The Fashion Industry Doesn't Like Coco Rocha's Grown-Up Curves

Coco Rocha is the latest model to come out against the fashion industry's stubborn adherence to a super-skinny aesthetic on the runway. Rocha has recently gone on the record saying that she has lost jobs because her body is too big now that she's reached the ripe old age of 21.

We remember when Rocha was a featured speaker at a CFDA Health Initiative forum back in 2008, where she confessed that a day in the life of a typical model involved hearing sensitive comments like, "We don't want you to be anorexic--we just want you to look like you are." She also admitted that an agent had once advised her to throw up after meals and that she had used diuretics to control her weight. Today, Rocha has a healthier outlook: “You know what, I’ve stopped caring. If I want a hamburger, I’m going to have one. No 21-year-old should be worrying about whether she fits a sample size.” The same cannot be said for many industry insiders, who, despite their attendance at the CFDA forums, are still upholding the unhealthy standard of hiring pre-pubescent girls and then routinely rejecting them when they start showing the first signs of curves.

“A lot of people are accountable, and nobody’s saying anything about it,” says James Scully a well-known fashion industry casting agent. “What happens when these girls develop and turn into women?” Well, it looks like they get the axe.

"A Model's Prospects: Slim and None" [NY Times]

Model Crystal Renn Gets Real About the Fashion Industry, Weight Pressures, and the Success that Came with Body Acceptance

For years, Crystal Renn was told that modeling success would come if she could manage to make herself thinner. Of course that has long been the party line of the fashion industry--lose the curves if you want to make any gains as a model. But, like most women who starve themselves to fit others' expectations, Renn discovered that her attempts to slim down were making her miserable and insecure. She gave up the quest for thinness, learned how to trust her own appetite again, and went on to become one of the world's most sought-after plus-size models.

Renn's story is detailed in her new memoir, Hungry. She is interviewed by Salon's Kate Harding this week:

Since I was 14 years old, I had a dream: I want to be in Vogue. I want to travel the world doing editorials, and working in high fashion. That is why I starved myself. That is why I almost lost my life. Because I wanted it that bad.

So when my body wouldn't allow me to do that, I decided I'd rather not lose my life, and I would like to continue my dream. I thought, you know what? I'm gonna keep the dream, different path. I didn't lose hope, I didn't lose confidence, I just said let's channel it differently. I think that's why I've accomplished the things I have, even at this size, because I never gave up.

What's especially inspiring about Renn's experience is that she found happiness and success by letting go of her obsession with weight. Whether you are in the fashion industry or not, that is a lesson every woman can learn from. It's hard to fight the pervasive message that there is a magic number on the scale that is the key to our confidence. But when we take the focus away from weight, it's amazing how much easier it is to find health and fulfillment in all aspects of our lives.

"Dying to be the next Gisele" [Salon]

Same Old, Same Old. The Fashion Industry's "Size Zero" Blame Game

The fashion industry is not clueless about the fact that there is a demand for disturbingly thinner and thinner and models. The issue has been the subject of countless news articles and it's been debated to death in industry forums (three of which we've attended). The problem is that everyone seems to think someone else is at fault.

This seemingly endless blame game is now playing out on an international stage, after British Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman sent a letter to several major fashion houses--including Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Prada and Versace--complaining that their sample sizes were so itty-bitty that editors must use girls with "jutting hipbones" and "no breasts or hips." Designers, however, tell a different story.

"When I go through the agency books, the sizes of the girls are pretty consistent. The girls who work the most are of a consistent size - the same height, shape. When we make samples, we make samples to fit that consistent model size," said designer Kinder Aggugini. "The size zero is a trend that's gone on too long, but it's a vicious cycle," he added.

A vicious cycle, indeed. The agencies are "forced" to sign super-skinny models because they are the only ones who book jobs. The editors are "forced" to hire said super-skinny models because they are the only ones who will be able to squeeze into the samples. And the designers are "forced" to make those tiny samples because the only models available are super-skinny! Got that?

Sarah Shotton, head designer for Agent Provocateur, sais she wants to work with bigger models, but the agencies send "girls so thin we have to ask them to leave."

