Every Picture Tells A Story

Women and media alike are all a 'twitter about “the woman on page 194”, A.K.A Lizzi Miller, the gorgeous “plus size” model featured in the September issue of Glamour magazine. The image that has everyone talking features Lizzi sitting in the flesh with her stomach relaxed to reveal - a normal tummy! The response so far? Overwhelmingly positive!

Body image and the size debate is certainly not a new topic of discussion in the fashion industry and the media. But with the amount of feedback this photo is receiving, we wanted to pose a question to gloss girls – is this what you want to see?

One can argue that part of the allure of such magazines is the fantasy these spreads portray. Many young women aspire to look and dress like the women on these glossy pages – wind blown hair, gorgeous gams, draped in jewelry – all with a Tuscan sunset in the background...

So, does seeing a ‘real’ woman on the page take away from the fantasy? Will ‘skinnies’ always rule the runway in order to sell the products? Or will seeing “normal” women in ad campaigns and fashion spreads empower Jennifers and help create a brand that they can identify with? Do gloss girls prefer models they can relate to?

There are many companies who have jumped on the healthy body image bandwagon, the most prominent being the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. Through this CSR move, we salute Dove for promoting a healthy message and integrating this into positive marketing campaigns that truly resonate with their target audience. Our team agrees, in order for gloss girls to buy into something, the message needs to be genuine, come off as sincere and cannot be just a one time deal.

If marketers pay attention to the positive feedback this single tummy shot is receiving, perhaps average sized women will become more prominent in campaigns. It will be interesting to see if Glamour (and other women’s magazines for the matter) continues to feature ‘real’ women throughout their pages – especially alongside their petite counterparts and not in separate dedicated sections.

The Kate Winslets, Beyonces and other Jennifers (i.e. Lopez, Hudson) of the world are known for embracing their bodies and encouraging young women to maintain a healthy body image. As Lizzie points out on The Today Show, size two may be normal for some, and so might size 12 - it’s whatever works for you. There’s no denying that Lizzi is stunning (wobbly bits and all). She is healthy, looks great and radiates confidence. We can all agree this is something all gloss girls should aspire to be – and perhaps one of the main points marketers should keep in mind when speaking to this target demo.