Pleasant Valley Sunday
The Grammys - let's get to the important stuff, ladies! Lilac and violet eyeshadow, beige lipstick, long hair, lots of eyeliner, all very big this year and lucky that it's eyeshadow, and you can get the same look at Target for less than $10. Didn't Mary J look fabulous? She kicked it! Chris Brown put on an awesome show with frat-boy dancing and I think he's the next heir to Michael Jackson. Gnarls Barkley - fun as always, sorry they got put aside in the Grammys show of politics (embarrassing). Who else looked good...OH YEAH, Carrie Underwood. She sang "Desperado" and it was the performance of the night (though not quite as fun as Shakira's belly dancing). Wasn't she fabulous? She looked great.
The new Interweave arrived today. There has been some discussion going on about the new base design, which as far as I can tell consists of - more room for patterns, more pictures, narrower columns, bigger type and smaller models. This is a good move on Interweave's part. At very least, the cover is hugely improved; in past issues they have always juxtaposed an interview headline over the model's picture in a way that made you think that girl in the red sweater WAS Veronik Avery. Better move to add it as a PLUS section. More tags means more interest. The masthead has been simplified. Contents page is much, much easier to read (and unlike Vogue includes the PATTERN page numbers as well as the photo. New models and better poses in the photography department. The overall production values are better, and I'm thrilled about the knittingdaily site. (I found this after I looked on the cover for my subscriber password and it weren't there.) I know some people hate the smaller models, but when you have a smaller model you notice the clothes more. When you have a bigger model, you notice the model more. (This is not a rule I made up.) I am not saying anorectic less-than-18-BMI girls who eat lettuce leaves, diet coke and cocaine. I am saying people who are thin enough to photograph well and not steal the thunder from the knitting. (There is no way any of the women posing in the magazine would make it as a regular magazine model, let alone a runway model, without losing about fifty pounds each.)
This is often a problem with people who either feel indicted by photos of thin models or complain that they can't see how the top will fit their particular size. Let me tell you - no photo in the world will show you that. Personally... I'm not overweight, but I'm not thin, either. I'm squarely in size 12s, and because of my shoulders the sweater that fits most comfortably on me is 41" around. I am used to being the biggest girl at the photo shoot. The horror! You know what? I don't care. I like how I look - and I know photos lie, clothing manufacturers lie, and the best news is, the best-fitting clothing lies. IT'S SUPPOSED TO TELL LIES FOR YOU. The best joke in the world is that I have a pretty big butt and relatively short legs, but Gap Long-and-Lean jeans fit me best. They lie for me by balancing things out! That's the point of good clothes.
So hear me loud and clear - do NOT pay attention to the way the clothes fit the models other than looking for obvious flaws. Not every model is shaped like every other thin person, either. I personally know from trying on clothes that a v-neck is the worst thing I can do to myself unless I have a crew neck on with it. I'm not going to trust a picture of a v-neck on anyone because I know how that style fits me. So instead of being mad at photographers and photo editors and art directors, remember that photos lie and so do clothes. You want clothes that lie well for YOU. Only you (and possibly Trinny and Susannah) know what those clothes are. Accept that there will be certain styles that tell the story you want and others that don't. Stop complaining about the models and make your decisions based on what works and you'll be a lot happier, I promise!
Well, that's my four dollars on just about everything. Happy Monday.
