This ^^ is a photo of Erin Heatherton walking the runway for the 2013 Victoria’s Secret show in New York. Erin was one of Victoria’s Secret’s go-to models for several years. I always associate Erin with the brand because of her ill-fated relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio – he does tend to pick out the 20-something blondes from the Victoria’s Secret catalogues or runways. Anyway, Erin has been done with VS for a few years, which I didn’t realize. Erin spoke to Motto about her decision to walk away from VS because… they kept telling her she needed to lose weight. Look at that header photo again.
Erin Heatherton might be a model, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune to feeling bad about herself—particularly when, a few years into her modeling career, Heatherton says she started facing pressure from others to drop pounds.
“My last two Victoria’s Secret shows, I was told I had to lose weight,” she says. “I look back like, ‘Really?’” (Victoria’s Secret didn’t respond to our requests for comment on this.)
Heatherton says she initially worked hard trying to please the people she was working for by eating healthy and exercising twice a day. But while preparing for her last Victoria’s Secret show in 2013, her body “just wouldn’t do it,” she says. “I was really depressed because I was working so hard and I felt like my body was resisting me. And I got to a point where one night I got home from a workout and I remember staring at my food and thinking maybe I should just not eat.”
Shortly after that show, Heatherton parted ways with Victoria’s Secret. She says she went through a lot of self-questioning, wondering what was next for her. She also took that time to really focus on listening to her body.
“I realized I couldn’t go out into the world—parading my body and myself in front of all these women who look up to me—and tell them that this is easy and simple and everyone can do this. I’m willing to sacrifice my pride, in a sense, and my privacy because I know that if I don’t speak about it, I could be withholding information that would really help women,” she says. “It hurts too much to keep it in, and that’s why I’m not keeping it in now.”
Is it just me or do we keep finding out more and more about Victoria’s Secret being sort of shady? Remember the Jourdan Dunn mess last year? And in 2014-15, Doutzen Kroes, Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevingne quit working with VS too. Anyway, I think it’s really awful, gross and disgusting that Victoria’s Secret executives or organizers were telling Erin Heatherton to lose weight. You know they’ve said that to other women too. It just… sucks.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
She could’ve chosen to not eat. Or to breathe in moderation to have fewer air molecules adding to the pounds. Sounds totally reasonable to me.
Look closely, you guys; there’s not enough of a gap between her thighs! How can you expect Victoria’s Secret to sell underwear like that!
So what’s the big deal? They have a criteria and if you can’t meet it then look for work elsewhere. There’s no need to complain because their rules were not to her liking.
That’s what she did Sabine. And more power to her. Victoria Secret are misogynistic bullies.
But…but…she’s gorgeous!!! Shoot if them bitches from VS saw me in a bikini they’d istantly die from the mother’s apron i got…good grief…isn’t underwear made to support one’s body??? Soon there will be no body to support..Geez!!! I’d love to look like this lady, wth are they talking about?
Um… I’m a LOT bigger than her and am very against size discrimination but this here doesn’t seem that bad to me. VS has certain sizes in their panties for their runway models. If you want to be one of those models, you need to fit into those panties. It seems more like she wasn’t fit for the job, didn’t want to continue to adjust her body size (and she shouldn’t have to), and left that job. Jobs have requirements and while modeling is body-related, this is like anyone in any job… If you don’t fit the standards the position requires then you either quit or are fired.
But who are those standards for? Is it for women? Who on average don’t really look like VS models.. Is it for men? They clearly don’t mind having slightly bigger models given how popular Kate Upton is (who isn’t fat by any stretch of the imagination but is definitely bigger than Erin).
I don’t really mind models having to be a certain size and having to diet and exercise to keep it but there are limits.
I agree. I’m sure when VS offered her a contract, she was absolutely thrilled, even though she must have known that all their models are required to be ultra thin, with unfeasably large boobs, and to promote an infantile ideal of ffemale beauty. That didn’t bother her when she was the ‘right’ size, but as soon as she put on a bit of weight, suddenly she realises how lousy the whole thing is?
I’d have a lot more respect for her if she had turned down the VS contract in the first place.
She was very young when she started working for VS. It’s pretty common to change your outlook on… well, everything in your early twenties.
Oh come on. I look at thst picture and I’d kill to look like her. What weight is she carrying that she looks like a cow in Panties??
LMAO “cow in panties”! I would wear that moniker with pride!
Wow, who called her a cow??? Please don’t put words in my mouth! She’s gorgeous and I’d love to have her body too. But VS is looking for something different, which is their right. She was right to quit and I hope she is VERY successful!
