THE BODY MOVEMENT

Scroll through the websites or Instagram pages of brands such as Aerie, Athleta, and Gymshark, and you will likely see women of different shapes, sizes, and skin tones promoting clothing that conforms to any active lifestyle. This is a fairly new concept among the fashion industry. In an effort to keep up with societal “trends”, many brands have included plus-sized models, models with disabilities and other women that would not be considered “model material” in the past. The well-respected and well-known #AerieReal campaign includes women with physical disabilities modeling Aerie’s imitates and clothing line. The campaign has led the way in shifting expectations or presumptions around women who are and are not “model material.” It seems, in fact, that to American Eagle and Aerie, the body positivity movement is not so much a trend, as it is a shift in societal acceptance of more than one body type. This campaign has shown that this company intends to continue to promote women of all shapes, colors, sizes and abilities – as opposed to throwing in a plus sized model once in a while to prove their inclusivity to society.

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Where some have prevailed, others have failed. For instance, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was an annual event that attracted viewers from all around the world. It was incredibly competitive to earn a spot in the VS Fashion Show, and models that walked the runway were considered superior, top of the industry. Historically, this meant long legs, thin and exquisitely toned abdomens, perfectly oiled and tanned skin, and long, perfectly manicured hair. Models who were part of the VS Fashion Show would even boast their workouts and juice cleanses in the months leading up to the runway. How was this lifestyle healthy and worth bragging about? Being a young woman who actively uses social media, I recall endless posts about girls comparing their bodies to the models on the VS runway. However, Victoria’s Secret refused to include plus-sized models in the show, because it did not meet the standards that their brand was built upon. In fact, so many people showed so much dissatisfaction towards the brand’s decision to do so, protesting in person and online, that the fashion show was cancelled for the year 2019.

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The cancellation of one of the most iconic fashion events in history was a great example of the power that consumers have and how it relates to the success of a brand. Victoria’s Secret making the decision to cancel the show came only after a significant amount of backlash and excruciating cuts in sales. Mahita Gajanan is a reporter for Time Magazine, one of the most well-respected weekly news magazines in America. In an article published in late 2019, Gajanan reported that the announcement to cancel the show came only after “a fall in sales and a rise in criticism for its continued focus on what some say are outdated fashion and beauty ideals.” She goes on to state that the company’s sales had declines 7% in the latest quarter, and Gajanan criticizes the company for hand-picking models with “rock-hard abs and breasts that fit into the brand’s famous push-up bras.” Consumers have shown their lack of approval for these beauty standards as well, and the numbers speak for themselves. Without the support of customers, there is no booming success. If Victoria’s Secret does not find a way to reshape their brand to keep up with modern beauty ideals, they may not last into the next decade.

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Not only are brands challenging old ideals about the perfect, womanly body, there is also a shift in society about females in athletics. Historically, gender roles suggest that men are the stronger, more athletic and therefore superior sex. However, we have made great progress since then. Acts such as Title IX ensure that women will always have a spot in sports and a better shot at equality at federally-funded, educational institutions (Lopiano). In recent years, Jen Welter became the first female coach in NFL history. Women of all ages are showing that they have a place in the world of sports, and that our bodies can be just as strong and athletic as those of the opposite sex.