Fat vs. Phat: It’s Bigger Than You Think

As of a few weeks ago, the fashion world has been in a tizzy over Lizzie Miller’s naked body, stomach roll and all, in the September issue of Glamour, and they’re not done yet; there’s more to come.

Maybe this move was to create some competition with Vogue [whose issue of the same month had its own documentary for God’s sake] or to form a little controversy over a fat person in a magazine (Gasp! The horror!), or just to finally wake up and smell reality’s coffee. Before you jump to conclusions, you should know that I am thrilled to finally see a little meat on these ladies’ bones and while I understand the appeal of seeing a nude “full-figured” model is to show what this country believes is the “normal” body type, let me be the first to stand up and say that not all are created equal. Oh, I wasn’t the first the say that? Then, rather, I’ll say that not all models are broken into two simple categories: plus-sized and those other skinny chicks.

Designers have made it a point to cast ridiculously thin models to act as human hangers for their cloth creations, but the fact is that women want to wear those newest collections. We want to see how the clothes translate into our everyday, and that is absolutely impossible to do when looking at a 110 pound 13-year-old tripping down the runway.

Most women have different shapes of pear or apple or celery or whatever vegetable or fruit we are comparing ourselves to this season. But why must the girls be naked? What point were they trying to prove? As women, we understand that cellulite and a little chub here or there is a part of life. I would much rather see some clothes on their bodies so that women with similar shapes may take dressing notes. But to look at all that skin? Let’s be serious, I feel uncomfortable being naked in the comfort of my own shower, but here is my point: ladies with curves should never be a novelty. If a majority of women in America have this so-called larger body type, then why should we need to stand up and cheer when it is finally put into a magazine? Doing so should be as normal as apple pie, a white picket fence, a flag with stars and stripes, or baseball. Aren’t all of those things just as American?

Sara is a 24 year old certified archivist with a passion for wall collages, eating soup, thrift shopping, and old books. Past fashion faux pas include sandals with socks, wearing the same sweatshirt for an entire week straight, and owning a fanny pack. Read her daily tomfoolery at www.sarazucker.com.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.