LET'S START A REAL WOMEN REVOLUTION

I‘ve been invited to take part in a fashion show at the end of the month and went along to meet the models for a casting on Sunday. I have to say, I was a little worried as I expected them all to be 10ft stick insects but I was pleasantly surprised. While those designers making more loose fitting outfits could get away with using really skinny models, most of my garments are fitted so they really need a body inside them that puts curves where they are supposed to be.

The NLSVIP Show (28 May at the Drum in Birmingham) doesn’t use agency models, rather they use local girls who fancy strutting their stuff on the catwalk, perhaps just as an exciting thing to do or maybe because they want an opportunity to get some experience under their belt that will help them find work in the model industry.  But hallelujah, they are REAL women. There were ladies there of all sizes and it made me think – we really should celebrate women’s curves and not force professional models to live on a maximum of three grapes and a cream cracker a day in order to keep their jobs.

The other thing that was really thrust home to me is the problem with sizing.  I’ve long been aware that there is no such thing as a standard size 10/12/14/etc… but I was surprised just how many of the models said they could be one of three sizes depending where they shopped.

Isn’t it time the fashion industry made life easier for consumers and insisted all manufacturers conformed to the same size structures? Does it really matter if you are then classed as a size 10 instead of a size 8? Do you really feel thinner if you buy clothes with a smaller size tag? Come on, get real!

Let’s all stop being paranoid that we are carrying a couple of extra pounds and just be thankful that we are healthy. Let’s celebrate the fact that we are all unique.  Let’s all hold our heads high, walk tall and set the damn sexy model that lurks inside us all free regardless of our size or shape.  We are all beautiful!