As temperatures fall, we at NicoleAndGwendolyn.com delight in the pleasures of winter evenings. Wrapped into blankets, windows open, cold breezes chilling the apartment, we feel so happy. Top choices for winter nighties?
1. Scooter stars Night Shirt, by P.J. Salvage. Perfect for viewing 1940s Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart film, pinot noir glass in hand. Gwendolyn cuddled at side.
2. Pet Pajamas by Martha Stewart. Perfect for snuggling with her mommy!
Gwendolyn is much more compelling than our real model. Agree?
3. Gardinia by Agent Provocateur for date night, if the date is lucky. ;)
“The goddess dripping in gold wears Gardinia. Intricately crafted layers of lady like mink silk and soft gold French leavers lace designed to scuplt your curves adorn this exquisitely beautiful range. Ornate lace detailing and delicate silky bows complete this alluring look.”
Ohhh.
La.
La.
4. For Gwendolyn’s date night, she chooses the previous Martha Stewart number in the colour of red. Boyfriend Pugsley is one lucky pug. Ha ha!
And, I hereby present to you, the Plus-Sized model used for this piece in the Martha Stewart for PetSmart ad campaign…
The thin v. plus sized model controversy in High Fashion prompts temperatures to rise. If one is fat, then one is likely offended. If one is thin, then one is the same. So, let us please apply this controversial debate to dogs.
Some argue that plus-sized models are necessary to show consumers of what clothes look like upon the average body. I argue that models are not intended to demonstrate real life scenarios but rather to be presentational mediums for pieces of art. Like a minimal table at the Apple Store presenting the newest season of iPad, the thin body is bricks and mortar, a showroom, for the newest season of design. We are not buying the model, folks. We are buying fashion.
With the previous example, that of Gwendolyn v. Martha Stewart Model, I feel that the second dog, due to its fat, steals attention from the fashion product, like does a plus-sized model. Gwendolyn’s image, on the other hand, presents the clothing. Delicately. The perfect model.
If I had viewed the ad campaign before purchasing this nightie for Gwendolyn, I likely would have passed it by.
© Nicole Marie Story Enterprises, LLC and nicoleandgwendolyn.com, 2011, 2012.
The point is that a “fat” figure modeling the clothing is distracting, yes? I can only speak for myself, but if I see a rail thin figure modeling the clothes I think that is distracting too. If I see an exceptionally beautiful person modeling the clothing, that is distracting. If the person is super ugly, that is distracting. If you ever browse Zappos, they provide the height/weight/bust size/favorite comic of the model and that is distracting. If the model isn’t my race, that is distracting.
The use of models outside of the runway, as in catalogs for Victoria’s Secret or for my mom’s scrubs, are always strange to me. Especially in the magazines for Urban Outfitters. They have these super masculine, bony hipster girls with cornrows frolicking through weeds. They happen to be wearing UO clothes. This does not make me want to buy the product, it just makes me confused.
Anyway, to answer your question “from which model would you buy?” if I had a thin dog I’d buy the left. If Lucian was plus sized, I’d buy the right. I just blew your mind.
Yes, you did blow my mind. Good segue into an article that I’m preparing for next week! I might just quote you. Congratulations. ;)
My only question is, how can someone who suffered from anorexia or bulimia have a fat dog?
Personally, none of the animals in my house are fat. Lucian is a bag o’ bones. But I suppose someone could overindulge their animal to compensate for their extreme restricting. As an anorexic, I would love to bake. I was baking delicious things all the time, and I would insist people would eat them, and they would love it! I, of course, would never even taste what I made. I think part of that mindset could manifest itself in overfeeding one’s animal.
Regarding distracting models: http://gawker.com/5961482/sorry-but-this-72+year+old-chinese-man-is-way-cooler-than-all-of-our-grandfathers
I do not appreciate that aesthetic for a man!!! Men should look like David Beckham.
Bahahaha that bigger dog looks SO funny in that outfit!! Poor pup, G money definitely looks better in it. I love your ohh lala wear, I need to get me something like that. I stick to my boring tshirt and undies with my fuzzy cats and blankets from when I was 12. Man I am awesome.
