Real women

I like to see what a garment would look like on my size (British 16-18) not on a 6ft 10inch size 4 model!

Totally agree. Also about the overweight models that some companies use, which totally puts me off the clothing, even if it IS available in my size!
You have to be aspirational in advertising. I want to be inspired, even if I'm never going to achieve it (that's what parts me from my cash!) Not 'catered for' as in 'our big knickers will even fit YOU!'

The view that only thin (they were beyond slim), young, pretty models should be seen in advertising is thankfully out-of-date, and pretty disgusting. People come in all shapes, sizes, colours and ages. Until recently, images in advertising contributed to women’s insecurity, low self esteem and even body dysmorphia. Do you think it’s healthy for young girls to only have images that are thin and pretty to look at? What do you think about the images of disabled models, lacking one or more limbs? Are they okay, or would you rather not see them either?

I would like to see more older women in the media and in adverts. When was the last time you saw an ordinary looking female in her 60's in either?

You can be beautiful whatever your body size and age. I detest ageism and “fat shaming”. It’s great to see people of all different Looks Modeling clothes and I don’t agree that we need to aspire to looking different from what we are!

Has anyone been watching the series Traitors?
The lead actress is supposed to be drop dead gorgeous and has all the men falling over her....what really?!!
She could be described as pretty, no more than that, but so so slim, thin actually and flat chested, than in reality men in the 1940’s wouldn’t have found her attractive at all.
My point being, that we are supposed to ‘aspire’ to the great cause of being stick thin, no matter that it isn’t attractive.

I wish there was a “like” button on here Lemongrove!

Several years ago I went to John Lewis in Southampton to replenish my wardrobe...... I am size 18 in some ranges but this is not uniform as I also wish to disguise some lumps which may lead to a larger size in some styles.
It was raining as I went in and there I saw 5 ladies of very similar size and shape ( but not age) wandering around looking disconsolately through the many racks of clothing
I watched them for several minutes and then asked to see the manager.
He looked quite nonplussed when I asked what he saw. I explained that the only shoppers there were 5 ladies who could find nothing in the entire range to try on.
His response was 'Don't blame me,. Write to the buyer in London'
If John Lewis were so lacking in imagination that they could not envisage either me or my cohorts trying to find clothing there, then it is not up to me to inform them!
Their stuff is expensive so they should go out of their way to appeal to me and my ilk and not leave it to me to point such simple conclusions out to them.

There was recently a load of criticism about how ubrealistic and unattainable house transformation/diy/self build programs with huge budgets are

I'm sorry, no!
I can pop round and see how my neighbours budget bathroom/conservatory is coming along any day. I can watch DH put together some ikea flat pack, but there is nothing entertaining about that.

On TV I want to see people spending 2mill on completely impractical houses that I can sit back and judge as "imposdible to keep clean"

Love a bit of unattainable borgeois on the telly.

I'm ordinary enough myself who wants to watch ordinary & boring?

Well, I agree as far as the term "real woman " goes, but a Caesarean section is hardly a natural birth, is it?

I know a few skinny women, naturally or in some instances, who find it offensive that "real women have curves"

So what are skinny women then? Hollograms? Hallucinations?

I'm a tall skinny Minnie, always have been but I go for comfort not fashion or what would " suit " me, though I know that many clothes would because I'm shapely too but I feel the cold really badly and most of the time I'm muffled up in jumpers thick tights and trousers. Not dresses or skirts or flimsies of any sort.

Unless we have a very hot summer I'll still be wearing jumpers !

I think the problem is when advertisers use larger women as models they always go for the abundant voluptuous look, full in breast and buttock and with a waist, which is not what most larger women look like.

EllenVannin, I am another chilly mortal, a phrase of my grandmothers and she told me firmly, that if I was going to spend money on anything it might as well be something that was attractive as well as functional, which is why, when, aged 13, I had my first non-school coat. It was the scarlet one my grandmother and I loved and agreed really suited me and not the navy one my more cautious mother advised.

