Letters | Thin at any cost: the ugly side of fashion can be deadly
- A few fashion brands have stopped promoting unhealthy standards, but the dangerous messages about skinny means beautiful have not all gone away
Despite all the deaths of celebrities, the public still seems to have little clue about the not-so-pretty side of the fashion and lifestyle industry. Anonymous comments on social forums have been the culprit in creating the judgemental norm for women’s bodies, and yet, they are neither monitored nor warned. The calorie-counting culture has bloomed in part as a reaction to irresponsible speeches from celebrity models, driving women to the pursuit of staying thin at any cost.
The modelling industry has long been blamed for its contribution to youngsters’ unrealistic body image and erosion of self-esteem. Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and several other major designers have taken action to fight such inaccessible ideals of beauty by prohibiting super-skinny models.
Sadly, dangerous messages on body image are still spread through fashion journals. Sadism seems to be part of human nature, and in this case women seem masochistic enough to strive to meet these unreasonable requirements. This social stigma does not only affect the ignorant: notable celebrities like Karen Carpenter, Karla Alvarez and Luisel Ramos starved themselves to death, murdered by public expectations and scrutiny, and their own low self-esteem.
It is general knowledge that people have difficulty in accepting differences within a community, ranging from race to sexual orientation. As social animals, we long to blend in. This phenomenon is no different in the entertainment industry, where you are surrounded by size-zero girls. Ironically, models perceive staying this way to be a prerequisite to success. Hence the minuscule couture dresses on the catwalk.