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This is a Dolce and Gabbana ad that shows very much one body type that is considered the ideal fashion body.

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This is a google arts and culture collection that looks at different garments of clothing throughout history that were made to shape the body, for example the corset. These items were utilized sometimes at the harm of the user to shape the body into whatever the ideal body was at the time.

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Shaping the Body
York Castle Museum

Objects from York Castle Museums Costume & Textile Collection

Collections photography
Robert Wake, M Faye Prior, Martin Fell

Text
M Faye Prior, Alison Bodley

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A History of Shaping the Body - Google Arts & Culture

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Shaping the BodyYork Castle Museum Objects from York Castle Museums Costume & Textile Collection Collections photographyRobert Wake, M Faye Prior, Martin Fell TextM Faye Prior, Alison Bodley

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This is an article that goes into depth on the changing ideal body shape throughout history.

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The ever-changing 'ideal' of female beauty | CNN

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The female form has been idealized as far back as 23,000 years ago, yet perceptions of a woman's "ideal" body change constantly, putting pressure on women worldwide.

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This is an article about the clothing company Brandy Melville, which is a brand focused on the idea of one size fits all clothing, but their clothes really only fit a size XS/S. This company is implying that this size is ALL meaning that everyone should be this thin.

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"Only ONE size?": What's Behind the Brandy Melville Craze

In a cult-like manner, hordes of Nike Air Force 1 clad teenage girls scrambled around the SOHO Brandy Melville store snatching clothing off the shelves before rushing to the fitting room line that wrapped all the way around the wall. I clutched a tank top, a plaid skirt and a couple of dresses; I waited in the dressing room line while the strangely gorgeous employees took customers unwanted clothes. Finally in a fitting room, I put the clothes to the test.

The tank top? Kind of tight, but stretchy.

The dresses They're a little stiff on my ribcage, but I can manage.

The skirt? Oh, how excellent, I can't even pull it over my hips.

At any other store I would simply get a size up and it would be no problem. But here at Brandy Melville that's impossible; they only have one size: "X-small to small."

Any logical person would first scoff at this business choice, for the limitation of one size seems detrimental for attracting customers since their clothing caters towards a minority of people. However, Brandy Melville has been thriving. Their Instagram page has more than 3.9 million followers with each of their posts averaging fifty thousand likes, and YouTube videos titled "Brandy Melville Haul!" (essentially just videos of girls trying on and rating new items) rack up tens of thousands of views. According to research firm Piper Jaffray, it is one of the brands with the fastest growing popularity among teenage girls in America.

Perhaps the most ideal image of Brandy Melville is shown through their choice of models. As you scroll through their Instagram and website, you will notice two striking factors that categorize every single one of their models: they are all skinny and white.

In the past decade, the demand for the fashion industry to widen its range of shapes and colors has grown due to "body positivity" activism and a goal to eliminate the idea of whiteness as a global beauty standard. Because of this, many brands (mostly women's clothing) have increased diversity to meet these expectations. For instance, Aerie, a lingerie sub-company of American Eagle Outfitters, has been using bodies of all sizes to display their underwear since 2014. Using the hashtag "#ArieReal", Aerie's social media and website are full of models with visible stomachs, stretch marks, and body rolls. Moreover, their models are diverse in race and represent the many shapes, sizes, and colors of society.

In addition, popular plus size models have been on the rise. Model Ashley Graham, one of the most well-known plus size models, has over 9.2 million Instagram followers. Photos of her wearing bikinis while shamelessly showing off her body (even some while pregnant) have millions of likes and are filled with comments such as "Slay queen!" And "I hope to have your confidence one day."

Clearly, the demand for diversity in fashion has been a social topic that many companies are appealing to in order to gain the support of the public. So, it would make sense for Brandy Melville to expand their range of models; as a popular brand among teenage girls, the extra diversity would attract customers looking for trendy clothing that suits them. However, the brand refuses. It also flourishes.

Brandy Melville's success leads to an interesting question: if their practices are so controversial, why isn't the business hurting? At first, the answer is simple: conformity. But could this mean that society is not yet ready to accept diversity as the norm?