Never no fear, my dear! I also stick to my old school “Pizza on Earth” nightie! (See: My First Bulimic Christmas). Am laughing so hard that you call her G money. And I love that you love my lingerie selection! I shall not spend the money on such lingerie, but I shall certainly be accepting of it as a present from any suitors. Mwah!
The dog in question isn’t fucking fat, you moron. My god, your view of reality is so damn distorted. And how can a bulimic have a fat dog? Have you asked yourself that question? Miss G isn’t a skinny Minnie.
Oh no you didn’t.
I guess I did.
Clearly you’re blind.
Nicole – OMG, so much to say. I am going to reveal myself a little.
If i see someone emaciated wearing jeans it’s not easy to figure out what those same jeans would look like on very skinny (but not emaciated) me, but it does give me an idea.
If i see someone fat wearing those same jeans on a shopping site, I probably will not want the jeans because my aesthetic is attracted to silhouettes that look agile, light, ethereal, fragile.
But this is my aesthetic. I don’t know why I am this way. From a little child growing in Paris I was attracted to straight lines. I did not read any magazines, had no TV, but somehow had this aesthetic in me.
I do consider myself as a “spiritual idea in the material world”, so I literally feel encumbered by a heavy body (like an astronaut suit) that would get in my way when exercising, wearing certain clothes, seeing my reflection in mirrors, getting naked in front of someone (yes – when skinny, I could not care less about running naked even, because I feel confident). I want my body to serve me, and not the other way around. I don’t want to feel weighed down in any way, and that is enough for appetite control. I know some people will think these are harsh words, but I am being open like I not often am with that subject. :(
On the runways, I do find some models way too emaciated, even according to my standards. Even though models are supposed to be clothes hangers, even with 15 lb more on their bodies, they would still not obstruct the view of the garment. Now I know the population is average-sized, and not like those models, but the average population won’t buy these clothes anyway. Olivia Palermo, Ashley Greene, Emma Stone and other skinny socialites and actresses are the ones who will buy these clothes. And look at how much Kim Kardashian is criticized because of her heavier body wearing designer clothes. Frankly, most of these clothes are made and designed with a particular body style (thin) in mind.
Nicole, you may be interested in the controversy around an article from the Sartorialist that came out one year ago, on a woman whom he called curvy and whose picture he took for his site. http://fashionista.com/2011/03/the-sartorialist-calls-photo-subject-bigger-curvier-and-sturdy-prompts-commenter-outrage/
Very interesting…
And I love, love lingerie. VPL on shopbop.com is amazing. I love lingerie because i like the way I look in it. I would not love lingerie otherwise. :(
I have been heavier before, for 3-4 years while in recovery from anorexia. I hated every second of it, even though i occupied myself with other ventures while my body was doing what it needed to do. But I wanted to have a sign on my forehead telling people , “please forgive me, this is not my fault”, because I felt ashamed of the way i looked. :(
Love you. Tough subject for me, as I am not always proud of the way I think.
xoxoxoxo
Francoise
I was going to attempt a comment quite similar to this one, but I wouldn’t have written anything near as elegant. I also don’t have enough knowledge of fashion to make an informed judgement, although now I’ve read both Francoise’s comment and the article she linked to I think I understand a little more.
I don’t think it’s fair that those of us who do prefer straight lines, a sinewy appearance and lithe limbs should have to feel ashamed. It’s just double-standards; no-one has to apologise for saying they like themselves ‘curvier’ but the minute someone wants to lose weight to the equivalent standard of most people’s ‘curvy’ (in my mind synonymous with slightly overweight) out comes the vitriol.
We all have our personal likes and dislikes, just as we have different musical preferences, favourite colours, etc. It seems ludicrous to me that anyone should be shamed for doing the equivalent of preferring blue over green, or, for instance, being disgusted by a Rubens painting but adoring the work of Giacometti (which I did when I was eight, and it became my first awareness of my extreme dislike and revulsion of fat on my body, or fat as an aesthetic).
I appreciate the analogy but I cannot judge a poor dog for it’s ‘figure’ – those coats were really designed for small breeds of dog. I know this is essentially what you’re getting at with the Plus-Size clothes debate, but the other dog looks a little daft because it’s simply too tall for the jacket. It really needs something that’s a different shape, perhaps the draped jackets seen on greyhounds for example. All animals are beautiful!