"I actually think it has got worse since they started talking about skinny models a few years ago," Shotton added.

And that right there is the heart of the matter. We can talk about skinny models forever, but nothing will change until players at all points in this vicious cycle start taking some action.


"Fashion houses hit back in row over who's to blame for 'size zero' models" [Guardian]

Related:
"CFDA Health Initiative Discussion: 'We've Been Drinking the Kool-Aid'"
"Anna Wintour Says Models Today Are Pale, Thin and Joyless"
"Designer Bradley Bayou Pushes for Changes After His Own Daughter Suffers From Bulimia"

image: Photobucket

Model-made Documentary 'Picture Me' Reveals the Shady Side of the Fashion Industry

Model Sara Ziff and her then-boyfriend Ole Schell started filming a video diary a few years ago. As their interviews with other models, designers and fashion insiders began to reveal some ugly truths about the industry, they decided to turn their footage into a feature. Picture Me is now making the rounds on the festival circuit and is picking up a lot of buzz along the way.

In an interview with The Guardian, Ziff explains that young, aspiring models are caught up in a system where intense competition combined with a lack of support and supervision creates a recipe for exploitation. "Vulnerable girls are being put into a potentially predatory environment," says Ziff. "What's in the agency's interest is not always best for the girl, and if she's in a compromising situation, she doesn't necessarily have anyone to turn to."

In one scene of the film, model Sena Cech desribes her experience of being coerced to perform a sex act on a photographer. According to Ziff, these incidents are rampant in the industry. Unfortunately, they are rarely discussed.

"It doesn't happen in front of anyone. It happens in the dark recesses," she says. "Pretty much every girl I have talked to has a story like it, but no one talks about it. It's all under the radar because people are embarrassed and because the people in the industry who are doing these things are much more powerful, and the model is totally disposable. She could be gone in two years."

Unlike actors, models do not have the protection of a union. Sure, there are still plenty of shady goings-on in Hollywood casting offices. But there also strict on-the-job regulations for child actors. Even though a 14-year-old model might be treated like she's older, she is still a child.

"Sara Ziff talks to Louise France about the world of teen modelling" [Guardian]
"Model/Actress Ponderings"

We Heart Kate Harding

If you haven't read this interview with Kate Harding, we highly recommend you check it out. And if you're not a regular reader of Shapely Prose, what are you waiting for?

"The Queen of Fat Bloggers Takes No Prisoners" [Chicago Tribune]

Yes, That's Me With Tommy Lee

I got a few inquiries about Jezebel's hilarious In Fashion resurrection. Guilty as charged. Indeed, I am the chick Tommy Lee is groping. I can officially say that was last time I ever wore a leather miniskirt.

Those were high times in my modeling career, but I was not a happy (or healthy) camper. Consider this a friendly public service announcement. Next time you think it might be nice to have '90s Tommy Lee cupping your ass, remember that the modeling biz is not what it's cracked up to be. So You Wanna Be A Model...

Inès de la Fressange + Velvet D'Amour: Does Jean Paul Gaultier Really Get It?

Jean Paul Gaultier sent 51-year-old model Inès de la Fressange down his runway in Paris, proving yet again that he puts his money where his mouth is when it comes to highlighting beauty that falls outside the industry standard.

Gaultier hired the the amazing Velvet D'Amour a few years ago, garnering criticism that his choice was a cynical response to the backlash against ultra-thin models. Velvet had a different take:

"JPG has been clear on the statement he was making--that beauty takes many forms... There were some who viewed my appearance as ‘farcical’, or token, but when would any appearance of a genuinely fat person NOT be viewed as such? People of size are utterly banned from any mainstream media (other then the headless, junk food munching, obese [people] witnessed on the evening news every night). There are few, if any, references of inclusion beyond ridicule."

Women of a certain age get similarly ridiculed when they try to be be taken seriously as sex symbols. Just last week, Susan Sarandon dared to wear a low-cut gown to the SAG Awards and got blasted for being age-inappropriate. What. ever. We think she looked hot, as did Inès de la Fressange, who proudly declares that she is not a workout fiend or a plastic surgery addict:

"Winston Churchill always said the best exercise is no exercise so let me put it this way; I do as much exercise as Churchill! And I never do Botox or plastic surgery either."

