Markus Klinko on Skinny Models

I was just reading this article and I was struck by how intense Mr Klinko's feelings were on the topic of skinny models.

from the cover of Markus Klinko's book, "Icons"

  "I like to talk about this actually. Maybe we’ve talked about this before, but specifically about the body shape of a girl like Kate Upton. She is a real woman with curves; she’s not a skinny, anorexic, 90-lb 6ft tall girl. Let me be more clear though. I am not against skinny girls. If a girl is naturally skinny, they can be very sexy and very beautiful, but what I don’t like is all these modeling agents and all these designers pushing these poor 14 and 15-year-old girls, who happen to be very tall and very thin already, to become anorexic and be so unattractively skinny. I just don’t understand why and who wants that. I think that this is why celebrities have taken over the covers of fashion magazines because I think that people aren’t interested in skeletons. People want real women.
  I can tell you for sure that women with curves are hotter than women that are sticks. But again, when Kate Moss first started out, she was very skinny and yet attractive. However, when you look at girls who are naturally a little bit curvy and they are forced to become so skinny that they are no longer themselves, then I get very upset.
  To all the designers out there: If girls don’t fit the sample size, just make the sample bigger. That’s it. That’s the solution. Why do the samples have to be so small that no normal woman can fit into it? I just don’t get it. Take the biggest stars of today–none of them are super skinny and they look fantastic in designer clothes. Why do we need girls who model them to be insanely unhealthy? This is another reason why we dedicated our book, Icons, to celebrities and women who are real trendsetters, like Beyonce, Eva Mendes, Lindsay Lohan–those are real women with real bodies.
  I wish that the modeling world would be a bit more diverse. I think that it’s good that Model Mayhem exists. I think at least it gives a chance to girls who are not necessarily 5’11″ and ultra thin to start modeling and they can do different kind of photos and maybe even get discovered. They may end up on the cover of Sports Illustrated, because clearly they are not looking for skeletons and I think Kate Upton is a very good example. I’m sorry for the long answer, but I’m very passionate about this."

Read more of the interview here.



As for myself, I would take his premise a step further than his mention of sizes 4-6 and welcome a return to the golden age of the supermodel, when sizes 6-10 (US) were the norm for models. They were gorgeous, yet still provided a more attainable and healthier influence for women. Cindy Crawford has been wonderfully outspoken about healthy body image and in her heyday she was a 6-8. I find it absurd that she would be considered "plus-sized" in today's industry. You'll never convince me that this is fat. "I would not have become a supermodel in 2009, I look too healthy. A body like mine with big breasts, normal thighs and toned upper arms would not be tailored for today's runways."

What size am I again?

As anyone who knows me can attest, I have a curvy figure, Not "curvy" as a euphamism for plus-sized, but curvy in the sense that I have a round butt, larger chest and a medium-sized waist. "Baby Got Back" is a part of the soundtrack of my life.

Shopping for pants is a nightmare that usually involves packing a lunch, calling my mom up to say "you did this to me!" and sniffling into a dirty martini after spending a handful of hours to find two pairs that might be passable. Shopping for dresses or tops usually involve buying a size too big and nipping it in at the waist...eventually...when I have time. You know, when I'm not working, cleaning, sleeping, spending time with my fiance or pets, or typing away...eventually (*looks at looming mending pile*). I had to learn to sew as a form of self-defense or resign myself to a fate of a closet full of clothing devoted to making me look frumpy-dumpy or to having my cups runneth over with very little wiggle room in between the extremes.

Off-the-rack clothes often have little love to show for the hourglass girls. Working in fashion has helped me learn to make some passable choices, but it its still a battle to face the closet each evening to lay out the next day's clothing.

This handy chart from the New York Times may make it a bit easier:




This is from an article on the sizing differences for women's clothing between companies and how we are trying to sort through the confusion through innovation and ideas like body scanners and standardized sizing. Read more here.


Note, "My Best Fit" referenced in the article has now been rebranded as Me-ality. Now if only we can get some of these machines at the Mall of America, where they can reach a broader audience.

Clean body, messy kitchen.

I took advantage of a sale on 3-in-1 Beauty Smoothies at ULTA. These are designed to be used as shampoo, shower gel, or bubble bath. They have a nice lather and leave my skin feeling fresh, rather than dry like other fragrance products or greasy like other moisturizing products. They are not watered down, and they are not skimping on the quantity for the price. I selected Cinnamon Swirl, Buttercream Delight, and Cocoa Velvet Truffle and will smell like a cupcake until spring!

Of course when I showered this morning with the Cinnamon Swirl and followed it up with my vanilla-scented deoderant, I realized I smelled a bit like a snickerdoodle. That is perfectly fine with me, and it works wonderfully with my amber perfume.

In honor of this little foodie revelation, here is a recipe for Snickerdoodle cupcakes from Bakerella. This might very well be the most perfect thing ever, especially with one of my new favorite addictions, Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon from Penzeys Spices. This stuff is so sweet and strong, I will never skimp on my cinnamon again. Time to carve out some counter space and get to baking.