I love your point that all animals are beautiful, because they are! I’ve always been fascinated at how their individual differences in size and shapes allow them to do so many unique and specialized things! I love the delicateness of a hummingbird zooming around with it’s miniscule body and tiny needle beak, the large, elegant egret perched seemingly precariously in a tree, overlooking a creek between eating fish and the huge ostrich with it’s awkward shape that never allows flight, but allows them to run extremely fast. They’re all beautiful in their own way and they all produce a harmony on earth that couldn’t exist if they were all hummingbirds, fighting over the same nectar filled flowers with no other animals taking part in the cycles that help the plants grow so the flowers the hummingbird depends on perish due to lack of nutrition. No matter how hard the ostrich will try, he’ll never be a hummingbird. You can have your own personal preferences, but there’s also a point when it’s helpful to look a the big picture and be willing to look at each category, type or species and pay attention and learn about their individual beauty and how the beauty of each one supports the beauty of the others.
@M., Your comment has made me smile from (presently chubby but looking better – as I’m observing in the reflection from my MacBook Pro) cheek to cheek! I’d like to think that we’d all love to have an ED girl sleepover somewhere in the enchanted forest appreciating this beautiful nature. Gwendolyn would wear her pink pajamas. What shall your puggy wuggy wear? :) But would we really enjoy it? Or maybe NicoleAndGwendolyn.com can be our official slumber party. Love your comments always. x x x
I think it’s fine to “prefer straight lines, a sinewy appearance and lithe limbs” – I only think it gets problematic when such a preference drives one into extreme behaviors and misery. When a preference for a certain body type becomes an all consuming obsession that dominates your life, I think it’s worthwhile examining whether putting so much emphasis on that preference is a wise choice (easier said than done, I know!).
@Elizabeth, I agree, wholeheartedly! When it becomes all consuming, then it is no bueno! Last night, at my
NicoleAndGwendolyn Facebook Page I posted a link from Style on the Couch, tagging my thoughts of, “I would love to have this body. But it’s just too much work! I’ll settle for this + a little chub.” Fiona, the looting anorexic from Australia, immediately attacked me for this. But I was happy to know that sometimes, I just don’t want to do the work; and I’m fucking okay with that. :) Are you? xo
I also agree with Elizabeth!
What is “perfect” man supposed to look like? Thin, lanky, slender, skinny, plump, fat? Sometimes I wonder. I totally agree that that too thin will make one weak and energy-less. And likewise, too overweight makes one weighed down and they can’t do as much as someone who is slender and lean.
When I look at nature, one of my favorite animals is the elephant. It’s big and heavy for specific utilitarian purposes. The elephant is not overweight AT ALL. It’s supposed to look this way. It does not have one extra pound. It is actually lean for its needs and type and activity and life goals.
I agree that if it takes someone too much effort and the loss of health to reach extreme lean-ness, this is not good at all, as that shape will be difficult to maintain. We need to reach a happy medium that we feel very happy with. That medium might be very lean for someone, it may be slender for someone else, it may be more chunky but still healthy-looking for someone else. I just can never believe that a normal body equals a fat body, from a utilitarian point of view, again. A weighed down body cannot do as much. Same for a body that is too light. (I know what I’m talking about – I was the weight of a thin 8 year old for most of my life. I was half dead during all these years.)
xoxoxoxoxo
What an interesting post, Nicole. I don’t understand why you get haters on this post. Absurd to me.