Please don’t confuse my position that this particular model wasn’t right for this particular job with like…body shaming. Two different things.
I wouldn’t! She appears to have some pretty jankity boob implants, unless it’s just bad contouring
@Runcmc I disagree. Victoria Secrets is supposed to be about models with curves. That’s one of the reason Tyra Banks left runway and signed with them. The other reason was that she said Naomi Campbell was coming for her. Once Tyra started to put on weight she knew she couldn’t do runway much longer. And we all know Tyra had a great career with VS and she was a bit thicker than Erin.
Over the years they have gone to the almost skin and bones type but they used to represent women that had some curves to them.
I agree! I remember when VS became huge and they promoted women with some curves, not the stick body type. Tyra, Kathy Ireland, Stephanie Seymore, etc. They were still very thin but curvier then the models of VS today. I think their brand is heading downhill.
Or VS could just use a size that doesn’t require a majority of the, already very thin, women they employ to starve themselves?
By golly you’re a genius!
She might mean they told her to do that weird diet that models and body builders do right before shows. They eat only nuts and dehydrate themselves so the skin sucks to the body tightly, or something crazy that like. Hey that’s what they do. Do it or get work elsewhere I guess.
I get what you are saying. I think the problem is that people think VS is for everybody. And it’s not because I am 5’7, size 8-10 and their large underwear cover maybe 40% of my ass. Meaning, you must be tiny for their panties. I am appropriate sized for my height according to all the charts that mean nothing and they don’t fit me. So If they want to market to very thin people, that’s their choice. She absolutely does not need to lose weight in reality though.
It’s interesting that you say that, because VS has had issues with declining sales for years, and a lot of that is because they’re not really selling to women anymore – their marketing is either directed at men (those Michael Bay commercials?) or high school/college girls (the Pink line). I haven’t shopped at VS in years, and that’s because I just couldn’t find a normal, comfortable bra without tons of padding.
@Runcmc I kind of agree. VS has a certain look and wants models to reflect that look. I’m glad she walked away and didn’t resort to a restrictive eating disorder in order to walk their runway.
Behati Prinsloo is another VS casualty. She used to have a delicious figure, but turned into a stick insect within a year of working with VS.
http://healthyceleb.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Behati-Victorias-Secret-Fashion-Show.jpg
http://www.skinnyunderground.com/uploads/2/8/9/8/28981113/180936203.jpg
…I think her body looks lovely in both shots. Calling her a stick insect is pretty rude…
Are you serious? There might be a difference of 5 lbs there at the most. And in the second photo she’s got a ton of lean muscle. The woman is fit!
Behati is not physically fit. She is a chain smoker. That is her weight control plan.
The difference is VERY apparent.
Behati doesn’t seem to be the type to work out like others do (Adriana Lima, Doetzen just to name a few), I think she lost weight “the easy way” (=stopped eating) and it definitely shows. No tone, no definition.
That is way more than 5 pounds. Look at her thighs in both.
Are you looking through rose colored glasses? That is a significant difference in her size and the before pic looks so much better.
Tons of lean muscle? Where? You can see what muscle she has, because her body fat is so low. That is not the same as ‘tons of lean muscle’. The girl has to weigh under 100 lbs and she is TALL. No tons of anything there.
I apologize for calling her a stick insect. That WAS rude.
K: Alessandra and Adriana are smokers. Do you think it’s their weight control plan? Some people smoke. But they are not starving themselves.
Silkymalice I agree with you!! She was voluptuous and amazing! Sad she got rid of juicy body!!
Part of it re:behati is maybe also that she went from a Pink model – selling “college” stuff to their college market – to a Vic Sec model – selling sexy stuff and being more of a face of the brand overall. Not justifying the weight loss, just pointing out Pink is supposed to be youthful…
She looks great in the photo, but that was after she lost the weight she was asked to lose before the show. It’s not as if she was already that weight (that she is in the photo) and they told her to lose weight. Believe it or not, some people are just naturally really thin. They aren’t starving themselves to get that way. If someone does have to starve themselves to be that thin, then they should probably do something else besides model for Victoria’s Secret. Not everyone can be a runway lingerie model.
This this this!!! You said it much more eloquently than I did. Some women can achieve that body size through healthy means- it sounds like Erin is not one of those women. So instead of torturing herself she should have just pursued one of the million careers in the world that don’t require her to starve herself. Or just model for a different company.
Victoria’s Secret has a body standard and if you want to work for them, you need to match it.