While we're generally not quick take beauty tips from ol' Churchill, we are officially charmed. Inès also had some pretty spot-on observations about old school vs. new school modeling:

"When I first started modeling the ambiance was like a party, it was so fun. Models like Pat Cleveland and Jerry Hall had so much energy and personality and they had fun together. The runway shows back there were much more upbeat — even in the way we walked down the runway, greeting people, turning, smiling. Now they are just told to look the same and be impersonal. I walk on the runway like I walk down the street."

Here's to beauty of all ages, colors, shapes, and sizes. Here's to fashion that's actually fun. And a very happy Monday to all of you.

Heard on the Runway: Gaultier’s 51-Year-Old Runway Star: Inès de la Fressange

Velvet D'Amour Interview Part I

Velvet D'Amour Interview Part II

51-Year-Old Model Inès de La Fressange

Michelle Obama's Inaugural Ball Gown? Amazing. Here's Why.

There was a lot to celebrate about the inauguration, but I did an extra little cartwheel (Okay, a cartwheel in my mind. But it was a good one.) when I saw that Michelle Obama's gorgeous ball gown was designed by Jason Wu.

The executive director of Jason Wu's studio is Michelle Taveras, one of the role models I interviewed for You're Amazing! As a teen, Michelle spoke about the media's influence on girls in the U.S. at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. Today she is a leader in Jason Wu's company. Clearly this is a woman who knows something about making history. Here's a piece of advice she offers to girls everywhere:

"I think we grow when we step out of our comfort zone. We feel uncomfortable and vulnerable and that's OK. It is only then that we are strong and bold enough to tackle our fears and evolve to the next level."

Keep taking risks and taking it to the next level, Michelle. It's working for you!

Are People Finally Fed Up With Model Shows? MTV Pulls the Plug on "Model Makers"

MTV began casting for a new show called Model Makers, but it appears the show will never see the light of day. That's good news, because it looked all kinds of horrible. Contestants on the show would have been forced to "endure twelve weeks of intensive physical fitness training to help them get down to their ideal size...With weekly eliminations looming, models must put their best foot forward at all times while staying focused on losing weight."

In truth, the premise of Model Makers sounds a lot closer to reality than most other model "reality" TV shows. Yes, a segment of the population of today's working models is naturally and effortlessly skinny. The rest are perpetually and sometimes dangerously focused on losing weight (remember Ali Michael?). The show's teaser line sums up exactly what's wrong with the fashion industry: "Women come in all shapes and sizes, but models don't." Actually, you could modify that line to read "Women come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but models don't" and you would have a pretty accurate picture of what the runways at Fashion Week look like these days.

So why did Model Makers get the ax? Darryl Roberts, director of the documentary America the Beautiful, credits a massive letter writing campaign. Roberts wrote an open letter to MTV on HuffPo earlier this month. He published the casting email address and encouraged outraged readers to protest the show. We love to think of that inbox being flooded. And if MTV really did come to its senses as a result of the groundswell, that is a huge victory for woman and girlkind.

But while we're on the topic of model reality shows, we'd like to pose a question. Will audiences ever grow weary? Of course America's Next Top Model keeps on trucking into it's 200th season or something. We've also seen Model.Live, Models NYC, The Agency, She's Got the Look, 8th & Ocean, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, and our personal favorite, America's Most Smartest Model. Even Project Runway insists on incorporating a model elimination within a show that's supposed to be about the designers (insert Tim Gunn inflection here). We're not exactly crying a river, or a puddle, when Heidi aufs one of them each week. Is there anyone out there shedding a tear?

We suppose there is a core audience of the model-obsessed who will watch anything and everything related to those pretty moddles. As for the rest of us, it's fun to laugh along for a while, and sometimes those shows can even be edumacational! But when does it start to get old? Is there a saturation point for eye smiling and fierceness?

[Huffington Post via Ypulse]

Is Christina Ricci in Training to Become an Eating Disorders Counselor?

