As Exhibit A, let me direct your attention to Gap’s chosen mannequin for its “Always Skinny” line of cigarette jeans (right). If you don’t immediately notice the mannequin’s needle-width legs, you very likely designed the offending dress-form and should seek help immediately because you obviously pose a danger to society. The line between model-thin and scary-thin is actually not that fine, and this crosses it by a long shot. To top it all off, this just seems like bad business. If a girl’s legs have to be so narrow that they’re practically nonexistent in order to look good in Gap’s hot/sizzling/awesome/edgy new line of jeans, then the retail brand is targeting a niche consumer segment. Too niche.
When it comes to Exhibit B, Grazia is the next out-of-touch company that’s devoted some time and money to whittling away at a perfectly good body. The British rag’s Kate Middleton cover had a lot of things wrong with it, but even garishness isn’t as offensive as the Photoshop hatchet job the magazine decided to exact on Duchess Kate. As if the tiny new Royal needed to drop a couple of pounds, Grazia took a scalpel and carved out a good quarter of Kate’s waist. Just in case her figure still wasn’t up to snuff, the Photoshop “artist” stretched out her stubby neck and the result? It’s below, along with the original, unretouched photo of the glowing bride. Don’t look at the “before” pic for too long: apparently the Grazia editors think that it might burn your eyeballs off.
Grazia Admits Kate Middleton’s Waist Isn’t Quite As Small As It Looked on Their Cover – The Cut
We’re Upset with The Gap – Styleite
