blog everyday in May - "something I read online"

Only 5 days left - high five to everyone that made it this far in the blog everyday in May challenge Jenni set us. Its been a goodun'. Today I am sharing something I read online. But first, a little back story. 

When I lived in London, Wednesday was my favourite day of the week. Not because it was midweek and not because of Orange Wednesdays (Orange is a phone provider in the UK and every Wednesday, if your signed up with them, you can text to get a code for discount on cinema tickets and pizzas! - such an awesome idea by the way). Anyway, I digress. 

Wednesday was my favourite day because it was the day Stylist magazine was published. A fantastic and free, women's magazine that can be picked up at train stations and stores. For a freebie, I found it always had a great level of content; interesting features, affordable fashion for all and great beauty and travel sections. Thank goodness they have a website which has the same great content, otherwise I would go crazy. 

They have a fantastic columnist, Lucy Mangan, who says it how it is and I feel such an affinity for her and the way she writes. 

So today I am sharing with a great little article. "I don't want skinny, I want Toblerones" - Lucy Mangan on 'model thin'. 

Studying fashion and in particular fashion writing, I think has made it easier for me to disassociate the images I see in magazines and seeping from the fashion industry, with reality. Because the women in magazines are always photoshopped, whatever their original size and women on the catwalk are usually mere teenagers, not legally allowed to drink, drive a car or do anything remotely "adult". 

They are there simply for their pre-pubescent, stick like bodies, which designers feel show their clothes better. Maybe it's just me, but when I look at catwalk pictures, I am generally so overcome by the models that I dont even focus on the clothes. 

What this tiny percentage of women represent is far from reality. The average women in the UK would not relate to them and in fact, many women  who work in the fashion industry won't relate to them.

Models are merely a blank canvas; their lifestyles are erratic and for sure their careers have a definite sale by date. So as Lucy put it, I would rather have a giant Toblerone than even work up the effort to think about being thin. 

On that note I am off to eat a cookie!