Does anyone else feel disenfranchised by models?

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

FannyCornforth

Have you seen the ladies who model for Snag tights?

one of them was def a chap though but I think it caused all sorts of controversy I love snag tights.

I had to google Snag tights after reading your post Fanny. I now feel positively svelte so thanks for that!?

But even if the model is round and grey, leg length will vary, breast size and shape, neck length, all those other items of body shape will vary, so the round grey model can still give you no indication of what the garment would look like on you.

I am quite happy with a dress on a standard size model so that I can see all the features, of the garment. I then check that has the features that suit me or do not suit me.

Lets face it there are so many features to a garment that you cannot tell on a model, no matter what their shape; quality of fabric, thickness, quality of assemby, true colour etc.

As GSM says, essentially, if you do not know what clothes suit you/or not by the time you are 50, and if you cannot recognise these when you see them recognise them when you see them in a garment, you might as well give up.

Have you seen the ladies who model for Snag tights?

You just need to check the length of the garment and use your imagination Blinko! If I haven’t found out by now what does and doesn’t suit me I might as well give up!

It's not just clothes models, though, is it? I get infuriated by the models for stair lifts and adapted showers and baths. They are fit, slim and under 30 and would certainly not have any need of the aids they are advertising. If I sadly get to the stage of needing any of those, I want to believe they are suitable for the likes the more frail!

I wouldn’t say I feel ‘disenfranchised’ but e.g. I was all too well aware last summer that a dress I was thinking of buying, pictured on a size 8, 5 foot 10 model (as the company so helpfully stated) who was wafting down a beach, was not going to look precisely the same on me, at 5 foot seven and, er, just a wee bit more than a size 8.

Unless it’s a company specifically catering for larger sizes, I can’t say I blame the company for choosing models that are going to make their clothes look as good as possible.

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.

Yet I would like to see what these clothes would look like on someone my weight and height. The issue for me is these models tend to be five foot ten and a size eight, with no breasts.

Most of us aren't anything like that shape.

Feel 'disenfranchised' because models do not look like you?

The purpose of a model is to show what a garment looks like, a tailor's dummy would be as effective.

We all come in different sizes and shapes - even slim women do not have indentical figures some have long waists, some short, some are almost flat chested others well endowed.

Surely by the time you get old you know your body shape and its idiosyncracies and what clothes suit you and what do not, what you are comfortable in so that what a garment is draped to display it is irrelevant.

As far as I am concerned, I barely notice the model. I just look at the garment and if it is waisted or belted I count it out because I do not have and never ever had had a waist, I ignore high waist trousers because they fit me under the armpits.

This is what matters, not what the model looks like.

Marydoll ???

Grandmabatty

I see many older women as models. None of them are five foot nothing, round with not much hair so I suppose I could be disenfranchised ?

That could be almost me, Grandmabatty, except I have tooooo much hair!

A wee bachle, as my mother used to say!

I can’t think of any situation, manikin or picture that would make me feel invisible or disenfranchised. ?

I like Moshulu

If you look in the Moshulu catalogue you will find several models who, though not grey, appear to be short and chubby and look good in the clothes and shoes.
There used to be a model known as 'Mrs. Exeter', much admired by my mother; she was certainly grey, of middle age, elegant and fashionably but appropriately dressed for her age at that time (Mid 1960s).

Clothes seem to be designed exclusively for 6ft tall, size 6, 16 year olds, presumably because it easier to make the clothes look good on them.

Surely a good clothes designer should be able to design clothes for real women and make the women look good in the clothes, rather than the other way round.

Perhaps fashion models should be chosen at random from the general population - then we'd soon find out who the good designers are.

I was looking on line for jackets some of the models are like walking coat hangers. I said to my husband I don't know how the company managers to sell any of their clothes as they just hang on them. The models do nothing to entice me to buy the clothes. No I am not disenfranchised by the super skinny miserable models. I am 65 white haired and not ashamed of how I look.

No, I like to have something to aspire to. I said to DH just the other day that I won’t be buying any clothes from a certain website if they can’t even make the models look good.

Fernhillnana, totally agree. I see plenty older models, dead glamorous, full make up. If I saw any older models who were my size, I think Id faint with shock. I have seen one model my age, my size on a YouTube advert, but none on mainstream media.

I can’t say that glamorous models put me off particularly. I suppose I’ve never been a beauty (except to my dh ) so I’m used to it.

I can work out for myself what suits me and what won’t although I must say, I’m put off by some of the more ‘diverse’ photos I’ve seen because I don’t want to look like the sack of spuds they depict.

JaneJudge

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

Elizabeth27

If the models were of the short dumpy variety or with wrinkled skin the clothes would not look so good and not tempt you to buy them.We know that we will not look like the models but we want to, we do not want to look like the old dumpy wrinkled women that we can see in the mirror.

Unfortunately this is true.
I'm ashamed to say that I ended up not buying a pair of running leggings once because the model they were using was extremely overweight and the leggings looked awful on her. And even though I'm a bit overweight myself I was not going to buy something that would make me look terrible.

None of them are five foot nothing, round with not much hair so I suppose I could be disenfranchised

We're not all five foot nothing though ?

I've seen older and larger models on various sites. Yes they are still beautiful and well groomed but that's the selling ploy isn't it? Who would buy a dress that said 'Wear this and you too could look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards' ??

And then 500 more!,