Yes, we know we've been MIA. We have a big announcement coming soon that will explain the absence. But we're popping in for a quickie today because this little item grabbed our attention: There is word coming through the Hollywood gossip grapevine that Christina Ricci is in training to become an eating disorder counselor.

According to one source, "Christina went through hell and back growing up. For years she struggled with her self-esteem, so she knows how hard it is for young girls. [She hopes] to learn how she can help them get better without having to go through all the pain she did as a child."

The item states that Christina has "registered for online classes." Not exactly the road to a Ph.D., but there might be some level of certification she can obtain online. We're very curious indeed.

We both know that many, many individuals who work in the eating disorders treatment, prevention, and advocacy fields have personal experience with eating disorders. Our past suffering led us to this work, and helping others has allowed us to find purpose and meaning in the years of our lives that we once believed were wasted on our obsessions with food and weight. If Christina has truly gotten herself to a healthy place where she feels like she's ready to to reach out to those who need some hope and understanding, we say kudos. [Courier Mail]

Brittany Snow Swears Off Hollywood Trainers and Diets

Brittany Snow, star of Prom Night and the super creepy-looking On the Doll, told People magazine that she is done with dieting and training. After being diagnosed with anorexia, depression, exercise bulimia and body dysmorphic disorder as a teenager, the 22-year-old says she's now focused on doing what she wants to do, not what Hollywood dictates.

"Done with the trainer, I cancelled my trainer...I refuse to do the whole diet, fitness, style thing anymore," Snow says. "I know what I like, I know what makes me feel good, and that's just what I do. I think more than anything, the thing I've learned in being here is that everything else doesn't matter as long as you're taking care of yourself and you're having fun." [People] via [The-F-Word]

Our Interview with Velvet D'Amour: Part II

Without further ado, here's the second half of our interview with the fabulous Velvet D'Amour. (You can read Part I here, in case you missed us yesterday.)

What are your thoughts on the model health debate today, nearly two years after your walk down the runway for Gaultier?
Often, the focus tends to be entirely on the external. Granted, modeling is about the physical, but all the media tends to focus on as a general rule when it comes to model’s health is how 'thin' a model may appear. There are women who are prone to being thin, just as there are women who are prone to being fat. That is not to negate the reality that anorexia and bulimia exist amongst both models and society at large.

Anorexia is a disorder primarily associated with adolescence (and also has links to not wanting to grow up), so by employing such young women, virtually children (even 13 year olds in some cases!), then one may expect to witness these disorders more closely associated with the fashion industry, which selects models from the group most commonly affected by the disorder. Naomi Campbell was just 15 years old when she got her start. What needs to be asked is not only why the beauty ideal at present insists upon such thin extremes, but also why we are using children to market to women? And how this too adds to a feeling of inadequacy in how people feel about their looks.

Media does the same when it comes to plus-size people. The general reason one gets as to why there is not more representation of curvier folks within modern media is that inclusion would be equivalent to acceptance, and acceptance would then equal condoning, which would mean they support alleged ill health. The odd dichotomy is that whilst people like myself are banned due to the purported notion we will somehow 'promote' being unhealthy, we are besieged with media saturated with imagery of Britney Spears, Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan. How these women represent good health is somewhat beyond me. Not that I look to discredit or demean them, it's merely impossible for me to wrap my head around the media’s indisputable hypocrisy.

People may look at me and deem me 'unhealthy' at first sight, yet were I to ask you, 'Is every thin person healthy?', you would scoff at such a frivolous notion. You can't tell by looking at me that I do not smoke and I never have, I do not drink alcohol and I never have, and I do not take recreational drugs and I never have--just as you can’t tell by looking at a thin person that they may do all of the above. So I reject the judgment of perceived health, and frankly find it patronizing, as more often than not, merely by virtue of size, I am expected to disclose my health to the majority of TV and radio interviewers. Though personally, I wouldn’t dream of asking them to drop down and give me 50 push-ups or casually make public their personal health history to me, a total stranger.

