Victoria's Secret 2008 fashion show featured various models representing "the perfect woman." You know: 5'10", 110 pounds, size 2, B-cup, long and leggy – just your everyday American woman…
The real secret behind Victoria 's Secret is that the company's line of clothing and lingerie is designed for idealistic models, not us average women. How many women do you know who fit the description above? The truth is, the average American woman is 5'4" and weighs 163 pounds. In fact, nearly 50% of American women wear a size 16 or higher.
With an estimated 0.5-3.7% of females suffering from anorexia and an estimated 1.1-4.2% suffering from bulimia, it kind of makes you think about what these young girls and women are seeing and comparing themselves to. They see unrealistic bodies like those featured in the Victoria 's Secret fashion show and find themselves unhappy with their own appearances.
And it doesn't help that even Lane Bryant - one of America 's leading plus size clothing retailers - uses models that are sizes 8-10 when "plus size" is technically any female who is size 16 or higher.
So how can Victoria 's Secret justify showing its angels in clothing and lingerie that is supposed to look good on American women when most American women would not fit into it? What we need is a reality check – someone to portray a realistic depiction of the American woman.
Frustrated with impractical marketing from companies like Victoria 's Secret, Robin Bryan Culver and her daughter KC founded AboutCurves.com, an Internet lingerie website dedicated to real women.
About Curves caters specifically to plus size women and features only plus size models who are not professional models, but real women with everyday jobs and families. The company prides itself on letting women see what its products will look like on average women with curves.
Constantly being slammed with images from Victoria 's Secret of women that are not the norm just makes it harder for average women to see that sexy is not about the length of their legs or being able to see their ribs as they walk.
Sure most women enjoy seeing the Victoria 's Secret models, secretly hating them and wishing they could look like them, but at the end of the day every woman needs to appreciate her own beauty and the fact that she can look amazing too. And companies like About Curves, that show an accurate representation of most American women, can help us all to see that, which is truly refreshing.