“Heatherton says she initially worked hard trying to please the people she was working for by eating healthy and exercising twice a day. But while preparing for her last Victoria’s Secret show in 2013, her body “just wouldn’t do it,” she says. “I was really depressed because I was working so hard and I felt like my body was resisting me. And I got to a point where one night I got home from a workout and I remember staring at my food and thinking maybe I should just not eat.”
That’s not after she lost the weight. She clearly says her body just couldn’t lose the weight and she left the company after her last VS Fashion Show in 2013. That is the size she was before the show and while doing the show.
No. Just no. No one is “naturally” that skinny. No one can achieve that skeletal body size through “healthy means. One’s body needs a certain amount of fat in order to function properly. That’s why so many underweight women stop menstruating, lose their hair and suffer other symptoms and often wind up with eating disorders.
My own mother was a lifelong anorexic and died younger than she should have last year. There’s no question that her anorexia was a factor. And the sickest part? Had she been a VS model they probably would have told her to lose weight as well. (5’7″ and weight at death was 105 lbs. Which was heavy for her due to medication that caused her to retain water).
People have different body types and some tend to be slimmer naturally and some tend to carry more weight naturally. But that doesn’t mean that a 5’10” woman can be healthy at 115 lbs, nor can she be healthy at 300 lbs. And she couldn’t achieve either of those weights through “healthy means.”
I was that skinny naturally for almost 40 yrs.! I was self conscious about being too skinny for a long time and actually drank weight gaining shakes for years! It didn’t matter what I ate, I drank coca cola as if it was water, ate lots of fried foods and sweets. I could never gain weight. Then I went up to a size 4 in my 30’s, and due to illness, inactivity, and age I gained some weight in my mid 40’s. My mother, her sister, and her mother were the same. There are plenty of women and men who are naturally skinny.
Sorry Sami but I join ladysussex. I’ve been thin my entire life, I was teased about it because I grew awkwardly and it took time for my body to catch up. I do eat healthy and I am active but it’s not to lose weight.
I went through a period of trying to gain in my teens but it was useless and stopped trying. My parents are slender and my siblings are slender. 3 of my grandparents were slender. My one sister is lucky if she reaches 100 and is tiny. My other is 5’8 and I’m 5’10 same genetics. My brothers are the same. One had to go on weight gain drinks to play football.
There are things I used to wish I could change but I don’t go there anymore.
Yes Magnoliarose! My mother tells stories about how she wanted to join the Navy but couldn’t meet the minimum weight requirement. She gorged herself of PBJs until she finally gained the weight just to meet the minimum. I wasn’t allowed to give blood in HS and college because I didn’t weigh enough.
I think it does exist too and I’m certainly not thin myself. However, one has to take into account a person’s eating pattern and genetics. My friend is ‘naturally’ thin but if you would track what she eats in a day, she’s probably eating less than 700cal which would make any person lose weight or maintain it. she only eats 1 big meal in the evening.
She also walks a lot (at least 4 hours in a day) AND she goes out until 5am so she’s consuming empty calories but burns them off pretty quickly. Add to that her amazing genetics and voila, model material.
She does gain weight when she either eats more or moves less but she’s still lucky in that 3-5 days of party hardy, she literally burns excess weight and gets ABS, like in what crazy world? But yeah, it does exist.
With all that said, people accept the label naturally thin but nobody would ever embrace women who call themselves naturally fat or bigger. If one is accepted, so should the other.
You are flat out wrong, Sami. Plenty of us are. And were. There is a reason that clothing sizes have ballooned up since the 1980s.
I think the point is why should only super thin women be represented? Because, yes of course there are women that are naturally skinny. Then there are women who have a natural pear shape. Or an hourglass. Or plus size. All women should be represented. Our society’s obsession with size 0 is so unhealthy and it makes me sad seeing people defend it. Would it really be offensive to you if others above size 0 were on the runway?
To me that’s like saying “Why shouldn’t women with naturally very thin, brittle hair be represented in the shampoo ads. Why do they only show women with thick, shiny, lustrous hair?. It’s just not fair! Real women have all kinds of hair!” Or, why aren’t there more buck-toothed models? There are real women with buck teeth. Or why do all models have to be 5′ 10″ or taller when the average height of women in America is 5′ 3″? Why not fight for short people’s rights to be Victoria’s Secret models?
@LadySussex Shampoo and conditioner is marketed as something that will make your hair healthy, voluminous, etc. Bras and underwear from VS aren’t supposed to make you thin or tall. Your argument is absurd.
