Ladies in knickers

I do see the reasoning behind it, however I agree that we need to stop referring to bits of our bodies as "imperfections" stretch marks, scars, cellulite, wobbly bits are all very natural normal parts of having a human body.
So I don't find it empowering either.

That said, it's not my place to decide what is or isn't empowering to other women. If the women themselves who are posing in their knickers feel that empowers them then that's great, and I applaud them for that.

I'm not sure how power can ever come from a woman taking off her clothes.

I don't think I've ever seen anything described as "empowering", that has empowered me. I'm not completely sure what empowering is.

Ironic really when it's usually men's bodies that are used as weapons

I totally agree with the underlying premise that women in their underwear should not be used to sell any damn thing.

But I'm wondering if it might be good for younger people who feel beauty standards are unattainable. Because everyone except them is gorgeous.

I realise it is not tackling the problem in the slightest. But unattainable beauty standards are worse than a realistic standard?

Maybe she participated ironically

in some contexts it can be. When i was very depressed after giving birth it did help me a lot to see the bodies of other women who had given birth. It helped me have more realistic expectations of what my body could now look like.
I do think nudity is empowering in some contexts. Perhaps not so much to sell products tho... i dont think selling things or advertising things really empowers the female body much.

I thought exactly the same thing but was worried that I was being a misery guts
I don't thinks it empowering Standing in your pants makes you look vulnerable. I think most adult women know about airbrushing and Spanx and don't need to see celebs in their undies to feel better about themselves.

I was very surprised that J S-P took part actually.

Men have body issues too, but as Hmm says you would never see posters of groups of "ordinary" men in their underwear being marketed as "empowering".

If we want to empower women we should just stop focusing on their bodies as an acceptable route to equality and liberation.

Agree that it's not empowering, just a diluted version of the stuff that created the problem in the first place

See also "tasteful nude shoots" and pole dancing lessons

I understand the reasoning behind it. There is so much pressure on women to look perfect we are constantly exposed to advertising about how to make ourselves more attractive. The standard of beauty the media portrays is often unattainable and is many cases thanks to photoshop not even real. In that scenario it does make a difference to remind wider society what women actually look like without surgery, cosmetics, photoshop and filters. I haven't seen the adverts you are writing about but I can definitely see how a celebrity female showing her acceptance of her own imperfections can help to combat the pressure on young females in particular to be perfect.

I'm middle aged and even I feel like the odd one out when I drop or pick up my kids because I've walked out the house with a bare face and all my blemishes on show compared to some mums who even at 8.30am still manage to look flawless. I have contemplated putting on make up when I leave the house but I'm too lazy and unskilled at that so instead just try to take better care of my skin but still it's that pressure to look attractive at all times.

The only thing I thought when I saw the loose women photo was "I didn't realise Janet Street-Porter was so tall"

And she is. 6'

Otherwise, I don't see why being in knickers is any better than in normal clothes.

To be honest I'm sick of seeing pictures of women in knickers and bikinis....showing off beach bodies, cellulite, stretch marks, baby 'bumps' etc. Who is it for?

Can anyone imagine a group of men in the media doing it?

I am trying to imagine a group shot of Jeremy Clarkson, Tony Robinson, Eamonn Holmes and Jeremy Paxman, all in their underwear.

With a caption about how empowering it is for other men to be able to see that.

Just can't quite picture it.

I don't find it empowering, but then I was never really a fan of the empowerment as the route to liberation movement in the first place.

I find it very depressing that we are still having to have this conversation. That images of (pretty) women in their knickers are okay (and pretty good for selling stuff), or that even images of pretty women in their knickers quite often still need airbrushing and stretching and manipulating to make them look good enough to sell stuff. Or that all images of people in underwear need to be banned............

The original post says it all really:
"looking at other peoples imperfections doesn't make me dislike my own,stretch marks, big tummy etc any less."
Being an ordinary woman with ordinary looking bits and bobs that show your history in that body (like stretch marks) aren't imperfections!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That so many of us still feel they are and can't face looking at others bodies or our own, that is still a problem for many women.

We need to keep having this conversation as long as it is still an issue when such pictures appear. When the conversation is instead 'Where did she get those knickers? I quite like them!' or 'What is this picture about'? then we can stop having this conversation.......................

It is entirely missing the point, I agree. I get where they're coming from - the idea is that they want all women to 'feel attractive' etc. And in principle that's not a bad thing. But the premise of the whole thing is that women need to and should feel attractive - that men's approval of their physical appearance is really important and without it they feel shit.

What they don't seem to get is the idea that actually women have better things to do with their lives than to wonder how many men thought about shagging them that day and that if we freed women from the burden of 'being attractive' entirely then the world would be a far better place.

Exactly what walde said. 'Don't worry ladies you are still good enough for me to look at'. Actually I couldn't give a shiny shit whether you enjoy looking at me, I'm not here for your enjoyment or approval.

I don't find it empowering either. I think it's just a publicity stunt for Loose Women.

Now we have Michelle Heaton on. She is empowering us by showing us her rock hard mahogany gym body in high heels and a tonne of slap, whilst 'bravely' pointing out her minuscule surgery scars.

I don't find it empowering. Just attention seeking.