to be a bit disgusted at this?

[SerenityNowAKABleh]

I've now seen it a couple of times now- basically having a woman standing around in nothing more than knickers, bra and stockings in store windows. In DECEMBER. My first thought is, damn you must be cold, second is, you must have an amazing waxer, and then finally the feminist rage descended. For one poor woman, there was a bunch of gross leary men taking her photo with their phones, and also, I have NEVER seen the equivalent for men.

AIBU to think that in this day and age, we should not have women standing about like prostitutes in shop windows (when discussing with DM she said it did sound like the red light district of Amsterdam)? Or am I thinking like a 93 year old woman and should get back to my comfy slippers and radio show?

Well, none of them were like the woman in the video linked to earlier. They were all made up/waxed/plucked/hair straightened/spray-tanned and buffed to within an inch of their life.

I don't buy from them. I haven't bought from them for years. The other time I can recall seeing this (now that the memories kicked back in) was in the window of the Virgin that used to be by Picadilly Circus. They were advertising the Fratellis album.

And no, I am not feeling down on myself. I'm feckin' gawjuss me. I just don't particularly like being faced with another womens' bits and a bunch of leering blokes when walking along the pavement. I think I'm more sensitive to this, because the man I know who would definitely have joined in was frankly, disgusting. (fat bald, married, asking random girls on FB to send in topless pictures of themselves).

How can one be offended by an underwear model?

If it was a sex shop and the modelling was pornographic then I could understand the "disgust".

TootsieSmith/OP whoever you may be - are you implying that I don't have principles simply because I am not disgusted by the sight of an attractive woman wearing her underwear?

Ps, I am totally heterosexual, but I would rather see an attractive, smiling woman in her underwear than the sour faced, fat arsed, badly dressed shoppers that pack the streets.

I suppose that rather than actual 'models', these women are more promo girls, so likely to be of the fake tan, hair extensions variety. I think your actual lingerie models would charge far too much money to stand in a shop window.

And what exactly is the difference chicken?

Just I think that promo girls are paid less, tbh. And genuine models tend to be styled differently, judging by the images I see in shops/catalogues. The model who advertises M&S pants, for example, is gorgeous in a more natural way IMO.

"Well, none of them were like the woman in the video linked to earlier. They were all made up/waxed/plucked/hair straightened/spray-tanned and buffed to within an inch of their life."

So if they'd been a bit hairy, with no makeup, greasy straggly hair that would have been ok?

So your problem is advertising when it isn't natural?

"So your problem is advertising when it isn't natural?"

I think the problem here is that we've just discovered that La Senza uses fake people!!

Erm, no. I was commenting on the OP's comment that the girls in the window didn't resemble the girls in the video. As I have already said, I am conflicted about women in their pants. I am both irritated by it, yet aspire to it in my own private life. Although I would rather have the stunning natural beauty of some models. I can't really carry off the fake tan, false nails, ironed hair look

hehe Kaloki.

Surely it only becomes a sexual thing when some men make it a sexual thing? Ie the men who paw at the windows? Just because few men have been brought up badly by their mothers and fathers doesn't mean other men are going to look at it as a sexual display or react in that way.

Blame the behaviour of the men not the women or the shops!

Am sure most of us must know several men who wouldn't treat a live model in a shop as some kind of porn show?

Well exactly. It is what people aspire to so the shop are just being clever by using the girls to lure in people.

If we're getting annoyed about advertising I would get more annoyed about the babies looking PERFECT playing in a beautifully civilised fashion with their lovely looking toys in the perfectly clean house, that we see in the catalouges. I can't be bothered though, because that is the companies just trying to show off the potential of their products and I don't see any difference between a real life model and a photo of the scene.

True, Dueling, but I suppose that if I was standing around in my pants I would want to be noticed. Pointless if they're not. And isn't lingerie designed to be sexy?

Yeah I hadn't thought that was really the point DF (although a good point you make)

oh god, I hate that whole "real women" lets all be natural crap.

So the women who are moaning that la senza are preparing to invade the country with spray tanned robot women don't use make-up, dye their hair, use any sort of body lotion or scented bubble bath, perfume, deodorant etc.... because we should all be natural?

I've never seen this before and no i don't think you're thinking like a 93 year old woman. Ok so the girl hasn't been forced to stand there but for god's sake we're almost in 2010 - isn't this a bit dated?

What does this show our kids? That girls should only aspire to be beautiful and looked at?

tootsie "women should just let their husbands ogle women to their hearts content because 'that's just men'. It's bloody offensive."

how on earth does that work? permission to ogle please - granted/denied/depends ? if I was a man would find that v offensive

am staying single forever rather than take on responsibility of policing the ogling habits of another grown up anyway

surely is bad enough already if you have to pick up their dry cleaning, relinquish remote control and inhale their farts without that added burden?

"What does this show our kids? That girls should only aspire to be beautiful and looked at?"

It shows our kids that the best way to advertise underwear is to show underwear. Why read more into it?

Would you rather we show them that the human body is something to be ashamed of and should be covered at all times? How about teaching them that women who pose in their underwear are less worthy than women in "proper" jobs?

If you want to get offended by ideals of beauty the airbrushing industry is your best target, and actually other women. For those of you objecting to it, do you ever buy "women's" magazine, the gossip or beauty ones? Because they are the ones who airbrush the pictures beyond recognition, and they do it because it sells more magazine, to, and you'll love this, women!

Am in agreement with the OP. Time and a place and all that. It might not be seedy, and yes, the human body is a beautiful wonderful thing but it doesn't sit right with me.