Sports Illustrated is notorious for their Swimsuit Issue released each February, which turns up the heat in the dead of winter with scantily clad models. Traditionally, the models look quite similar and only range from size zero to four, but the tide appears to be turning. Robyn Lawley, a 25-year-old Australian model, is featured in Sports Illustrated’s upcoming issue as their Rookie of the Year. She’s tall, beautiful, in shape…what’s new? While it may not be obvious to the casual observer, Lawley stands at 6-foot-2 and wears a size 12 shoe. She is the first “plus size” models to be featured in SI’s Swim issue in a swimsuit from her own line.
It’s a refreshing change for the media and women everywhere as Lawley has curves and athleticism. Arguably, nothing about her body requires photoshopping. This is unlike many of the smaller figured models who are sought after for their thin figures only to have breasts photoshopped on to their pictures to achieve the “ideal” female figure.
As CNN correspondent Katia Hetter points out
“It’s true that no one expects Sports Illustrated’s annual display of skin and teeny tiny bathing suits to be a realistic portrayal of average American women. But the models are usually so, so thin. With SI rookie Lawley and other larger-than-size 2 models busting out all over, refusing to let beauty be defined by the skinny few, could it the year of the plus-size model?”
Women’s bodies are made not one size fits all, no one is trying to shame the cover model Hannah Davis, yet the question on everyone’s minds seems to be why has it taken so long to come back closer to reality with models standards? From Twiggy through the early 2000’s, the ideal has been skinny, skimpy and bored. But public figures like Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj have clearly had an effect on embracing women with fuller assets.
Could this be a change for the body image culture surrounding magazines and women? Or just the beginning of long coming change?
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/05/entertainment/feat-sports-illustrated-plus-size-models/index.html