Warmth and style can and do go together.

Exactly. Plus sized models are unusual shaped.

They look like up-scaled thin ladies, not like a usual larger shape, so dont give larger ladies a realistic idea of what those outfits would look like on an average size 18/22.

And they are often used as gimmicks/tokens rather than to showcase the outfits in a variety of sizes

For all you people who have got on your high horse over this.

We're talking advertising and selling...making money. Do you seriously think they (the companies ) give one jot about how women feel about how they are represented? It's just a new angle to hopefully sell more clothes.
If seeing 'real women' in underwear as opposed to young attractive models persuades you to buy then job done.

Personally though and just my opinion, I am fully aware that the bra and knickers on miss wonderful isn't going to look the same on me but I'm grown up enough to know that.

Plus sized models have never ever represented me or any of my friends. They remain an ususual unattainable SHAPE even if a larger version of it. So I give no kudos to companies who use them as a marketing tool.

I used to have terrible chilblains as a child too M0nica, so I'm surprised that my ropey circulation wasn't picked up then. Instead, I had dreadful calcium tablets and some stinky cream for my toes.

It seems to me that the fashion industry appears to have gone down the road of two extremes.

Either we are presented with dangerously underweight models, or there is an attempt to show what they like to call 'real women' who are, quite frankly just fat, and in some cases very obese. Both of those extremes are unhealthy.

The vast majority of us of course fall between those two extremes, yet we don't seem to be represented much at all.

Twiggy has been mentioned, and yes, she is about right. She has looked after herself and is slim yet not skinny. She was very slim when she started out modelling, but that was her natural build and not the result of starving herself which the poor models today must have to do.

Younger large women still go in and out at the appropriate places. Us, very post menopausal women, don't. Sigh!

Well, we come out, but then we come out again.

Guess you just have to use your imagination, honestly, as to whether something would look ok on you.

EllenVannin, I came very close to chilblains, swollen red knuckles, but never had the blisters, which is rather surprising because I have had Renauds syndrome since my late teens. I have been walking around today with most of the fingers of my left hand white and numb.

overthehill, if how the models look matters to potential customers, then, yes, the clothing manufacturers are concerned. It is public outrage and comment, which is bad PR - and public perception of a firm sells clothes as much as the adverts - that has led to what has been done so far being done.

Of course the manufacturers want their clothes to look good, but the clothes should designed to look their best on ordinarily slim women, say 5ft 8, size 12/14,, of average looks, but obviously coiffed and made-up for the photoshoot, any age between 20 - 80 depending on what is being advertised - and for many garments across a range of ages.

They do not have to search high and low for those with the most challenging figures, but could choose the sort of woman you would see in the supermarket and covertly admire because she is slim, quietly attractive and looks good in whatever she is wearing.

I think if you're shopping online you do have to be able to identify in some way with the model, whether it's size or just general style.
I recently bought a dress online which was modelled by a 30- something who looked like a size 12, 5'8, which is what I am. Her hair was a bit like mine too.
But the alternative colour was modelled by a youngish but much larger model with long, flowing curly hair, not my style at all.
I was very pleased with the dress when it came, but I don't think I would have bought it if I'd seen it only on the larger model.
I couldn't have made the leap of imagination required to visualise it on myself.

Bradfordlass Tess Holiday has a very attractive face and fabulous hair but I'm afraid that she's seriously morbidly obese.

The fat from her upper arms hangs over her elbows and her thigh fat hangs over her knees. This is not to be applauded in such a young women - it's as bad as showing an emaciated woman.

Cosmopolitan

Recently seen in my emails from M and S a larger lady in very boring beige bra and pants.They don’t do her any favours at all and I definitely wouldn’t buy them.

riverwalk I googled Tess Holliday. Apparently one of her beliefs is that women should be able to eat whatever they want, whenever they want.
No. That’s greed.

I think they should and so should men.