Not slim but still sexy
The U.S. fashion brand Lane Bryant shows that plus-size women can be attractive, too
The U.S. fashion label Lane Bryant shows that plump women are also attractiveBy Thérèse BalduzziPictures of super-thin young women in advertising and on fashion pages are a thorn in the side of feminists. Every now and then, advertising dares to put fatter or older women in the spotlight. The American clothing brand Lane Bryant even promotes overweight women as sex objects.
Already in recent years, Lane Bryant, the plus-size women's fashion brand, has been attracting attention. Print ads and posters featured hip-hop star Queen Latifah, TV actress Camryn Manheim and supersize model Anna Nicole Smith. With their full-figured bodies, they demonstrated that even plump women can be fashionable and sexy.
In the 1990s, the flood of images of super-thin models ruined the lives of all women who did not conform to this norm and drove thousands of teenagers in the USA into anorexia. At the same time, departments for large sizes in department stores were redesigned and prominently displayed. Even a fashion magazine for women size 42 and up, simply called Mode, was successfully launched.
The reason for this change is less to do with feminism and political correctness than with the fact that more than 60 percent of Americans and American women are now overweight.
Until now, however, the plus-size models in the Lane-Bryant ads appeared alone in the picture, demonstrating above all how they accepted themselves. The new campaign now conveys that they can also be considered for clearly ambiguous intentions from the male side. And not just any man.
Mister Big feels great between plus size models
The beau around whom the two portly mermaids pose in sexy lingerie is Mr. Big, the gallant, rich ladies' man from the hit series "Sex in the City" on the cable channel HBO. Mr. Big is played by actor Chris Noth in both the TV series and the ads. The headline reads, "The big idea. Seriously sexy intimates." The ads were launched on February and appear in Fashion, People and Talk magazines.
A new variant is planned for March, in which a blonde pulls Mr. Big into a kiss by his tie. The same images will also adorn the company's 700 storefronts in America. The campaign was designed by an in-house team.
It's true that emphasizing the sex appeal of overweight women in advertising is a novelty. Whether two-thirds of American women will now break out into a dance of joy is nevertheless questionable.
Already in recent years, Lane Bryant, the plus-size women's fashion brand, has been attracting attention. Print ads and posters featured hip-hop star Queen Latifah, TV actress Camryn Manheim and supersize model Anna Nicole Smith. With their full-figured bodies, they demonstrated that even plump women can be fashionable and sexy.
In the 1990s, the flood of images of super-thin models ruined the lives of all women who did not conform to this norm and drove thousands of teenagers in the USA into anorexia. At the same time, departments for large sizes in department stores were redesigned and prominently displayed. Even a fashion magazine for women size 42 and up, simply called Mode, was successfully launched.
The reason for this change is less to do with feminism and political correctness than with the fact that more than 60 percent of Americans and American women are now overweight.
Until now, however, the plus-size models in the Lane-Bryant ads appeared alone in the picture, demonstrating above all how they accepted themselves. The new campaign now conveys that they can also be considered for clearly ambiguous intentions from the male side. And not just any man.
Mister Big feels great between plus size models
The beau around whom the two portly mermaids pose in sexy lingerie is Mr. Big, the gallant, rich ladies' man from the hit series "Sex in the City" on the cable channel HBO. Mr. Big is played by actor Chris Noth in both the TV series and the ads. The headline reads, "The big idea. Seriously sexy intimates." The ads were launched on February and appear in Fashion, People and Talk magazines.
A new variant is planned for March, in which a blonde pulls Mr. Big into a kiss by his tie. The same images will also adorn the company's 700 storefronts in America. The campaign was designed by an in-house team.
It's true that emphasizing the sex appeal of overweight women in advertising is a novelty. Whether two-thirds of American women will now break out into a dance of joy is nevertheless questionable.