@KB fashion in general is marketed as making you beautiful and glamorous. If bras from VS aren’t marketed to make you thin or tall then why not have short models? The point is that models represent the ideal standard of beauty and glamour. All cultures since the beginning of time have had an ideal standard of beauty. Some men/women met the standards, and some didn’t. Those who didn’t tried hard to meet it. The whole “It’s not fair, every body type should be represented on the cover of magazines and lingerie runway” argument is what I’m responding to. Why not insist every type of hair, or face, or height be represented too?
@Ladysussex I don’t really care what size the models are, I was just saying your argument about shampoo wasn’t a good comparison.
VS models were maybe the standard of beauty when they featured women like Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, and Gisele. They all looked like women. But they’ve recently started veering towards very young looking girls. I think they are purposely trying to market themselves to teenagers instead of women. Probably because most women know their products are overpriced and of poor quality. They’ve got Alessandra and Adriana, but I think they’re aging them out in favor of girls who look more like Kendall Jenner.
While some women are naturally very, very thin, it’s far fewer than we’d like to believe, especially when it comes to the modelling industry. There are just too many stories out there about what women have to do to be and stay the size required by the fashion and beauty industry.
And Victoria’s Secret likes to portray a healthy, All-American image (in so many words) as though they would never pressure their models to be dangerously thin.
But if you are not naturally very thin, you don’t HAVE to be a model! Less than .5% of the population is working as a model. So more than 99.5% of women make their livings doing something other than modeling. If you have to go to great lengths to be thin, or you feel it’s unhealthy, then just get another job! Yes it might not make you famous, or let you party in Ibiza, or get you a rockstar boyfriend, but that’s life.
@Ladysussex Um, no that is not the same. People are not starving themselves to get the perfect teeth or hair. Only few people in this world can look like these models naturally, but we are told this is the desired weight. Especially since fashion in general is continuing on with this trend. Most runways have young girls that haven’t fully gone through puberty yet modeling clothes meant for women.
VS is supposed to be the fun, sexy clothing line for women. What’s wrong with having diversity in sizes?
Well that’s clearly the solution then.
Not to mention, it doesn’t matter how thin these women are to begin with, there’s ALWAYS pressure on them to be thinner. As I said below, even Adriana Lima doesn’t actually look like the Adriana Lima that comes down the runway of that VS show – she has to do a liquid diet for about 10 days to get ready. And have you seen her?
And don’t forget, the modeling industry is filled with young women who are actively recruited, from around the world. They start young, and you’re expecting 13, 14, 15 year olds to be cognizant of boundaries and to be able to withstand a crazy amount of pressure.
ladysussex, I have to say I disagree one hundred percent. of course, other women don’t have to be models. they can be something else.BUT WHY OH WHY would that industry have to stay that way and not change their standards? those standards aren’t natural laws like gravity or something? they can change in a moment if people feel like it. why wouldn’t they change then? I would really like to see other types of women on the runway. I find those extrathin models unattractive. I want to see some sensual women out there. I’m not saying thin women shouldn’t be models, but there’s no reason they should be the only ones who get to do that job.
Well, I think a huge problem in the industry is models get hired when they are very young. When I was a teenager, it was a lot easier to lose weight (and I say that as someone still in their 20s). Anyway, there are some women who are going to be very thin their entire lives. But a large number of women, by the time they hit their mid 20s, start having a harder time losing weight. Which is what this sounds like. When she was younger, she could easily lose weight, but as she got older, she found she could no longer do it. The average age of retirement for a VS model is 28. I mean, needing a career change at 28 when you probably started modeling at 16 sounds kind of rough. Sure, these girls make a ton of money, but VS models are actually old. The average models career ends when she’s 21, so once you’ve aged out of VS, you’ve long aged out of modeling. I can sympathize.
“I realized I couldn’t go out into the world—parading my body and myself in front of all these women who look up to me—and tell them that this is easy and simple and everyone can do this.” Some women are naturally that thin, but those women are few. The reason a lot of VS models are so thin is a mixture of young and naturally thin and then working out a ton and eating very healthy. And after a while, it becomes hard even for them to stay that thin. But a lot of models will swear that they eat pizza all the time. (Maybe a very few do, but the majority do not.)
You know I feel like back in the day VS had some really gorgeous woman with curvy figures. Tyra, Marissa Miller…they were trim, but curvy and strong looking. Now they just have scrawny looking women with no actual curves. I guess there is a place in modeling for very skinny girls(runway/walking hangers) but good lord, VS is not it. And you know what, I feel like since they switched to this generic underfed model type, they don’t really have “stars” they way they used to. There aren’t really standout Angels that everyone knows. I feel like I only know any of their names when Leo cycles through them
I’m slightly shocked that they let Gigi Hadid on the runway last year. Gigi is thin, but she’s more athletic looking than their standard models. Of course, they stuck her in the Pink section, though.
