Why don’t online models have normal shapes grrrr

[Figmentofmyimagination]

Disappointedly wrapping up 4 dresses from John Lewis to return - all looked horrendous on me but lovely on the models and I was excited to try them on. Why can’t some models have breasts, a tummy, be nearly 60 etc. grrr. They could eg have one perfect model and then a couple of other more normal people wearing the dresses. People’s’ return rates must be so high, unless they are a perfect shape.

16 is a number not a BMI or a health indicator. And most shops assign it to wildly different measurements. I’m 5 ft 8, my BMI is 32, my measurements are 40, 28, 40 but in most cases I wear a 14.

They didn't complain about the plus size but the guy or something.
Only complaint I ever had was that for whatever reason you barely saw the product on the plus size models it was always the angle to show other parts.

And so is a 10/12/14. However, fashion retailers overwhelmingly use size 8 models that are at least 5'8". These are not the only version of normal.

I would go further to say that some models actively look worse than curvier (but still slim) women would in the same clothes.

E.g. One top might suit a woman with big boobs, another with small boobs.

And this is before you get to tricks like pinning dresses back, changing positions etc.

Incidentally I don't actually expect them to use models like my proportions - I'm tall, with broad shoulders, hips, and massive boobs. It wouldn't help most women to see models like me.

But these days they even mostly stick a fake bump on a model for maternity wear, when it's very normal for the ribcage/chest to increase.

It's piss poor advertising, and nothing to do with entirely normal variations in size and shape.

Rihanna manages to make a range that suits lots of shapes and sizes. Shein manage to include specific garment measurements by size. No excuse for shitty advertising.

@Thesunnymood I saw people complaining about huge fat women advertising their products. Most along the lines of 'we don't need to see this'.

But thanks for correcting me on what I saw.

How rude

Yes, anyone over a size 8 is a greedy fat land whale with no discipline who should just wear a sack or stop eating. Got it.

And this poster turning the thread round to talk about themselves as though it were a personal attack and then writing FFS as a final retort wasn’t rude? Explain
that to me.

I'm currently looking for v neck t shirts! But I have breasts.... average bouncy breasts. (C cups)

But can I find a v neck modelled by someone with a handful of boobage? No.

This.

So kind of like people commenting that they don't want to have slim models?

I think it’s impossible to cater for every shape. I am 5 foot 1 with skinny limbs but massive boobs. A size 8-10 up top and 6 below. And short. It would not be easy to have every shape of model.

You just have to be able to use your imagination. The model’s height is often given so I can work out how long say a top it will look on me.

Anyway I stick with separates. Much easier than dresses!

Tech will catch up soon and we will be able to try clothes on virtually I hope!

What do you mean by ‘course you are’.?

I meant Let’s Make This All About Me!

We have to be careful with words we use. My 19y has health problems and is very underweight and size four clothes need to be taken in. No boobs or bum. References to ‘real’ and ‘normal’ women really upset her and she thinks she will never find a boyfriend as she is unattractive. She is of gorgeous in my eyes. But it’s not helpful to use this language, as there is no one ‘normal’ size for a woman to be.

On a thread about ‘normal’ sizes and shopping online, it’s ok to bring up your own experiences and reference points surely? Well I have done so anyway and also made it all about me then ;-)

And is it ‘ok’ to write FFS at the end of that point? Would you walk up to people in real life, correct them and say For Fuck Sake? Because seemingly on here that’s ‘ok’ and no one has the right to pull you up on it for being incredibly rude.

I feel like it’s one extreme of the other. Either the traditional waif models or very plus size models (I see these a lot for Snag tights and some swimwear brands). Neither extreme represents my body shape because even the waifs have hips and slim waists while I have a wide waist and narrow hips. I tend not to buy stuff online because it rarely fits well.

I’m a UK 4-6 and I’ve noticed that models tend to be taller than average and either an underweight or overweight with no in between. It would be good to see size 10 models and average height.

I agree, I am size 8 but have decent sized boobs and it's so tricky. Especially where the area allowed for the boobs is 'restricted' in some way, i.e. there are buttons or a shirred panel or the shape of the dress has 'cups' built in. It is so difficult to tell what will fit or suit me when the models are virtually flat-chested. I'm not saying they don't look lovely, and of course there are some people who are naturally shaped like that, but realistically what proportion of women is it? I can't think of anyone I know, even among the slimmest and most naturally petite people, whose chest is that small. If there is a model with a chest they are usually the token 'plus size' (i.e. 14-16) photo and they're still 5'9 or above, so that doesn't help either. That's another thing, I'm very average in height (5'4) but struggle to get a sense of how things will look on me due to them all being taller than anyone I know in real life!

I'm sorry if this sounds like a stealth boast, it's really not meant to be. I just mean to illustrate that it's not easy for anyone to shop for clothes online, even where you'd think it 'should' be.

I completely agree. If they can't hire the varied models, at least allow reviews with photos so buyers can show what the clothes look like.

I'm quite busty and as most models have very flat chests (unless for underwear or swimwear, of course), I have no idea what a lot of clothes will look like on me. I actually find now so many shops are only online, I'm hesitant to bother ordering if I'm not sure as I can't be arsed with returns. I used to go into changing rooms laden with clothes I thought might work.

There needs to be a special dress line for peri-menopausal women, I think!

Can we put to one side the ‘normal’ and just talk about ‘average’ which I think (in UK) is about size 14, and 5’5”, in between the 5’10 size 6, and the 5’4 size 22.
they’re all normal but the middle/average ground isn’t represented in the photos.
that would be helpful for a lot of people.
sadly we dont all have actual shops to buy try on things anymore within a realistic distance. Think 70 miles away in my example.

I used a site recently that had a tool where you could put your measurements in and it told you whether the item you were looking at would be tight/loose/just right on your bust, waist and hips. Great, I thought, except I ordered an item based on this online tool and when it arrived it really didn’t fit as described 😂

Why don’t online models have normal shapes grrrr
Why can’t some models have breasts, a tummy, be nearly 60 etc. grrr.

Eugh. It is perfectly "normal" to be have smaller breasts and no belly.

Why do people always resort to insulting other body types while trying to claim inclusivity?

But these days they even mostly stick a fake bump on a model for maternity wear, when it's very normal for the ribcage/chest to increase.

Which is entirely down to the logistical nightmare of planning a shoot around a model being a certain pregnancy gestation and not being able to easily deal with delays or last minute substitutions.