As a good lot of you fashion-savvy readers may already know, Fashion Week took place throughout the month of September. So it stands to reason why many of us have probably been hearing a lot about the disparities of diversity on the runway. I’ve heard many a time that the fashion business, as well as its models, isn’t supposed to be representing reality but a sort of fantasy aesthetic. Well, fashion biz, that aesthetic you’re trying to sell us is, uh, pretty racist.
According to Jezebel, out of 4,637 looks, “Fewer than 1,000 looks were given to women who were not white, mostly black and Asian women, with some non-white Latina women sneaking in there. Women of other ethnicities, like Middle Eastern women, were barely seen.”
Personally, I don’t think upping your person-of-color count by five from virtually zero makes you very inclusive, fashion world. Whether the reason is because you don’t think it would fit a certain “aesthetic” or because you don’t think it would sell your product efficiently, it pretty much doesn’t matter. No matter the intention, the result is racism. The decision to basically use all white models is telling of your poor views of modern beauty standards, and frankly, that -ish don’t fly.
It’s a no brainer that the fashion industry hasn’t exactly been keen on hiring women of different race or body types. The majority of women represented on the runway are long, lithe, and light-skinned. Let’s be real: The majority of people in real-life just aren’t built that way. In fact, according to studies, American women above the age of 20 average to a height of about 5 feet 4 inches and a weight of 164.7 pounds. So, uh… What makes that particular aesthetic most desirable? And if we’re not supposed to be looking to them as a realistic example of what women should look like, then why are they the only ones wearing the clothes we want to buy?
Fact of the matter is: The fashion industry does indeed affect our perception of our own body types. If people are fed with the same images of certain types of beauty ideals, there are bound to be some issues.
Blog moral: Refrain from body shame! Everyone on this Mother Earth is a unique dandelion, and we should all best own it. We all come in crazy shapes and sizes, and none of it’s weird. Your body is not weird, neither is the body of your neighbor, your cousin, or your Starbucks barista. Everybody is just different, and that’s totally okay. Instead of focusing on what our bodies look like, we should be thanking them for what they help us accomplish each and every day. Diversity is beautiful, and so are you, dear reader. Peace out.
Images taken and quotes taken from: http://jezebel.com/new-york-fa…
Statistics taken from: http://www.livestrong.com/arti…