What is almost completely ignored in my opinion, is mental health. The current beauty standard is so inaccessible that the vast majority of Western society is displeased with their looks to the extent they reach to extreme measures to attempt to fit in, or feel better about themselves. There was a program I saw, I believe it was entitled The Swan or something like that, where each 'unattractive' contestant went through a process of having their teeth bleached white and having liposuction, and all of them across the board seemed to need breast implants. What is sad about this cookie cutter approach to beauty is that the individual is lost amongst the commonality. Each and every person has a beauty unique unto them. The more one comes to accept oneself, the better she/he is able to revel in her/his own unique beauty! When we start to address this in fashion, then we, as a society, can begin to feel better about ourselves and celebrate our perceived imperfections, versus eradicating them in attempts to adhere to the modern beauty standard, which seems more and more narrow, less and less accessible.

[P]eople's rejection of their looks drives capitalism. The more people do not accept themselves, the more potions, and lotions, and surgeries etc. they invest in so that they might have the power that is beauty.

The mission of our work is to get fashion and beauty professionals on board with the idea of promoting healthy beauty. How would you define healthy beauty, and what do you think is the industry's biggest obstacle to getting there?
I would define healthy beauty by stealing a quote from Christian Dior: “Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest.” I think we are beginning to see some change afoot as a backlash to mainstream fashion with people like Leslie [Hall], Beth Ditto, and Joy Nash. The birth of You Tube has allowed for people to make personal statements to a much wider audience and this has made for something of a revolution.

The biggest obstacle to the promotion of healthy beauty within the fashion industry is the dependence fashion has on advertising. Since magazines are dependent on the advertisers to exist, this beholds them to adhering to what has become the yawningly boring average--thin, white, tall and young. The reason being is that ads are so costly that they fear taking risks and as such, the vision of beauty is preserved as not only unattainable (to promote the use of the materials being sold) but also staid, since they are afraid to rock the boat and want only what sells.

What are you working on now?
I am always busy with many projects. Last week I modeled in a Renault ad. Yesterday I had a wonderful opportunity to dance in a music video for an up and coming French band, the Scarlet Queens. I was thrilled to be included in their clip Rock N Roll Girl...It's great to have bands bucking the norm, much like the photo shoot I did with the equally cool French band FANCY. I have an upcoming role in a French film featuring Vincent Lagaffe. I continue to both shoot and film plus-size women for my impending website as well as to create original music for videos I am beginning to edit, which feature plus-size women. The French film I starred in, AVIDA, (which went to both the Cannes and Tribeca film festivals), has just come out on DVD in America through Cinema Epoch. Tonight I am off to dinner with Edmond Boubil, the designer of the French plus size-clothing companies Ronde de Nuit and Umberto Monza, to discuss shooting for them. Definitely a busy bee!

Our Interview with Velvet D'Amour Part I

Our Interview with Velvet D'Amour: Part I

If you don't recognize Velvet D'Amour's name, you surely remember her famous walk down the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier. Velvet is an outspoken advocate for beauty diversity in the fashion industry--a job that is keeping her very busy these days. She just photographed a series of older women for the current issue of Standard magazine. She will also be shooting for an upcoming issue of PLUS Model magazine and will model for a beauty story styled by Olivier Mulin and shot by Christian Lartillot. In early July, Velvet will host a fashion extravaganza on the rooftop of London’s Alfies Antique Market. We caught up with her in Paris, the city she calls home. We're bringing you our interview in two parts. Check back tomorrow for Part Deux.

You walked the runway for Gaultier in the midst of a heated international debate about underweight models in the fashion industry. How did that collaboration come about? What kind of statement did you want to make? How did people treat you backstage?
My runway appearance for Gaultier came about as he was casting for his 30-year retrospective. I had already done runway the previous season for John Galliano, consequently, my French model agency, Contraband, sent me to the casting.

Jean Paul Gaultier had used a plus sized model back in the 80’s (and thereafter!), thus my preliminary casting was in order to appear in his retrospective. Once I made it past the initial casting, I was sent to the second casting conducted by JPG himself. He seemed very taken by the images in my book, and we had a nice chat about philosophies of beauty as well. It was wonderful to speak with such an amazing talent that I had always revered.