In terms of conformity, Brandy Melville has managed to transform its entire brand into a trend. Similar to how Vera Bradley bags, Uggs, and Pink sweatshirts were once the uniform for "basic" teenage girls, Brandy Melville has become the new fad. This is due to the small range of clothing items available at Brandy, as the company tends to reuse fabrics and clothing patterns. Their graphic tees also repeat designs: a single print is put on a t-shirt, a tank top, and a long sleeved crop top. Therefore, when a girl is wearing a shirt from Brandy, the familiarity of the design lets others know where its from without needing to ask. Consequently, in order to fit in with the current styles, a girl who is a size "large" has to squeeze into a "small".

However, teenage girls are not blind to this. In fact, many people have accused the brand of '"fat shaming" due to their lack of larger sizes. Surveys have shown that 53% of thirteen year old American girls are "unhappy with their bodies", and this number rises to 78% for seventeen year olds. Knowing this, Brandy Melville has been under attack for perpetuating negative body images among teens.

On a Brandy Melville instagram post consisting of two slim models wearing Brandy outfits, many of the comments criticize the company.

"I considered starving myself to fit back into your clothes again...", one girl comments, "do you realize how stupid that sounds? But that's what kids are doing because of y'all."

Another user writes: "Its 2019: stop indirectly causing eating disorders within young girls."

Although some believe it is wrong for the brand to only serve small body types, there are those who find nothing wrong with the practice, as it is often hard for smaller girls to find clothing that properly fits them. When hearing about "body positivity" and "negative body images",most people assume that insecurities stem from a fear of being overweight. In teen movies, it is almost always the "fat chick" that is insecure about her body. However, our society -especially in media- neglects to acknowledge that people on the thinner side face body image issues as well. Similar to "fat shaming", many thin girls report stories of "skinny shaming" which involve being called cruel names like "skeleton", being made fun of for having a flat chest, or being reminded that "real women have curves". Therefore argument is: why can't thinner girls have a store for themselves?

Nowadays, brands often have special sections dedicated for plus-size clothing. For instance, Forever 21 stores have designated areas for all "Plus + Curve" options with sizes ranging from "0X" to "3X". Even department stores such as Bloomingdales and Macy's have plus size sections. In addition, shops such as Torrid and Avenue cater towards plus sized women only.

So if thinner teens are often unable to find clothes that fit their slim bodies, wouldn't it be beneficial to have a store to serve them? Many people seem to think so.

On an Instagram comment criticizing Brandy's "one size" practice, a user defends the company. "Believe it or not, very thin people struggle to find clothing too!'' She says, "There are stores that cater for thicker people, there are stores that cater for only men, there are stores like Brandy who cater to women who are very petite, and so on."

If you think about it, skinny girls are just as much of the "body positivity" movement as girls who are plus sized. If the movement encourages everyone to be proud of their bodies, this means that thinner girls are equally welcome to be a part of it. If we are going to accept body positivity as the new norm, then there really is nothing wrong with Brandy Melville; all it is is a store for a certain body type.

Clearly, Brandy Melville's sizing works for some people, even if it is a minority. Nonetheless, the issue with the brand is not merely the size, it is the lack of range. Torrid, the plus-size store mentioned previously, has up to eight different sizes. The brand recognizes that not all plus sized women are the same; different proportions and heights call for different sizes. Torrid acknowledges that all bodies are unique. Brandy Melville does not.

Besides Brandy Melville's limitation on body type, there lies another issue: there is little to no diversity in race. Currently, the last time their Instagram contained a person of color (an Asian female) was July 23, almost three months ago. The last time a black girl was posted was October 6, 2018. Yes, 2018. It has been over a year since Brandy Melville featured a black model.

Similar to how the fashion industry has taken steps towards body positivity, the last decade has seen a massive increase in racial diversity. This year, in the Spring/Summer 2019 fashion shows (SS19) around the globe, the runways were more racially diverse than ever. In New York, 45% of the models were of color, a 7.5 rise from last year. Moreover, brands such as Urban Outfitters strive to have a diverse range of models on their social media and websites. Scrolling through the Urban Outfitters website, there are several models of color. Brandy Melville's website, however, only includes white models.

