Does anyone else feel disenfranchised by models?

Growstuff nor me! I stopped buying dresses by the time I was early twenties, stick to skirts that are a bit more forgiving when they don't fit properly. Coats have to skim with no waistline.

Sorry Fernhillnana I've gone off piste a little bit with shopping instead of modelling, so sorry. Back to older models - the problem (from a suppliers perspective) with older models may be that younger people wouldn't want to buy stuff that seems aimed at older people? Whereas older people do buy stuff aimed at younger people.

To be honest I buy what I like and what suits me …. whatever the model looks like. Anyway I think it keeps me buying clothes that ‘others’ may think unsuitable for ne! I don’t do unsuitable…. I do what I like. And I wear purple.!!!

I agree with merlotgran it doesn’t bother me who models the cloths, if I like an item I can decide if it will suit me or not. To be honest I think cloths look far better on younger slender models it catches my eye more so than it would on a grey older more fuller figure.

I find this thread title confusing. I thought it was going to be about the parlous state of our ‘first past the post’ electoral system or the dire choice of candidates. How do slim attractive models in clothing adverts affect my right to vote in a free and fair election?

M and S have a variety of shapes and sizes and ethnicities on their website, to give everyone a good idea of what they might look like in a particular garment. However, looking for a raincoat, the model wearing the design I liked was such a big girl - she must have been well in excess of 20 stone with stupendous curves - that I couldn't even see if it had a belt. I'm all for normal looking women, and get exasperated by the skeletal types with a six inch thigh gap, but going too far the other way isn't a helping to see what the garment might look like on you.

Models can't stop you voting!

You’re absolutely right Fernhillnana. I’m clothes mad and just had a look at my apps - Ambrose Wilson, M and Co, M and S, Dorothy Perkins, John Lewis, Very and a few others (too much spare time, I know). I have not seen one model in her 40’s or over. I think Fat Face had an older lady model and I commented on that recently (woo hoo!). So where exactly are these older models GN ladies are mentioning? A dress that looks good on a 20year old sometimes looks dodgy on older or larger ladies. We talk about equality so much yet, here we are. Cancelled x

Chrissyoh

JaneJudge

yes, i just hope the cartoon man doesn't go for 500 miles after taking viagra

I pity his poor partner if he does.

I got so fed up with buying clothes years ago as I don’t fit the sizings. If I buy say, a coat in a 16, it’s too tight lower down, and if I go for the 18 my top half drowns and the sleeves come to my knees. Selling fashion has always been a con. When there’s a photo shoot the clothes are pinned and clipped in to give the appearance of being flattering. Women who dress too young look as if they can’t let go of their youth, and then there’s the manufacturers belief that we hit a certain age and want comfy “serviceable” clothing (remember crimplene?)
So my grouse isn’t with the models it’s the designers and manufacturers, plus the appalling cheap quality of materials ( even the blessed St Michael’s stuff)
And another thing is why can’t manufacturers create garments which are labelled as the same size actually be the same size? They must be using laser cutting these days.

And don’t get me started on on-line clothes shopping…

I see where you're coming from, I too have noticed a seismic shift to multicultural and ethnic models, ok by me, but where's the logic in advertising plus sizes with a plus sized model who's probably in her 20s? Very lovely-but alien concept to me! Or a mature model in hair care ads with grey(ING) models who obviously are still professional stick thin MODELS!!!! Not everyone has perfect snow white/steel grey/poker starting waist length hair in their 60s+!!!!! Most olds I know with greying hair have wavy/frizzy/very short/ YUKKY coloured grey hair!! I personally know of TWO laydeez who have fab white/silver locks but they stand out like angels In the rugby scrum of everyone else's badly dyed, dirty grey pepper and salt pates! Come ON advertising agencies, you KNOW. We have the biggest spending power and it's mostly untapped! Try courting us for a change?

Blossoming

I find this thread title confusing. I thought it was going to be about the parlous state of our ‘first past the post’ electoral system or the dire choice of candidates. How do slim attractive models in clothing adverts affect my right to vote in a free and fair election?

Are you being ironic? Or trying to be funny? Either way you need to get with the programme! No politics just having a moan!

What do you want to see on a box of hair colour Mummer?
They can’t put on a picture of someone with ‘YUKKY’ hair, can they?

Blossoming is just pointing out that ‘disenfranchised’ isn’t the correct word to use in this instance.

