Submitted by TEPF Volunteer
Flipping through an issue of Cosmopolitan, I came across an ad for Torrid, a clothing store that advertises “Fashion for Sizes 12 & Up.” I was thrilled that a popular magazine like Cosmo was considerate enough to post this ad alongside its pages of photo-shopped headshots and sculpted fitness models, yet I still had a bone to pick with the editor of the photo.
The model in this black and white Torrid ad is kneeling on a couch while wearing a pair of Torrid form-fitting capris. It is a profile shot where the model is topless yet completely covered by a fur blanket being desperately clutched to her body. What I find interesting is that despite this ad being geared toward fuller, more natural-looking women, the fur blanket covers a vast majority of the model’s body, giving off the illusion that her thighs and waist are half their size. If a brand wants to market themselves as catering toward fuller women, wouldn’t you think they would show-off their models with a little more pride? Let’s pretend the same exact ad was re-created for the brand Guess Jeans. I’m willing to bet that this ad would have a size-2 model facing the camera with a cold, blank expression. She’d be in a straddle position, exposing her concave waist and covering her bust delicately with her bare hands. This is quite a far stretch from the Torrid version that uses camera angles to appear slimmer and a blanket to cover bustier body parts. Why should the larger model have to hide? Did she ask for that blanket? Maybe the size 2 model would prefer to have a fur cloak in her shot as well. She does look cold with that icy glare…
Any jean size can be sexy. What matters most is the confidence that’s emanating from the person wearing them. Quite simply, whether a size 12 or a size 2, models should be made to feel proud about their size and shot through the lens of a camera that will capture their best spirit, not their best side.
No comments:
Post a Comment