Body image in ads

[Irulan]

I don't know; the underpants look just like the Hanky Panky brand I wear. Super comfortable, one size fits almost all, and of course they center on your crack, that way, they aren't showing through your clothes.
I guess I'm the only old lady who wears thongs.

lol that's "a don't knock it if you ain't tried it" if I ever heard one.

[GLC1968]

I don't know; the underpants look just like the Hanky Panky brand I wear. Super comfortable, one size fits almost all, and of course they center on your crack, that way, they aren't showing through your clothes.
I guess I'm the only old lady who wears thongs.

Nope, I do too. And the Hanky Panky brand are the best ones out there!

[mandiam]

cool to see a normal chick on the ad--but i'm going to have to agree...poor photography. OH well!! cool thread!

[Miranda]

One of the things I love about TE: how we can have a thread about some random woman's azz in orange underware and we're on page 3, posts in the 30s .

Ok, so all this discussion about the orange color...

I like orange. It's different and fun.

Sometimes a bright colored panty under your jeans can be your own personal frivolous secret. Even if the color isn't something you might not wear normally with your skin tone that's showing.

Unless of course you make a habit of going to the grocery store wearing panties only with half your azz hanging out ... who cares lol.

[Penny4]

Post 35

I get the Athleta catalog, and while i love the fact that there are no super skinny high fashion modelly types in it, I get a bit depressed looking at all of the perfectly toned models doing crazy yoga poses. And then I think , there is no way this stuff will fit a curvy, sometimes plus sized girl like me!

When I see a pic like orange undy girl, I can at least sorta see my own image there, and it makes me think, Ok, I could possibly shop in that store.

Check out the Lane Bryant page for the lingerie models. I'm sure they are airbrushed too, but at least you can see some curves and common shapes. Most of those models are considered plus size, even though they are 12's or 14's. I can at least relate to them, and I don't think they look bad....so maybe the photography is really the problem in the orange shot!

Just another rant...I hate when fashion mags do a Plus Sized spread and make a big deal out of the fact that they included plus sized. Why can't the plus sized girls just be a regular part of the mag without special headlines??

Good thread...

[Crankin]

Slightly off topic, but related to above post.
I buy a lot of stuff from Athleta. The way the models look doesn't bug me; it's what they do. If you go to the Athleta blog and even in the catalog, you can follow their "chosen" athletes. I know these people get financial support and publicity, but these are supposed to be regular people who often have overcome hardships to become athletic. Why do they all have to be super "competitors?" The focus is all on doing some half marathon or tri event. Cycling is only mentioned in a tangential way, as something the athletes do as part of a tri, even if that was their original sport (which is mostly not). There's a few mountain bikers.
I wish they would focus, at least partially, on people like me, who are serious recreational athletes, who never will enter an event, who are not training for anything except fitness and health, and are not all runners or paddle boarders.

[shootingstar]

The focus is all on doing some half marathon or tri event. Cycling is only mentioned in a tangential way, as something the athletes do as part of a tri, even if that was their original sport (which is mostly not). There's a few mountain bikers.
I wish they would focus, at least partially, on people like me, who are serious recreational athletes, who never will enter an event, who are not training for anything except fitness and health, and are not all runners or paddle boarders.

+1
I don't like companies that advertise their products primarily in this manner --that gives the impression of exercise and health as "competiton". That immediately knocks off probably a significant % of wannabe folks who are thinking about being healthier, but haven't done anything about it.

Because they might be afraid of looking too fat, too dorky in "athletic" clothing because they know they are unfit. So they continue to wear loose fashion clothing styles, etc.

It gives the impression that "competitive" behaviour in exercise and health as some sort of pinnacle/desired goal. It doesn't need to be and is not the best/only perspective for a person to be continously self-motivated to continue exercise for...several decades of their life.

People have to be shown how to integrate daily healthy habits in physical exercise and diet for life. This is not competitive behaviour at all. I'd rather that women/men modelling the clothing be shown walking their children to school (or biking them to school/daycare), doing gardening, they can be golfing, just regular exercising at home, running after their young children, etc.

Maybe TE can consider their marketing ads to include women doing such activities. For certain, this would broaden their potential market.