I agree, but have you seen her pictures lately?
Gigi is definitely going down the VS misery lane.
She used to have a nice, round breats and now she’s almost flat.
If you go to YouTube, there is some video of the first one on there (1995). Not all of the models were curvy then either. There are some pretty thin ones. I think over the years, we only remember the really famous ones, who were curvier, and have forgotten that there have always been very thin girls on the VS runway.
I find some of the comments depressing, if she can’t do it then don’t be a model. Nobody ask themself if the “objectif” at Victoria Secret is just inatable for an healthy human being. With this sort of mentality no wonders fashion industry is still caught in this skinny at all cost culture.
I agree. If a company hires already thin models and tells them to lose weight, maybe that’s on the company? If the company’s standard is a body type that maybe 5% (if that) of the female population can achieve without starving themselves, maybe THAT is the problem? Yes, of course there are women who simply look like that but how many? And should that be the standard against which everyone is measured? Weeell, if you’re not naturally that skinny, go home. Come on now, that’s insane.
I’m glad she spoke out. Especially this part: “I realized I couldn’t go out into the world—parading my body and myself in front of all these women who look up to me—and tell them that this is easy and simple and everyone can do this.”
I keep hoping that one day this grotesque parade on a runway will end. The whole idea that you are only desirable if you are 6′ tall and can wear size zero clothes is ridiculous. (I confess that I hate this particular brand with a passion. The first and last time I ever stopped in the VS store and discovered that they had no bra bigger than a C cup, that everything was made of cheap polyester and that the entire store smelled like a low class brothel. So call me biased:-))
I wish more models would speak out – not only about VS but all the similar requests they get, I am sure it happens a lot.
Exaaactly the cheapest ass brothel in all of the land.
I too have to maintain a certain body weight for my job(I’m an athlete) and even tough I go hungry from time to time and eat little sugar and drink a lot of water while still trying to get everything my body needs(gotta feed those muscles) I’m not even close to being as thin as these Victoria Secret models who are even a bit fuller than your run of the mill models.
Therefore I refuse to believe that they achieve that body with just diet and exercise.
I remember when one of the VS models (Adrianna Lima, maybe?) basically admitted to a magazine that she basically stopped eating solids around 2 weeks before the fashion show. Like, went to a straight liquid diet. That’s crazy.
It genuinely makes no sense to demand that lingerie models all be super thin. Lingerie is, on some level, as much for men as it is for women. And men like women in a variety of sizes. Wouldn’t showing their lingerie in a variety of sizes bring in more money for the brand, since, you know, it would inspire both more women and men to buy it?
Showing and first of all manufacturing lingerie in a variety of sizes and for a variety of shapes. I’ve walked into VS once (don’t live in the US, I was on vacation) and frankly, that stuff doesn’t fit me. Mind you, I’m not terribly overweight or anything. But that wasn’t going to happen.
It was Adriana Lima. And the flack she got for that was unbelievable. It didn’t matter that it was because this was the expectation put on her by her job, or that even Adriana Lima doesn’t normally have an Adriana Lima body.
In a way, I found her refreshing. At least she admitted that she totally doesn’t really have that body and that she needs to go to extremes to do that.
I always hate that right before the fashion show, they always come out with these fluff articles about “how the VS girls get those bodies” and they always show them eating “healthfully” or working out at barre class or something like that. And I don’t doubt they do those things in their daily lives. But come on – right before that show, they’re fasting, they’re on liquid diets, they’re sweating out water weight, etc. I actually liked that at least she admitted it.
I actually thought the same thing. I’d way rather she say what she does for real than try to convince us that all she does is add a few extra minutes of cardio. Because how on earth does it help anyone if we’re supposed to pretend that anyone can be VS thin with just a sensible diet and exercise? No one had a problem with the fact that she had to get her body to look that thin, they were just mad that she admitted what she had to do to get there. It felt hypocritical.
Refreshing? But Adriana is so fake! Yes, she “admitted” she doesn’t have that body and that she needs to go to extremes to do that. BUT after that interview she said it wasn’t so bad.
Some years ago she said she’s not a smoker, but she is a smoker. And she said it was easy to lose the baby weight. But in one of her interviews she said it WASN’T easy.
I read an article not too long ago on the Daily Mail (I think) about a woman who tried the VS diet and exercise plan to achieve the required measurements. It was awful. And she was maybe a size 6 to start with. Who watches that runway show anyway?