As to what statement I wanted to make, my quest is to diversify notions of modern beauty, and I knew my inclusion would spark debate and get people talking if nothing else. JPG has been clear on the statement he was making--that beauty takes many forms. He had also included another model from Contraband’s Master’s division, who is a senior citizen. There were some who viewed my appearance as ‘farcical’, or token, but when would any appearance of a genuinely fat person NOT be viewed as such? People of size are utterly banned from any mainstream media (other then the headless, junk food munching, obese [people] witnessed on the evening news every night). There are few, if any, references of inclusion beyond ridicule.

If people are only exposed to imagery of fat people as jokes in movies, TV, etc., then that limits our perception to degradation. So what then is the solution? Not to take the opportunity to proudly embrace my curves in a global venue? One must take advantage of these rare opportunities when presented by people who are willing to take the risk on you. I had utter confidence in both Galliano and Gaultier to represent me in a fashion inclusive of their impeccable style, and I knew their intent to be positive. I don’t think it is so ludicrous for people of such immense creativity and broadminded natures to witness beauty in what mainstream people may have blinders to.

As to backstage, it’s funny because often people seem to perceive that behind the scenes was some sort of Showgirls atmosphere, with skinny teen models spiking my Evian, or bashing on the fatty, when in fact, everyone was quite sublime. As I am both a photographer and a model, I am accustomed to being around models and thus I don’t find it an intimidating atmosphere in the least.

Whilst models are esteemed by the general public to have it all, merely by the luck of the gene-pool, (and likewise, professed to have an attitude to accompany that), they more often than not grew up equally outcast by virtue of extreme height and thinness. Thus I find models tend to be quite sympathetic and kind/curious for the most part and this certainly held true backstage at the runway shows. Its an eclectic, buzzing atmosphere.

What do you think of the term "plus-size"?
Good question. I doubt it was easy coming up with a term to encompass clothes designated for people who are purportedly larger then the current norm, in an era when being so is hardly considered popular.

I recall as a fat child having my Mom take me to the HUSKY store, and that seemed rather humiliating at the time. I had initially pictured some Alaskan dogsled hideaway, but soon found myself amidst frighteningly outdated décor, with racks of polyester knit bellbottoms in puke green, or ‘KICK ME HARD’ red, guaranteed to ensure a wedgie or two, in a era where you were nothing if you didn’t wear straight cut Levi’s.

I am sure its origins were well intentioned though, and it’s certainly better then Negative-size, ay?

Read Part II of our interview with Velvet D'Amour.

Velvet D'Amour on MySpace

Erykah Badu's Guide to the Making it in the Music Biz: "Just Be Buck Naked Somewhere With Glitter On You and a Beeper."

Oh, Erykah. If only your tongue-in-cheek advice for girls didn't ring so true. You forgot the bikini waxes, though. [Entertainment Weekly]

Eve Ensler Asks: Are You "Good" or Are You Great?

The countdown is on for the star-studded V to the Tenth anniversary event in New Orleans on April 11-12. But before bringing Superlove to the Superdome, Eve Ensler talked to BlogHer for an exclusive podcast that covers the past, present, and future of V-Day.

What we love about Eve Ensler's work is that she so effectively connects body image with a sense of personal empowerment and ultimately our ability to make meaningful contributions in the world. Here's how she breaks it down: As women, we have a choice to make. We can be good or we can be great.

Good women are nice, polite, and well-behaved. They don't make trouble and they rarely speak their minds. They live according to others' expectations, spending their energies trying to squeeze into others' beauty ideals.

Great women stand up for what they believe in, speak their own truths, and are aware that there are people who might not like them while there are others who will love them. They embrace whatever size, shape, color, and age they might be. Great women stand proud.

