Last Wednesday, the much anticipated Victoria’s Secret fashion show took place at the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn. Fan favorite angels such as Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio donned their wings again, while some controversial new models Angel Reese and Precious Lee faced online backlash for having “attainable” figures.
Some fans argue that the Victoria’s Secret fashion show as a concept is a fantasy. But what’s attainable about the body of a professional athlete and a supermodel? What makes a body “attainable”? Victoria’s Secret’s pivot to inclusivity is monumental considering the brand’s history. In a 2018 interview with Vogue, former executive director Ed Razek made offensive remarks towards transgender and plus-size women, saying that they didn’t fit the “fantasy.”
Not being included in an old, perverted man’s fantasy about female sexuality shouldn’t negate different body types or prevent transgender women from walking the runway. The average women’s clothing size in the U.S. is 16. The women modeling for Victoria’s Secret range from a 000 to a 4 at the most. Consumers want to feel represented by the products they buy. It’s only natural that people want to see models that look like them.
But nothing about these models are attainable. Angel Reese, who rose to notoriety in 2023 for leading Louisiana State University to winning its first national championship. Standing at 6 ‘3, the body of a WNBA player is not attainable. Although she does not look like the original angels from previous shows, Angel Reese does not have the “average” body. Victoria’s Secret is still a brand. They are hiring the people they think will sell the most products. The women that are angry with the casting are upset because they, too, had this impossible fantasy idea of what an ideal woman should look like, and knew they either tried everything to achieve that, or knew they couldn’t fit that standard, but now when shorter and curvier women are being cast, they are upset that height and skinniness doesn’t make them superior.
The job of a model is to show what clothing looks like on a human body. It is ridiculous to be upset when women who represent more of the nationwide population are cast. It is also ridiculous to assume that the bodies of supermodels like Precious Lee and Ashley Graham are “attainable” just because they are plus-size. This whole discourse is blatant jealousy, and keeps rehashing after every post-2020 Victoria’s Secret fashion show. A particular body type isn’t the only one that can model lingerie, and getting upset about diversity when it is a reflection of the market is ignorant. Everyone deserves to be represented, and everyone deserves to feel beautiful.