Behind door number one: she is 5 feet 9 inches, her waist is 23 inches around and she weighs 112 pounds. Door number two: she is 5 feet 4 inches, her waist is 35 inches around and she weighs 166 pounds. And last, door number three: she is 5 feet 5 inches, her waist is 28 inches around and she weighs 130 pounds. If the average American woman got to choose her body size, which would it be?
Door number one, of course! Why? She is a world-renowned Victoria’s Secret model. Door number two is the average American woman. And door number three is, well, me.
All men have their preference in women, but the problem is, the majority of men tend to be attracted to a particular type of woman who is only attainable through freakish genes or Photoshop.
This type of woman is put on a golden pedestal and is probably sitting on your coffee table on the front page of your lingerie magazine.
I have done modeling myself. I’ve been in online catalogs for Petaluma boutique Ooh La Loft, flown to Mexico to model for AvasinUSA, a San Diego surfboard company, and was recently a “bride” for an event planning company, Madison Soirees. Although I’ve been lucky enough to have modeled, my dreams stop there.
When I was 18, I tried to take my dream to the next level and audition for “America’s Next Top Model.” No surprise, I was rejected. My height, tattoos and body type weren’t what they were looking for and following this I became obsessive-compulsive about my physical appearance.
I started to run six miles a day, five days a week until I knew I was clinically underweight and not “average.” My mom literally threw our scales away to keep me from constantly weighing myself. I am now 25, and I received a breast augmentation just last year. A few weeks ago I underwent a gum-contouring procedure to expose more of my teeth and make them appear “bigger.” There is a Nivea skin-firming cellulite serum on my night stand. Like thousands of other women in America, I’m trying to modify my natural self to become closer to what the media tells us is beautiful, or in this case, what Victoria’s Secret says it takes to “love your body.”
Although a few companies have taken steps to change their campaign ads to appeal to a wider range of women, larger industries still need to step up. Companies such as H&M, American Apparel and Dove have begun to break society’s expectations of beauty, by using non-traditional models in recent advertisements.
One of the more popular non-traditional campaigns is Dove’s “Real Beauty,” which has been going strong for the past 10 years. Dove wanted to start a conversation about what is considered real, un-Photoshopped beauty.
In 2013, H&M launched a swimsuit campaign with 24-year-old plus-sized model Jennie Runk. She was unedited and a fabulous size 14. This past January American Apparel ads starred 62-year-old lingerie model Jacky O’Shaughnessy, with the headline, “Sexy Has No Expiration Date.” This is a good start, but not enough.
Why would Victoria’s Secret, successful since 1977, change its models now? With 1,000 stores worldwide and an international online catalog, Victoria’s Secret is now the world’s largest lingerie company; its 2013 revenue totaled $5 billion.
Walk into any mall, Google any photo or ask any woman what type of model Victoria Secret hires. There is only one type: an “Angel.” If Victoria’s Secret’s marketing team got its panties out of a twist and stopped using rail-thin models, the chain could increase revenue and clientele by reaching out to a broader demographic.
More importantly, it would send a global message that you don’t have to look like an “Angel” for men to lust over you, or women to idolize you.