The new Interweave arrived today. There has been some discussion going on about the new base design, which as far as I can tell consists of - more room for patterns, more pictures, narrower columns, bigger type and smaller models. This is a good move on Interweave's part. At very least, the cover is hugely improved; in past issues they have always juxtaposed an interview headline over the model's picture in a way that made you think that girl in the red sweater WAS Veronik Avery. Better move to add it as a PLUS section. More tags means more interest. The masthead has been simplified. Contents page is much, much easier to read (and unlike Vogue includes the PATTERN page numbers as well as the photo. New models and better poses in the photography department. The overall production values are better, and I'm thrilled about the knittingdaily site. (I found this after I looked on the cover for my subscriber password and it weren't there.) I know some people hate the smaller models, but when you have a smaller model you notice the clothes more. When you have a bigger model, you notice the model more. (This is not a rule I made up.) I am not saying anorectic less-than-18-BMI girls who eat lettuce leaves, diet coke and cocaine. I am saying people who are thin enough to photograph well and not steal the thunder from the knitting. (There is no way any of the women posing in the magazine would make it as a regular magazine model, let alone a runway model, without losing about fifty pounds each.)
This is often a problem with people who either feel indicted by photos of thin models or complain that they can't see how the top will fit their particular size. Let me tell you - no photo in the world will show you that. Personally... I'm not overweight, but I'm not thin, either. I'm squarely in size 12s, and because of my shoulders the sweater that fits most comfortably on me is 41" around. I am used to being the biggest girl at the photo shoot. The horror! You know what? I don't care. I like how I look - and I know photos lie, clothing manufacturers lie, and the best news is, the best-fitting clothing lies. IT'S SUPPOSED TO TELL LIES FOR YOU. The best joke in the world is that I have a pretty big butt and relatively short legs, but Gap Long-and-Lean jeans fit me best. They lie for me by balancing things out! That's the point of good clothes.
So hear me loud and clear - do NOT pay attention to the way the clothes fit the models other than looking for obvious flaws. Not every model is shaped like every other thin person, either. I personally know from trying on clothes that a v-neck is the worst thing I can do to myself unless I have a crew neck on with it. I'm not going to trust a picture of a v-neck on anyone because I know how that style fits me. So instead of being mad at photographers and photo editors and art directors, remember that photos lie and so do clothes. You want clothes that lie well for YOU. Only you (and possibly Trinny and Susannah) know what those clothes are. Accept that there will be certain styles that tell the story you want and others that don't. Stop complaining about the models and make your decisions based on what works and you'll be a lot happier, I promise!
Well, that's my four dollars on just about everything. Happy Monday.
posted by Jen at 11:01 PM
4 Comments:
Oooh, can't wait to get my copy! Didn't know they were revamping, sounds like they made a positive change! Hopefully it will come today before we get the "weather" they keep promising! Thanks for sharing, and for changing my perspective on skinny models (at least skinny models in knitwear). You're right, doesn't matter how something looks on someone else, you have to know how a particular feature looks on you!
I think you are definitely right about finding clothes that fit and flatter your own body. The problem for most women, at least the ones I know, is that they love shopping and hate trying things on. I think that's silly. Considering that there are even discrepancies among same-style pants and shirts (you can try on two shirts in the same style and same size that will fit you completely differently), there's no way to know if something will look good on you unless you try it on. Then a lot of women I know feel bad about returning things they don't like when they get home. I paid my dues by working in retail for 3 years during undergrad, and I will return anything without shame. Anyway, sorry to rant on in the comments section of your blog, but I agree with you!
I didn't like that the big pictures weren't with the patterns anymore...
You really think all their models need to lose 50 pounds for regular magazine jobs? There was one model, wearing the first tank I believe, that was so thin and gaunt it was distracting. I was surprised to see her because their models have always been fresh-faced and healthy looking.
Maybe that particular model is who some folks are referring to. I'm not riled up about it, I just disagree that she wore the garment better. I think she crossed that line where the garment is the feature. The model being featured (vs. the garment) can go both ways, either too big or too thin. She looked too thin and the whole appearance was more like something was strapped to her rather than her wearing it.
As for seeing how something will fit. I totally agree that you have to know what will look good on you. However, it isn't the lack of larger models that made this issue less valuable for me. It was the lack of projects that would look nice on anyone except "less curvy" women.
I don't think I saw a single project that would work for anyone with any serious boobage.
Bummer.
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