Dear Mr. Editor:
I am writing this letter in reference to an ad that I saw in the March 2002 issue of Marie Claire. The ad represents the clothing designer Marina Ronaldi. The woman in the ad is dressed in a well-tailored black pantsuit with a black and white contrasting background. The background draws attention to her very beautiful face. She is a plus size model and the caption reads, "Style is not a size; it's an attitude." I commend you for putting this ad in your magazine, which is geared to female readers from the ages of 18 to 25. During this age in a woman's life, she constantly worries about her outward appearance. I can give you first hand knowledge on the subject, because I also fit into that age group and I have never been what society considers thin. All my life I have battled with my weight.
Cropped screenshot of Marilyn Monroe from the trai...
Cropped screenshot of Marilyn Monroe from the trai...
Cropped screenshot of Laurence Olivier and Marilyn...Going to any length to try to keep it off. Seeing these girls in ads are the very things, which make women in our society feel inferior and self-conscious. Ads similar to Marina Ronaldi's, tear at the fabric of a society that focuses so much on a woman's weight. It is time that we take steps to diminish the attitudes of society. Women should not be judged by her weight or her percent of body fat. Statistics report that the average woman in America is a size 12. Just exactly how is the average population of women being represented correctly if the entertainment and fashion industry focus their attention on someone who is a size 2?
When I look back at old magazines and movies from the 1930's-1960's, I notice that it was more widely accepted for a woman to look "healthy." For example, think about Marilyn Monroe...