smaller women the best idea of how the clothes look. But hey, I'm not a fashion designer!

Mike

Well this is what I was a bit shocked about....she is a gorgeous gorgeous girl but not representative of what they are.....I understand everyones point on ere but its jus a real shame that it is the way it is!

[Imp]

Coupla small things...

* The idea that the "average woman" is size 16 is a bad use of statistics. There's only so small you can be, yet theoretically there is no limit to how big you could be. This means the average is always skewed high.

A better stats are based on the MODE...that is, the size shared by the most woman...or the MEDIAN...that is, the size of the woman right in the middle. I think also these things should be talked about in terms of age, too. I'm sure there are more size 16 30yos than 20yos.

* Jon's prolly the most right on with his comment. The chosen model should prolly be able to model the clothes!

* Who cares! We--yes we!--are the enlightened ones.

[Jes]

You know, OP (forgot the name, sorry!) I'm wondering if it wouldn't be more constructive to contact the organization responsible, if you haven't. Lots of people have said some smart things, and while I do think that advertisers do what sells. Period. What sells. Meaning, we're part of hte problem b/c of the ways in which we buy (or don't buy), they can still stand to hear opposing voices. If you haven't called or written, you should. I can tell you feel strongly about this issue. I really don't, to be honest, but those that do should call customer service or encourage others to do so. it's a good way of venting AND maybe changing a few minds.

[ashmamma84]

Thing is, models -- plus size and straight size -- have to wear clothing that is sampled from a designer, so if she can't fit the clothing, there is going to be a problem. Straight size models aren't there to be pretty, per se, they are there to model clothing...why should it be any different for plus size models? Until designers start making sample sizes in 20+ it will continue to be this way...

[Scx]

I'm going to get totally swamped for this one, but I thought I should try.

I managed to wind up one day, even while not having a TV in the house, being subjected to a TV show of various plus-sized women being told they have a future in modeling. Um, those on this show didn't.

It's not just about the weight. If you want to be a model, you have to have the teeth, the hair, the eyes, the makeup and the posture and the practice and the sheer arrogance to put yourself out there as the best. Impractical though it may seem, it's not just about the figure.

These just didn't do it. Standing there, spine limp, hands at your sides, hair looking like a rat condo, just wouldn't cut it even if your figure was 'technically' perfect. No, there's more to modeling than the figure.

So there's my objection. While it is perfectly possible for a BBW to be a beautiful model, they often seem to think that just being a BBW is sufficient, like they think that being beautiful and slender is somehow sufficient to be a traditional model.

It isn't.

For each that succeed, tens of thousands fail.

Scx

[TheSadeianLinguist]

^^^

I don't think anyone here was saying, "Take just any old fat girl and throw her out on the catwalk. Who cares if her knuckles drag the ground when she walks and she constantly drools? We just want HUGELY fat!"

It has been shown that we respond better to a slimmer model. Ayup. No doubt. It's the norm. Until there's a conscious break from that norm and we actively seek talented plus size models larger than a 14, fat acceptance is being held back.

But what do I know? Nothin' about nothin'.

[Scx]

Looks like my post didn't go through:

In short, no, it has not been shown that average people prefer slimmer partners. It's a lot more about the hip/waist ratio.

And I dunno about you, but I like being way out here on the long tail of the bell curve.

Scx

[love dubh]

The winner's kinda busted looking.

To reiterate, it's true that fashion models are much smaller than the customers that purchase such clothing, or the imitations/alternatives thereof. Same thing for mannequins, which is what models are. Models and mannequins are size 0 thru 4-ish, for non-plus sized wear, while plus-sized mannequins appear a size 10. *I'm* a pluz-sized mannequin; I measured myself against one.

[Dr. P Marshall]

Originally Posted by Jes

--if I looked at models my size, I might be surprised with how clothes cling or hang.

But that's exactly why I don't understand why they use models that are too thin. How are you supposed to know what the clothes will actually look like on a BBW?

[TraciJo67]

Originally Posted by missy_blue_eyez

So anyway, this morning, I log on to look for a dress, and see a link entitled 'Winner of our Sexiest Curves competition'. Now I am not bitter, the girl is absolutely gorgeous but she is hardly curvy!!!! Then after looking at the winner, I took a looksy on the runnners up....again none of them any bigger then a size 10/12, 14 at the absolute maximum.

ok rant over.....here is the link if you wanna look!
http://simplybeuk.drct2u.com/page?pageId=1372
They are gorgeous girls....but curvy??? Hmmmmmmm what do you all think to this?

Actually, all of the models look to be more than a size 10-12 to me. They appear to be at least a 14, if not 16. I don't think anyone could possibly guess the size of the winner, as the only thing showing is a small portion of her upper body.

[Jes]

Originally Posted by Dr. P Marshall

But that's exactly why I don't understand why they use models that are too thin. How are you supposed to know what the clothes will actually look like on a BBW?

you're not. I think that's the point. You're supposed to see them on the body that you want to have.

Sort of like seeing the chair you're thinking of buying in the middle of that living room that you want, but that you'll never have (if only b/c it's a set that no one lives in).

[Ruby Ripples]

A UK size 16 is US size 14. The winning models will all be UK size 14 - 16, but 6 feet tall. When you consider that the average size for a UK woman is UK 16, and the average height is about 5' 4", these models are still way slimmer than the average woman on the street. I remember Simply Be's first TV ad from a few yrs ago. They showed three models, one was a size 14, one a size 16 and one a size 18. All three were definitely slimmer than I EVER was at my slimmest adult size 12 (US 10). Anyway... yes I agree with the OP, they should have been clear about what they were looking for. Minimum height, maximum measurements etc, but they didn't, because they wanted to imply that it was open to anyone of any size, 16 or above. Stuff like that makes me want to not buy their products any more. I much prefer Evans and their competitions such as the one that Bexy one a few months ago! REAL bbw woman, looking fab and being photographed and treated to some gift vouchers, yay!