The system used for labelling the sizing of women's clothes is a mystery to most of us. When the various standardised systems were first introduced, it became easier for women to buy clothing off-the-peg and know which garment would be most likely to fit them. However, since the 1980s, UK manufacturers have individually been slowly... Continue Reading →
Back in March, I wrote about how these so-called 'real' women the media are always banging on about don't always have curves. I pointed out that actual real women come in a pleasing variety of shapes sizes. Fat, thin, old or young, each of us is a unique combination of race, nationality, height, weight, build,... Continue Reading →
I don't know where this image of three inexplicably naked and differently sized women is originally from, but it certainly isn't new. It reappeared on Twitter today and I couldn't resist asking my followers, "Is this true, or an excuse for nudity?". Before long there was a small flurry of responses. The first few replies... Continue Reading →
As anyone who wears women's clothing will tell you, it's tricky to know what size to buy. Unlike menswear, which uses actual measurements in its sizing, womenswear garments are assigned an arbitrary number leaving it extremely easy for individual stores to make these sizes to whatever measurements they like. This means that, while I own... Continue Reading →
We hear lots of talk about 'real' women these days. Folk moan that magazines don't use images of 'real' women, labels don't design for them, and that they're having a hard time coping in a world full of supposedly perfect (I'm guessing 'unreal'?) models, actresses and assorted celebrities. However, in their attempts to right these... Continue Reading →
Back in 2003, I wrote a piece for The F-Word on body image. I was in my late 20s and only just managing to get to grips with the fact that my body's outward appearance didn't match the image I had of it in my head. I had begun to summon the self-confidence to say... Continue Reading →
I can't remember anyone asking for my phone number on the street, on a bus, or in a bar. Strangers hardly ever approach me with the purpose of telling me I'm hot but, even on the very rare occasions when they do, they never ask if they can call me. (They just stalk me for... Continue Reading →
Last year, when I was tweeting about being snapped by Rankin, I got a message from Claire Nelson asking me how the shoot went and what to expect from hers the following day. I'd never met this woman before that but, after Rankin Live brought us together, we became firm online friends. Turns out we... Continue Reading →
Believe it or not, Photoshop is almost 20 years old. There's a very interesting article on The Guardian's website on how we learned to love Photoshop, charting its journey from software that fitted on to a single floppy disk to a verb that is often used to insinuate that all commercial photography now lies to... Continue Reading →