Most of us are raised to be good, so being great is not exactly a breeze. It's something we must work for. And sometimes it's something we must fight for. According to Ensler, we can't afford not to fight for this greatness. "If we really are serious about saving the human species, which is in desperate straits right now, take the energy, the time, the money and attention you spend on fixing your body and direct it toward fixing the world," she advises. Listen to the full interview. [BlogHer]

Anna Wintour Says Models Today Are Pale, Thin, and Joyless

Anna Wintour was not impressed with the models at New York Fashion Week. "Overall, they were pale and thin and entirely lacking in the joyfulness and charm that once defined the supermodel," she writes in the April issue of Vogue. "This is, of course, not their fault: Designers now near-uniformly favor a non-vivacious, homogenous ideal." Oh, snap. And therein lies one of the central problem with tackling the fashion industry's too-skinny beauty standards. The good news is that we've gotten to the point where even the most powerful industry leaders recognize that something is awry. The bad news? Everyone thinks someone else is responsible.

Designer Bradley Bayou, whose daughter suffered from an eating disorder, is calling for a cease fire in the industry blame game. "If everybody takes responsibility and everybody works together, we can change it. In other words, the designers and the editors and the modeling agents and the models' parents and everybody gets together and decides, 'This is not a healthy thing. We must change it.' Then, hopefully, we can." We'll second that. [CBS News]

Jamie Lee Curtis Goes Topless for AARP

Jamie Lee Curtis is one hot soon-to-be-senior citizen. The 49-year-old (she turns 50 this November) decided to show some skin and confront the youth-obsessed Hollywood beauty standard for the May/June cover of AARP The Magazine. "If I can challenge the old ideas about aging, I will feel more and more invigorated," Curtis said. "I feel way better now than I did when I was 20. I'm stronger, I'm smarter in every way, I'm so much less crazy than I was then."

Curtis has proven herself to be a dedicated advocate for healthy beauty and positive self-esteem. In 2002 she appeared in More magazine in her underwear to show women what she really looks like without the help of expensive lighting, retouching, and an army of makeup artists and stylists. That photo shoot was inspired by her children's book, I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem. [ABC News]

Are You Wearing Your Sweater Today?

Here's a fashion statement we can get behind. To honor what would have been Fred Rogers' 80th birthday, March 20th is "Won't You Wear a Sweater?" Day. Mr. McFeeley will tell you all about it.

Okay, neighbors. How are we doing on that heartwarming news we promised this week? Pretty good, right?

Jezebel Bans Body Snark. You Can, Too.

It's not easy being a pop culture junkie and an advocate for positive body image. Those two passions don't always play nice. That's why it helps to have some practical ground rules.

Back in January, Jezebel made a resolution to put a stop to negative comments about people's bodies. This was not a ban on celebrity gossip, fashion, or snark in general (because frankly there are some of us who might melt away without them)--just the mean-spirited body bashing that can spring from the intersections. They're sticking to their guns, too. Every day Jezebel editors choose the best and worst out of hundreds of comments submitted on their blog. The offenders are often those who can't stop themselves from making a nasty dig about a celebrity's weight.

This is the kind of stance that can shift people's thinking and change conversations and behaviors for the better. It's really as simple as creating and enforcing community policies that match your values. Wish women would stop talking trash about their own (and each other's) bodies? Well, fellow bloggers and media makers...we can all start in our own backyards. By the way, our blog also has a permanent ban on body snark. But you probably knew that already. [Jezebel]

Designer Bradley Bayou Pushes for Changes After His Own Daughter Suffers from Bulimia

Top designer Bradley Bayou gained very personal insight into the downside of fashion's glorification of thinness when his own daughter Alexis developed bulimia.

"I never fit into any of his sample sizes," Alexis said. "As a teenager and as a young adult, I thought I should be able to fit into his certain size (the tiny sample sizes) … because I was his daughter. And I just — didn't. I wanted to be thin. I wanted to fit in. You know — I wanted to be beautiful. … I've always been so proud of him, and I always ... I always kind of wanted to fit into his world."

When Bayou realized that the pressures of his industry were contributing to his daughter's illness, he became an advocate for change. "Just because a small, elite group has told us that thin — skinny, forget thin — emaciated is in doesn't mean it's in," he says. Bayou spoke at Harvard on Tuesday night (along with Miss America Kirsten Haglund) for a panel "Redefining Perfection: Beauty, Fashion and Body Image." [CBS News] [Boston Globe]