For all those who say “well maybe you can’t be a VS model, who cares” — think of the larger problem. Women come in all shapes and sizes. Why is fashion only designed for women who are very tall and thin?
Certainly, women who are naturally very tall and thin should have access to lovely clothes, but so do the rest of us. And don’t come at me with the “hanger” excuse. I am a short and thick woman with a sewing machine and skills, and I look fabulous every damn day.
Fashion isn’t only designed for very tall, thin women. It’s made in many sizes. It’s just that this modeled by tall, thin women.
You mean to tell me that an underwear company wanted it’s models to be even thinner?
Victoria’s Secret does have some fuller figured models, but they’re always the ‘name’ models. As Tyra Banks would say, they earned the right to put on a few pounds (or have a baby in several of these cases) and still be featured.
Yeah.
My guess is VS wanted to get rid of her and used that BS line.
They’ve featured ‘not so perfect models’ (??) in the past.
Adriana Lima was back on the VS runway with a quickness even though her post pregnancy figure was not ‘VS model’.
If Erin was a bigger name ( post & pre Leo) or pushed volumes, they wouldn’t have let her go.
I’m sure they would have kept her if she’d stayed thin enough, but Erin wasn’t a big enough name to earn the right to be a few pounds heavier. Which is a pretty ridiculous sentence to type.
VS has gotten a lot of mileage over the years of being friendly to their biggest names when it comes to coming back from pregnancy, but the reality is that they’re just as bad about everyone else when it comes to an extremely rigid expectation of body type.
But VS didn’t know she would look like that. I bet they thought she would look perfect.
VS is notorious in the fashion industry for being harsh about weight. Some of the models like Erin just refuse to keep doing it. People think some models were dropped but some just said No. Some resorted to drugs and starvation and just got tired of doing it. Who could blame them. Their desire is unnatural even for fashion.
I had no idea contracts with models had gotten so cheap. I remember when Gisele was offered a huge contract in the early 2000s. Then she asked for more money in 2007 and they fired her because they couldn’t afford her. Paying Alessandra only 100k is kinda terrible cause those girls have a lot of promo work to do with the company.
That being said, I think the only model they get away with being toned and athletic is Candice and I think it’s cause she’s their fav. All the new girls are so skinny and look like each other
VS dumped it’s big contracts a long time ago. The company isn’t actually doing that great, and they think the models should work for less money because they get a lot of exposure in return. It’s why the Angels haven’t been nearly as much of a thing for years.
It’s not true. They didn’t fire her. She was offered a huge contract in 2007, but she left… She didn’t want to be a VS model anymore.
“Paying Alessandra only 100k…” What? Are you sure? Only 100k? They need her, but they know SHE needs them. Alessandra is not an A-list model.
But their contracts are very cheap now. That’s why Doutzen left.
I am so tired of the fashion industry and the media’s manipulation of what is considered beautiful. It is a social disease that should be eradicated.
I really cannot believe some of these comments on here today…………especially since quite a few were slamming Amy Schumer yesterday and saying there was no way she’s between a size 6 or 8. Today, some are saying well don’t model for Victoria Secret then, you know you have to be thin… WHAT????? Some of you are missing the bigger issue here.
I’m 5’4″, 135 lbs… too short and fat to be a Victoria Secret model and apparently I cannot possibly fluctuate between a size 6 or 8 because my measurements, according to what I read yesterday, saying I should be putting my fat a$$ in a size 12. Actually my bust size is a size 12, my waist size is 10/12 but my hips are between a size 2 & 4! Yesterday comments depressed me, it brought me back to 14 and I asked everyone if I was squeezing into a size 8 based on the comments to Amy Schumer. I think I need to take a break from reading this site because most of you miss the bigger picture about these arguments with body shaming, plus size and assuming you know what size a celeb is by looking at photos of them.
ITA. The comments on the Amy Schumer post yesterday were ridiculous. And the comments on this one are not much better so far.
People are being utterly idiotic here… The problem is making people starve because of sizes. That’s why I don’t like any brand from idiotic designers (VS included).
I’m astonished at what I’ve read today here… Body-shamming a woman who is thin and elegant because she’s not thing enough for VS?
(&%/$ Victoria Secret… )
+1000
You don’t know this site? Body shaming… It’s normal. I don’t think these comments are so bad. But this same writer wrote a story some days ago and the comments… Ugh. It was sad.
I’m a boy (according to CB readers and this writer). Yes, slim women are boys.
