Vogue or Vague? Why you shouldn't compare yourself to models!
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In this article, we will discuss why you should not compare yourself to models and a realistic outlook on the negative and nonglamorous aspects of the industry.
This article will discuss why you should not compare yourself to models.
Here you will get a realistic outlook on the negative and nonglamorous aspects of the fashion industry and a preview of how the fashion industry tries to make these images perfect. Still, they aren’t perfect as they appear to be.
We did our complete research on why we shouldn’t compare ourselves anyway.
Let's dive right in..
- Table of Content
- Why should you not compare yourself to models?
- Image Sorcery
- Mirror Mirror on the wall, show us what is real after all?
- A day in the life of a model!
- There is a Constant Struggle Between Mind and Body in the Modelling world.
- Beauty standards do not define a person.
- To love and to accept.
- Final Thoughts
Now here is the question
Why should you not compare yourself to model?
This a question you should ask yourself the next time you mindlessly scroll through any social media platform and stumble upon an image of a model looking flawless. Comparison can lead to a spiral of negative emotions and thoughts and create an unhealthy approach to body image and positivity.
An airbrushed image of a model doesn’t show the model’s authentic self or beauty, leading to you believing that they are always perfect looking without a single imperfection.
These comparisons often lead to unhealthy and unrealistic body image expectations, causing mental and eating disorders.
Human Bodies are of different shapes, sizes, and kinds. Our body constantly goes through multiple changes, and even if you eat and live the same lifestyle as a model, you may not look the same way. Sometimes your hormones play a significant role in changing your body shape and size.
Key Takeaway
All bodies are different and beautiful.
Image Sorcery
And how does that work?
Predominantly photographs of models are taken in perfect lighting and edited to perfection before publishing anywhere. These pictures are airbrushed and photoshopped to look a certain way. They even edit any blemishes or stray hair to make them look picture-perfect.
Usually,
Before taking a picture, professionals often curate these pictures with backdrops, multiple outfit changes, makeup, and hair touch-ups.
Mirror Mirror on the wall, show us what is real after all?
Simply put
Often a photoshoot of a model is done keeping in mind a specific agenda, mainly to promote a product or service, or even a brand.
Keeping the focus on the agenda, the photographers shoot what caters to the guidelines of the brand or product and edit out what may seem unnecessary. Product images are highly airbrushed and edited to reflect perfection for the product or brand to be displayed on billboards or published in magazines.
Therefore these images are meticulously detailed and edit out blemishes, fine lines, acne, scars, stretch marks, etc., basically anything that generally occurs on the skin, and also sometimes edits the shape and appearance of bodies.
A day in the life of a model!
Models have a highly detailed and packed schedule that includes workout sessions with trainers, facials with estheticians, and diets to keep them looking the way they do. Modeling agencies expect the models to look a certain way as they are always in the public eye or paps taking pictures anywhere and everywhere around.
As modeling is their profession, their lifestyle is always around these things, and they groom themselves accordingly.
There is a Constant Struggle Between Mind and Body in the Modelling world.
You might be wondering: How?
Several models over the years have spoken about how their profession has taken a negative toll on their physical and mental health and well-being.
They are addressing issues such as body dysmorphia and eating disorders, to name a few. They have also spoken about the competitive and fast-paced nature of the fashion industry and the profession’s unrealistic and sometimes life-threatening expectations and consequences. Therefore not the ideal way to lead a healthy and balanced life.
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Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.
-Khalil Gibran
Beauty standards do not define a person.
Beauty lies within.
There is a fake beauty standard set in the minds of people. Remember! You are flaw-some. Beauty is so much beyond what you see these days. Beauty is who you are and not what you look like. Beauty is deeply rooted in everyone and reflected through their actions, words, and thoughts; you cannot define it in the eye’s mere glance.
Beauty is loving and accepting oneself despite everything else. Beauty is in believing and not critiquing.
To love and to accept.
We're not through yet:
What and how much you mean to someone cannot be defined by external beauty but only by the beauty reflected from within. Beauty lies within every one of us; to believe in it is also our choice—a choice we must mindfully choose to make. The ones we hold near and dear will always love and appreciate who we are without the superficial facade of beauty standards.
It is easy to be carried away by the illusion of beauty and the expectations of society, but how we perceive ourselves defines who we are and how unique every single one of us is.
Final Thoughts
In Short!
I hope this is a way to show you that not everything is as it seems.
And a reminder of how incredibly unique and beautiful every single one of you are and that a flawless portrayal of an image doesn’t define who you are or have a say in the value that you hold.
