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ALSO what you see on the runway is not the exact cut that makes the rack. Majority of the merch is altered by suggestions from buyers and magazine editors. Ex. you may see a dress that is very sheer and when it hits the racks it may have a lining added. or you may see a ubber short skirt and they may add a few extra inches once it its stores. and so on.
But isn't every shape/size/height combination only a small portion of the population? Models are generally straight/2/5'10 which is about as small a portion of the population as hourglass/6/5'0. I mean, we can't really know those percentages, I'm just taking a guess. And straight/banana is the most common body type, so you have to give them a little credit.
The solution seems to be showing a variation of shape/size/height on the runway, but that creates major logistical issues for the designers who can't make one outfit a size 2 for a 6'0 model and another outfit a size 10 for a 5'4 woman. It's impractical because they're going to put these outfits on many different models and will switch and swap based on who they think fits a design best (does this dress work best on a woman who is edgy? Feminine? Androgynous? Ginger? Has a green mohawk?).
The only advice I can come up with is to tell people not to judge their self worth based on who they see on the runway or on magazines and not be so ridiculous as to assume that those bodies represent the only standard of beauty. And I don't know about y'all, but I don't look to the runway to figure out what would look good on my body. Even if someone with a similar body looks good in something, I may look completely different.
I find it odd that some brands cut for a certain body type. And still show a different one on the runway. Body type (as well as skin tone, hair color) diversity is critical. And helps fashion expand its reach and stay relevant. Hourglasses are they only shapes out there. There are the broad shoulders/swimmer types. There are the pears. People with wide hips or bubble butts. Some people are busty. There are the athletes with bigger arms and legs. And a whole ton of stuff in between.
The sample size has shrunk form a 4/6 to 0/2 in the past 10-15 years. The difference in these sizes is about 1-2 inches. Not all that much. IF the sample size was a 4 for tall people, they could probably accommodate a few more types of models.
I find it odd that some brands cut for a certain body type. And still show a different one on the runway. Body type (as well as skin tone, hair color) diversity is critical. And helps fashion expand its reach and stay relevant. Hourglasses are they only shapes out there. There are the broad shoulders/swimmer types. There are the pears. People with wide hips or bubble butts. Some people are busty. There are the athletes with bigger arms and legs. And a whole ton of stuff in between.
The sample size has shrunk form a 4/6 to 0/2 in the past 10-15 years. The difference in these sizes is about 1-2 inches. Not all that much. IF the sample size was a 4 for tall people, they could probably accommodate a few more types of models.
Yeah, I just really think they don't show those body variations because of the inconvenience. And there are different body types on runway models, but a skinny hourglass and skinny pear and skinny banana all kind of look the same because the curves aren't as dramatic as they are as the sizes get bigger.
But even if you saw a woman walk the runway with a body like yours, wouldn't you still want to try on the outfit she wears to see how it suits you?
Yeah, I just really think they don't show those body variations because of the inconvenience. And there are different body types on runway models, but a skinny hourglass and skinny pear and skinny banana all kind of look the same because the curves aren't as dramatic as they are as the sizes get bigger.
But even if you saw a woman walk the runway with a body like yours, wouldn't you still want to try on the outfit she wears to see how it suits you?
Seeing a model a little closer to my body type, would hopefully encourage designers to cut for a wider range of figure types.
It is a sad day when the supermodels of the 90s are too "fat" to model now....since they don't fit in the sample size.
Diversity, body or otherwise is really important for fashion. They should see this too, but as long as people don't see people who look like themselves, people are going to continue to turn to the alternate fashion community online (etc) and high fashion won't be so influential or relevant.
Right now there is body type marginalization, body size marginalization and skin tone marginalization. We need to check these problems off as soon as possible.
Why is that Brazilian models are the "hottest" thing ever, but model scouts head over to Brazil to find the areas settled by the most Germans, so they look nothing like the population of Brazil...... (i.e. darker complexion and curly hair....)
Think of clothing on runways as concept cars at auto shows. They're meant to be extreme and imaginative, but they're not the same as you see at the dealer. There's a great deal of tweaking involved before these new designs become the next model. Just look at the Audi R8, which was inspired by the RSQ, and you'll notice similarities as well as the changes.
Runway clothing is rarely shown on typical women's bodies. Not only are most models unattainably thin, they rarely have the same body shape that typyical women have. There isn't any variety in shapes, like there is with "real women." Real women can have broad shoulders, hourglass proportions, wide hips, large breasts, prominent butts, short legs, long legs, short torsos, long torsos and a million other permutations. Not all clothing looks good on all body types (it is physically impossible). Considering today's trendy dress: the fit and flare (aka that 50s style dress) looks great on someone with a defined waist, but you see it on the runway on someone with a straighter figure.
There aren't "two camps" of women: thin and overweight. We come in a range of body shapes, sizes, levels of muscle definition, skin ones, hair textures, and heights. People can be thin and shapely (curvy) or bigger and shapely. Or thin and straight (little waist definition) or bigger and straight.
The runway does a great job of covering around 3% of the variation in the population.
Exactly. These women are but walking coat hangers. Anything would look good on them.
Men are more like rectangles, and their 'uniform' is usually a bottom and a top. They are much easier to buy for.
Yeah, I just really think they don't show those body variations because of the inconvenience. And there are different body types on runway models, but a skinny hourglass and skinny pear and skinny banana all kind of look the same because the curves aren't as dramatic as they are as the sizes get bigger.
But even if you saw a woman walk the runway with a body like yours, wouldn't you still want to try on the outfit she wears to see how it suits you?
Every once in a while I read about a designer who aims specifically for non-traditional figures. Back in the 90's I read about someone who decided there need to be clothes for busty women. I have no idea if those independent lines ever catch on and become successful, but there should be niche-market sections in department stores that carry lines like that. Pear figures often end up wearing separates, top and bottom of different sizes. Or just choose the style and cut of a dress carefully, and hope they can find one in the right colors. The other option is to either make your own clothes, or find someone to make a few items for you affordably.
I think it's just a form of art that expresses creativity and the uniqueness of the designer. Some designers have different goals and audiences that they cater to - some aim for the person who wears their clothes to feel beautiful, some aim for the bizarre because that's what some people like. Sometimes I'll look at the latest fashions and think "who in their right mind would wear THAT," or "I'd look like a peacock/clown in that ridiculous ensemble." Maybe that's the point. Personally, I tend to go with classic looks that emphasizes quality over stand out fashions but I like looking at the latest clothes nonetheless.
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