I can’t believe the comments on this article either. The comments make it sound like Victoria’s Secret just doesn’t want to hire plus size models who don’t fit into their product line.
Erin Heatherton and the other VS models are rail thin and bordering on emaciated anyway, and VS still pressures them to be more emaciated (but with boobs!).
I’m going to comment on this, having lived it from the other side. (This is probably going to be really long, sorry.)
First, before I get into details, do I think that she was right to walk away? Yes. Once your brain goes into the I just shouldn’t eat mode, it’s very difficult to get it out. Someone commented that they would have had more respect for her if she hadn’t signed the contract. That’s crap. She signed a contract that a lot of models would love to get and did this with the full understanding that there are rules and regs to what she had to look like. It’s called modeling, that’s what it’s about. However, I doubt that she figured that the requirements would need her to lose more weight than expected for a show and she didn’t sign up for a job that would kill her self image. In the regular world, we tell people to leave jobs that squash your self respect and image, and we go into those not knowing what is going to happen. The same goes for her and other models. They go into a job happy to be there, not to have their self worth stripped away. Just because people don’t understand or agree with modeling doesn’t mean they need to put up with it.
Now for the second.
VS has always been the interesting fashion show. 1995 was the first one, 2 years after I was finished in the industry but there were rumours that it was coming even in 1993. Stephanie Seymour was the big name in that one (Beverley Peele was there too I believe) and that was huge. In today’s VS world, Stephanie is probably too big to be a model for them, scary thought that. Over the years, there were some incredible models, Claudia, Naomi, Tyra, who did the show. Now, looking at it, it has become a parody of a runway show, which is sad.
Does the VS show represent what real women look like? Well, yes, in some cases. Real women are all of us. I use to model but never would have made the runway as I am too short and curvy, runways have always been gazelles. There are a lot of women who are naturally tall and thin like those models, so it isn’t fair to say that the models don’t represent real women. I worked with girls who drank milkshakes to put on weight because they were so thin. Then again, I also worked with ones who ate paper to stay that thin……Yes, that rumour is true. Runway models, outside of VS as well, are always going to be thin and tall, they always have been. This shows the clothes in a straight line. That’s how they like it. Runway fashions are never meant to be truly worn by Joe Schmuck off the street. The occasional thin celeb sure, but not us. I never did understand why, even as a young teen model I questioned that, but that’s the way it is. It started in full force with Twiggy and they never looked back.
People are commenting that they should be showing “real” women on the runway. I can see the point but I also can see why they don’t. Fashion is about a show, about bending the truth and reality, about glitz, glamour and all things rich. Showing regular people with thighs, cellulite, saggy boobs, super curves, or in the case of the guys, no abs and pecs, is not part of the fantasy. I am very aware that society does not buy it as fantasy anymore and that there are real issues around men and women’s body images and that kids growing up now face a whole new round of challenges that previous generations did not (every generation faces different ones imo. Mine had the CK Obsession ads and Kate Moss to look up too). Does it need to change? I think that it does, yes. Will changing runway models looks change it? It’s a very small start, sure. I think that what is expected of the models should change. We all want to see someone we consider perfect. What is the ideal perfect? Who’s views should it be? Twiggy and Kate Moss were heralded as the perfect once too. Should that be what it is? Should the Claudia’s of the world be held as the perfect? Or should we just toss the shows out the window and call it a day? That will never happen, too much $$ is involved and too many people like us, comment on it and keeping it rolling.
These girls are real women, genetically blessed ones to be sure, but still women. They have body issues like anyone else, maybe more so. They smoke to keep weight off, they eat paper, they starve themselves, they do drugs, they do things that most of us could never imagine just to stay thin so they can keep their JOBS. Agree or not, this is what they do for a living, and like the rest of us, they take orders from bosses. If the boss says be thinner, they do or they don’t work. The boss needs to change, not the girls.
Yes to a lot of what you said.
I worked in the fashion industry too and there were plenty of unhealthy women doing crazy things. But there are some who don’t and there are nutritionists who specialize in working with models and actors who don’t want to starve. My roommate was a runway model and didn’t have food issues or do weird things except juicing before Fashion Week for a several days. But another I knew had an illegal prescription for thyroid medicine and appetite suppressants. She fit the height and look but naturally carried more than ideal for the standard but not nearly enough to be plus. Her body is a mess now because of what she did and is paying the price with her health. Things got very bad for her.
Modeling is not worth sacrificing your health and self esteem. Period. There are many other professions to embark on that won’t cost you your health or peace of mind.
I blame the companies and designers not the models.