I think the size 6, 5'10"+ models disenfranchise virtually all women. My daughter is 5'10" and very slim but still double the size of these scrawny scarecrows. She looks far better in clothes (and I'm guessing without clothes) than these women.
I don't suggest that all clothes are displayed on chubby women (or grey-haired women) but at the moment there are just no clothes that I like on sale.
Women like myself are a large segment of the market and don't want the clothes displayed on size 6 models or the tented frumpery considered appropriate for women of our age.
I'm sure I'm not alone in having adopted the ageless uniform of nice coloured cords and jumpers or t-shirts simply because there is no vaguely attractive alternative.

Should it be ‘alienate’?

AreWeThereYet

Growstuff nor me! I stopped buying dresses by the time I was early twenties, stick to skirts that are a bit more forgiving when they don't fit properly. Coats have to skim with no waistline.

Sorry Fernhillnana I've gone off piste a little bit with shopping instead of modelling, so sorry. Back to older models - the problem (from a suppliers perspective) with older models may be that younger people wouldn't want to buy stuff that seems aimed at older people? Whereas older people do buy stuff aimed at younger people.

Agree! I always wonder why there's 100s of sizes 8-10 in sales both online and shops of items that most size 8-10 wouldn't be seen dead in!! And those larger sizes have to put up with no stock from an early stage in season of most popular sizes!! Bad stock management and total ignorance of customer/consumer base! The wastage must be phenomenal in small size clothes AND tiny/huge shoes &boots!

Germanshepherdsmum

Absolutely right merlotgran. I would find a catalogue full of overweight ageing ladies pretty depressing. If I want to see that I only need to look in the mirror.

Certainly agree with you both on that one . I look past the slim younger model wearing what I’d like to buy , if it comes in my size then I’ll buy it .

FannyCornforth

What do you want to see on a box of hair colour Mummer?
They can’t put on a picture of someone with ‘YUKKY’ hair, can they?

Obvs!! But I also don't expect a cgi photoshopped grey hairdo on someone who obviously doesn't have grey hair either! My point is that showing realistic images of the people who may want the products actually looking good wearing said products would be a better use of ads. A few realistic 'before and after' for your hair dye example wouldn't go amiss either illustrating the possibility of getting ones yukky hair improved?

FannyCornforth

Jane I’ve been umming and ahing about Snag tights for ages.
I usually wear cotton leggings and socks. I have ‘sensory issues’? about fabric

I’ve also been umming and ahing about buying Snag tights for while as I have rather large legs just wondered if they would actually fit ? Looking at their advert the models tend to have larger legs but I’m too sceptical to go ahead and buy them .

Saggi

To be honest I buy what I like and what suits me …. whatever the model looks like. Anyway I think it keeps me buying clothes that ‘others’ may think unsuitable for ne! I don’t do unsuitable…. I do what I like. And I wear purple.!!!

I wear purple too, I have six pairs of cords in a lovely purple, bought at M&S several years ago. They sold out of the colour in days and since then have been offering their usual dull offering of navy, black or beige - with the occasional smattering of some unwearable bright colour shunned by shoppers of all ages.

I know they want to show the clothes on models who look good,but why do they have to be so tall ?

My biggest gripe is that a range suddenly changes its actual cut and style as soon as it goes into size16+!?! Why? Iv often seen a top/dress that I decide I want, only to discover the style in larger sizes is totally different but same fabric! It's as if they think anyone size16+ cannot cope with a waist/darts/low cut neckline/ jeans typing ?and morph into dartless and baggy frocks with non descript high round neck or jeans sprout an elasticated waist??? how rude!

I do get annoyed with models, but never the hair dye ones. I just want to see a representation of the colour.
In fact, I’d be happy with the box being a solid colour of the dye inside.

There is a beautiful older woman models forGudrun Sjorden,long grey hair,admittedly slim but gorgeous.

Nowadays digital sewing patterns are modelled by the people who are making the articles of clothing. I actually find that they don't show the articles in their best light (I'm being kind!) which puts me off. If I saw them on a model, I'd probably think what a lovely garment it was. Now, I know that the clothes won't look the same on me but somehow, the image of me doesn't even enter my mind when browsing so I rarely buy the more realistic looking patterns. I think I'd be the same if I saw clothes on a fat, frumpy model.