Hundreds of comments express anger on the issue:

"Y'all ever heard of diversity?" One girl says.

"The only diversity Brandy Melville has is the different shades of spray tan," another jokes.

However, under the anger lies irony. Since Brandy is one of the most popular clothing companies among teenage girls, those who criticize the brand's practices most likely own Brandy items themselves. Even I, for instance, have quite a few Brandy Melville shirts, dresses, and accessories, yet I decided to write an essay analyzing its controversy. But at the end of the day, no one is exactly forcing usto wear Brandy Melville; it is literally just one of the many clothing companies out there designated for teens. If you don't like the company's actions, so what? Just don't shop there. But unfortunately, it isn't that simple.

Our desire to conform to today's trends triumphs our awareness of questionable actions done by brands; the inclusion we feel while wearing something popular comforts us by eliminating the possibility of being ostracized for being different. Whether its due to low self esteem, dependence on others, or fear, humans have always been drawn to conformity, and the fashion industry proves it. Throughout the decades, trends in clothing have symbolized the change in culture over time. In the 1920's women were prancing around in short, shiny dresses, and in the 1950's they were sporting large skirts that were tight at the waist. The trends of 2019 include jean shorts, mom jeans, and tight crop tops. Brandy Melville provides all of these. Conforming to the style of today allows people to feel involved in their culture and as a part of a community.

Moreover, it is possible that our desire to conform to Brandy Melville's specific style represents the truth behind recent strives for diversity: we simply are not there yet. Thin figures are still the ideal body, and overweight individuals are still spat on. In addition, worldwide beauty standards glamorize whiteness. "Whitening creams" to lift darkness out of one's complexion are advertised all over the East. Last year when I was strolling the makeup section of a drugstore in Taiwan, I noticed that nearly all the products were designed to imitate a western look. The foundations were pale, the contact lenses were blue and green, and the nose powders claimed to make your nose look thinner. There were even special devices to tape up eyelids in order to get rid of the Asian hooded-eye feature. The goal of the products were clearly to eliminate ethic features.

Magazines and advertisements have also been under attack for promoting whiteness as a beauty standard by erasing certain features from people of color. After having her natural hair photoshopped out of a magazine cover, Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong'o said in a series of tweets: "Colorism, society's preference for lighter skin, is alive and well...there is a popular sentiment that lighter is brighter."

Therefore, obsessions over Brandy Melville may signify a need to covet the look of a classic "Brandy Melville girl": thin legs, a pale complexion, and long blonde hair.

Or perhaps the clothes are just cute. When purchasing clothes, the image of the brand's models rarely cross my mind, so it is possible that the desire to wear Brandy Melville has nothing to do with a need to look like a "Brandy Melville girl"; we simply find the clothes attractive.

Whatever the reason is, Brandy Melville has managed to prosper in the past years without being diverse, despite being in an era where diversity is encouraged.

One commenter on a recent Instagram post left a simple, but critical message: "You guys are excluding so many beautiful people."

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"Only ONE size?": What's Behind the Brandy Melville Craze

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In a cult-like manner, hordes of Nike Air Force 1 clad teenage girls scrambled around the SOHO Brandy Melville store snatching clothing off the shelves before rushing to the fitting room line that wrapped all the way around the wall.

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Is it  a cute outfit or is she just skinny?

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Is it  a cute outfit or is she just skinny?

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This is a youtube and tik tok trend where girls who are not considered traditionally skinny try on outfits that thin influencers have posted pictures in and decide if it is a cute outfit or if it just looked good on the influencer because she was thin. This is a good example for my project of how clothes and outfits are often designed for thin women.

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IS IT A CUTE OUTFIT OR IS SHE JUST SKINNY? | Size 14/16 tries pintrest "skinny girl" outfits

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In this image, we can see the typical body shape that is used when sketching fashion designs. This is a very long slender body. As this is traditionally how fashion sketches are made it implies that this is the body fashion is made for.

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This video is a good example of the way the desirable body shape has changed a lot through history.

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Women's Ideal Body Types Throughout History