What is it about the white dress in my closet that is made similar to the Marilyn Monroe’s famous white dress? When I put it on I just feel beautiful. The fit is right, despite my “not flat” belly, and it shows off my best assets. When I go to a cocktail party with this outfit on, I feel confident and beautiful. It is all about the fit! Some designers just know how to flatter a woman’s body despite her shape. No two bodies are shaped the same, even though the fashion industry categorizes us to several simple shapes and sizes.
Marilyn Monroe, considered the most beautiful woman in the world, wore a size 12. Yes, she was a size 12 and that doesn’t reach the model standard in the fashion industry today. I am 5 feet 1 inch tall; try buying jeans that are not 4 inches longer than my feet. Despite the increasing demands for custom tailored apparel, those of us that do not fit in the industry-defined “standard” sizes have so little brands to choose from and often styles that lack personality. Instead of thinking of a woman as a size or number, shouldn’t we try to see us as the basic canvas for an art piece? Trying to give the model a pleasing grace; which according to Leonardo Davinci, is the artist first job? I know many of the ladies out there are as frustrated as I am when trying to find clothes in the right size. Some of us are limited to the petites department where they make clothing that looks great on an elder person but not so much for the club kids while others are limited to discount stores to find something baggy that fit. How can I show my true style?
Clothing design is an art form; an art form sorely lacking the humanity of the designers who know how to flatter a woman’s body despite her height, weight, shape, and “the measurements”; however, the current fashion industry is so exclusive. The clothes designed are only for a very small percentage of people, whose body shapes are dramatically different from the average. I want to go into a dress shop and find a knowledgeable salesperson who understands color, pattern and form so she can help me look my best. I want a designer who knows how to flatter certain areas, and cover my flaws so that I too can be as graceful as Jacqueline Kennedy. I want someone who will teach me how to make myself look good instead of just trying to make a sale. The apathy of the fashion industry towards this difference would eventually cause inefficiencies in the industry.
Confidence is key for any woman to succeed in life. We don’t need unrealistic models to tell us what is beautiful. We don’t need million-dollar marketing campaign in the fashion industry to belittle our unique beautiful body shape. What we need are realistic representations and real honest advices of what looks good on our unique body, and clothes that we are confident and comfortable to wear.
It is time to stop the non-sense in the fashion industry and demand what each woman desires. No more standardization of beauty, no more chasing of unrealistic arbitrary beauty standard set by the Fashion Industry. We should cherish our unique body, be confident and be healthy because we all are beautiful in our own way!