Nutritionists were not a big thing when I was in the industry, unless you were one of the really big names. The juicing/liquid diets before any Fashion Week were normal then, even I did it before Fashion Week and us shorter girls worked as ushers at the time. (I was a huge Big Mac eater the rest of the time.)
I was one of the lucky few who was able to keep healthy and sane in that world. I was discovered by the owner of the agency walking down a street and he kept a close eye on me while I was working and was in contact with my parents all the time. You are absolutely right that it is not worth the toll on a person. It’s brutal, catty and horrible for your perception of the world. The companies bear the majority of the responsibility as far as I am concerned. Even the designers get nudged in the direction they want to go.
You are 100% right about how catty it can be and vicious. The nutritionist thing came around mid 90s but mostly working models who made a full time living used one.
You have to be very thick skinned and protected to navigate it past the huge pitfalls but even if you have the look, maybe you don’t have the personality or temperament for it. If you don’t, it’s best not to do it.
I could write a book on the outlandish things people did or said.
For some reason male models weren’t as neurotic, not saying no issues but just not as over the top.
I bet you could. I saw some pretty crazy sh*t for a kid (I was 10 when I started, 17 when I left) and I was sheltered from a lot of it because of my age.
The guys weren’t as bad. Catty sometimes, but for the most part ok. Again, that could be because of my age too. I have no idea what it’s like for them now but I would imagine that it has gone the same route as the women.
It definitely isn’t for everyone. The ones who stick it out long term have my respect. They are some tough people.
I heard from a friend who did modelling on a casual basis that drugs were actually encouraged by some to help them with the hunger.
Sad to say Mango it’s rampant and true. Some of the huge supers were known and seen doing drugs. Someone would say: It is snowing in the bathroom. *wink wink*
Mango, that’s absolutely true. It’s sad. There were times when I was younger that I was not allowed in certain areas of the shoot. Found out later on that this was why. It was confusing to me at the time but I’m glad that someone was smart enough to keep me away. Looking back, it’s unbelievable what goes on.
**Just a note that one of parents was usually with me until I was 15, then they let me go on a shoot occasionally without them. When they weren’t there, I had someone with me, usually my makeup guy Fred (loved him). He was with me at all of my work from 15 until I “retired”.**
Someone up thread(not sure who sorry) mentioned “who is this for?” Why do they have such skinny VS models. That is a great question! Why would any undies and bra company want to turn away a beauty like this from their line? I guess they just want people to think only the most skinny, beautiful women in the world wear their products and if you wear them too…you are part of the club. Ugh. If people quit buying their shit and demanded all types on women in it, they would do it by next runway show. Also, who besides teenage boys watch these shows anyway???? LOL
Who are those absurd Michael Bay commercials for? Certainly not the women they’re trying to sell underwear to.
Some people keep referring to “naturally” thin women, when the reality is that those women pprobably exercise or have habits and a mentality that, taken as a whole, is conducive to maintaining a certain/healthy body weight. They don’t starve themselves, but instead eat smaller portions at regular intervals and stay well hydrated.
In the photo above, Erin looks very healthy and fit. If they wanted her to lose significantly more weight than that, they’re crazy. To say that she looks rail thin or emaciated is grossly incorect.
You make good points about habits. At a certain point if you don’t tone and exercise a thin person can look just slim but not fit or healthy. Usually if a person restricts calories for a while they lose muscle mass.
For some reason I recall seeing a photo of her with a sister and brother and they were tall and thin. I just don’t think she’s ever going to be a skeleton without hurting herself and is fine as is. It’s disturbing to think they wanted that.
the thing with victoria secret is that they sell un-attainability. the problem with this is that it can become un-attainable even for their models. if youre at a size that the majority of the population could reach with diet and exercise then you are attainable and therefore not right for the vs brand.
VS shows are embarrassing to watch or see pics of. I can’t understand why this is such an event or the brand is still in business. Yes, they do throw $5 million (I think that was the budget last year) at the show every year, but these women are made to look like cosplay-teenage-fetish-pedo objects or peacocks. Very ugly and tacky lingerie on top of everything. Who buys this stuff? I guess they have more regular looking pieces but the show turns me off walking into one of their stores.
Erin is obviously a bit bigger than most of the VS models, but she looks great. Isn’t the lose weight thing just a part of their industry? Adriana L or one of the other ones said they prep by doing a liquid diet for the ten days leading up to it. I’m not saying that’s okay, but VS is, as the poster above says, selling unattainability so you’ll keep paying attention.
I hate their lingerie and their practices. I hope they decline even further.