I have never bicycled-competed/raced in my life. And never will. But my level of fitness for the past few decades, is clearly a result of adopting exercise, etc. into daily lifestyle and recreational activities. It is a form of self-discipline, like brushing teeth. Cycling is like brushing teeth for me: it is necessary for me, but it's an ordinary activity. When I don't do it, my body misses it. Like forgetting to brush your teeth, I notice it.

[PamNY]

I'm really surprised at this thread. I cannot imagine letting advertisers, clothing manufacturers, or retailers have so much power over me.

When I was growing up, my biggest source of insecurity about body image was from people I knew in real life -- mothers, teachers, etc.

I know the world has changed -- young people are exposed to much more advertising than I was in the 1950s and 1960s. And people with power over children are -- I hope -- a bit more evolved.

Even so, someone has to mention personal responsibility -- we don't have to be passive victims of advertising we choose to look at.

Advertisers are going to present their products in the most attractive way because doing that works to sell products.

When I shop for an electronic product, most likely I will not see the power cord in photos of the product. That doesn't lead me to conclude the product operates without electricity.

[lph]

Hmm. I don't think I'd say that I in general let advertising make me feel very insecure. But still - if I'm shopping for a piece of clothing, especially something closefitting or underwear or swimwear that I hope will look attractive and maybe even hot on me , it's not much fun to try on something that looks fantastic on a model but makes me look pudgy and ridiculous, not matter how happy I am with my body and it's excellent functioning otherwise.

Buying clothes is a lot more personal than buying appliances, because you look at the photo and try to translate the image into yourself wearing it.

[PamNY]

it's not much fun to try on something that looks fantastic on a model but makes me look pudgy and ridiculous, not matter how happy I am with my body and it's excellent functioning otherwise.

Actual fit is a separate issue. It wouldn't be possible to show enough photographs to give a good concept of fit for every conceivable body type.

Actual measurements would work better -- at least in some cases.

[Irulan]

Athleta I don't have issues with them not really doing cycle gear. I think it's a conscious choice to focus on other stuff. I don't ever look at the blog. I am fine with the very fit models as I see that is their thing that they do: that is what makes them who they are. The image of the buff muscular gal with washboard abs and not a lot of boobs is something I can relate too a lot more that a Heidi Klum kind of model. The swim suits are extremely practical. Other than the clothes not being cut for curvey waist and hips.... Their phone staff has been very helpful when I call and say, "Hey I have CURVES!! Which one should I try?" Quite a bit of their stuff went down the Grand Canyon with me last year.

(slight derail) anyone have the experience of them being out of stock or back ordered on a high percentage of their stuff? The last three times I've tried to order something within 24 hours of the new catalog being delivered, its backordered foot two months or out of stock because they only have one size in that particular color.

[Crankin]

Irulan, I don't have issues with them not doing cycling gear; what little they have isn't really what I like. I did buy one sleeveless jersey from them (the same brand that Terry sells, you know, that one that is super pricey, but I got on sale), and last week, the zipper broke after one season of wearing. I'm not paying $20.00 to get it fixed. I mostly buy hiking, running, and more recently, regular casual or work clothes. Yes, and bathing suits. They fit me perfectly. I love their dresses, but most of all I love the fact that they have almost all of their styles, especially pants, in petite sizes, and their pants still have a 28.5 or 29 inch inseam in my size, unlike other companies.
I haven't had too much trouble with things being out of stock. Sometimes they don't have the color I want, in my size, as I am sure I am not the only athletic petite/short person who appreciates the fact they have clothes in my size!
Like I said before, I have no issue with the way the models look. They look like me, actually, just younger . I just wish their "chosen" athletes they support would be more like me... I agree with everything Shooting Star said, in general.
And somewhat back on the original topic, I received my first 2 piece bathing suit I've bought in 20 years, yesterday. It's from Athleta and it is definitely made for an athletic body. I might look like that person in the underwear ad, but, I think that looks pretty good, actually.

[Penny4]

Back to the original pic in this post...whether we like it or don't like, regardless of the photo quality....it got us all talking! I suppose if we all lived in that area we would now be familiar with that store. Just a thought

[PamNY]

Not directly on topic, but related:

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/2012...-photoshopping