SMART WOMEN: PINK THINK

Designers Have Spoken: Long Bangs for Fall
Who Tells You How To Look?

“Long, into the eyes,” said the stylist showing off his version of this season’s new hairdos on a morning talk show. The man with short hair that was not in his eyes, admitted that the bangs would be a little irritating to live with every day. But, he insisted with a dismissive hand wave, it looks great.

Once again, fashion is telling women that they should invest themselves in something (in this case, a haircut) that distracts from their lives. Worse yet, but not unexpected, the stylist isn’t even practicing what he preaches – probably because even he knows how impractical his hairstyle is.

I put this type of arrogance into the same category with designers who hire anorexic models to show off their clothes. They justify their actions by telling us that “Fashion is about fantasy.” In whose depraved fantasy are women almost-invisible stick figures who can’t see? Only a perverse one, you can be sure.

Recently, Spain banned those sad, emaciated creatures from the runway. All models must pass minimum body fat standards to be in design shows. That means a full ten (or more!) pounds heavier than the average model. And, believe it or not, that heavier weight is still 10-15 pounds less than that of the average, healthy-weight woman.

Every woman is WAY MORE than the size of her breasts or dress size and the length of her bangs. As women, we must focus on that MORE – more smarts, more organizational ability, more common sense – and make those our new standards. When we downplay our best qualities, we denigrate the work we do, both in and outside the home, with ourselves, our career, our parents, our children and our home.

Let’s never forget fashion’s fantasy is really about money. Most of it is created by people whose only interests are making a name for themselves and making more money. As long as we are buying the shtick of the fashion (and diet) world, they’ll keep putting it out there. When we STOP BUYING, they’ll stop selling. Only then will fashion think about designing for real women.

©Copyright Annmarie Kelly. 2006. All Rights Reserved. If you wish to use anything from this newsletter, you need to get written permission. Call 610.738.8225 or email to info@victoriouswoman.com