Francoise
Wow!!! I hadn’t even read your comment until just now because I wanted to savour the delicacy! And just moments ago, I replied to Bianca, stating something like, “All men should look like David Beckham.” Ha ha! So that is, indeed, the ideal body type, I believe for a man. Although I tend to be attracted to more heavy duty men, I do think that David Beckham is one fine piece of health, wealth, and bod. Your words of “I was half dead during all these years”
Whoops! I sent my comment before finishing… As I was saying… Your words of “I was half dead during all these years” have touched my heart tremendously. I am so happy that you are my alive and vibrant friend!!! xoxoxo
Jessica, All animals are, indeed, beautiful; but not all animals are healthy. So, although my article does stress the thinner is better for modeling mantra; I also wish to reinforce that a dog can be fatter than Albert, but that is punishment to the dog; and who besides Hitler could punish a dog? I, for one, can not oogle and google over a fat dog because I feel bad for it. I feel angry toward its owners. That dog’s life is compromised, and there should not be fashion existing to endorse dog fatness. I feel the same way with regard to the human fashion industry although, at the end of the day, I don’t really give a fuck what people do with their bodies because most people are bad, and they can fend for themselves. Dogs, on the other hand, cannot fend for themselves in modern culture. So they must be nourished properly by their human beings. And if their human beings are dressing them in fat dog clothes, it’s not helping.
That dog and Gwendolyn are the same breed, but Gwendolyn is lean and trim whereas the other is simply chubby and clearly not walked effectively. End of my thoughts on that.
When I read Françoise’s comment (before you even commented), I wanted to say, “I feel as though Jess will offer the same thing, but from a non-fashion girl perspective.” I was right. As always. :)
You said, “I don’t think it’s fair that those of us who do prefer straight lines, a sinewy appearance and lithe limbs should have to feel ashamed. It’s just double-standards; no-one has to apologise for saying they like themselves ‘curvier’ but the minute someone wants to lose weight to the equivalent standard of most people’s ‘curvy’ (in my mind synonymous with slightly overweight) out comes the vitriol.”
My reply? It takes effort and hard work to be thin and gorgeous. To be fat and lumpy? It takes shoving one’s face with Ho Hos. So the Ho HO girls are simply jealous of those with control. I shall always hold to that theory regardless of how compassionate I might be regarding life, dogs, and my friends. Even my fat friends are lazy. So the vitriol exists only when extreme jealousy develops. Those chicks at Jezebel? Fatties.
They can be fat if they choose to be so… but don’t knock the girl who works hard for a pretty, little, thin body.
Oh yes, overfeeding a poor animal is just as bad as starving your pet – I also feel furious towards owners who think they’re ‘treating’ their animals by feeding them all sorts of crap not even intended for their bodies. It’s totally the owner’s fault – the animals know no better. I simply didn’t view the ‘fat’ animal as being so big that it would endanger its health – even though it’s the same mix as Gwendolyn it seems to have a completely different bone structure (more Beagle-ish than a Pug’s frame?)
Francoise,
I read your words like I follow a ballet. Pretty, flowing, and deeply connecting to my soul.
Everything that you have written conjures so many thoughts for me. For instance, you have mentioned being a child and appreciating straight lines. My fondest memory of my body is from 1991. Aged nine, I had just suffered from (what was reportedly) the worst case of chicken pox that my doctor had ever observed. I was off of food and drink for two weeks because I was so sickly. But the perfectionist in me demanded that I perform in my dance recital scheduled for the very next week, if deemed healthy by the doctor. I was deemed healthy and non-contageous. As you most likely know, most dance costumes for such young girls are big frillies of puff and mess… but because I dared to challenge the age v. ability class qualification system, my ability qualified me into the “dance troop” despite being several years too young. And the costume for my performance? A sleek red leotard with spaghetti straps, criss crossed several times in the back (I would wear it now for yoga)… and tan tights (I’d wear black now)… and tan high heeled tap heels (if tap dancing, I’d wear black low tap shoes now). And a gold 1940s top hat. I was fucking gorgeous. Absolutely positively fucking gorgeous. The thinnest ever in my life as a body conscious girl. Everyone complimented my bony frame. And I was never prettier than in that exact moment. Chicken pox scars appeared all over my body, but because of my body happiness, I radiated like fireworks on the fourth of July.
Nothing has ever come close to that. But that is my ideal body. My favourite body. That which existed at age nine.
Regarding the Sartorialist, I cannot be more pleased to have already featured his blog at my Catalogue of High Quality Blogs. His admission to this group was solely based upon the uniquely fashionable images that he presents at his blog. I had not read anything on this situation with the curvy blogger; but now having done so, I could not respect the Sartorialist as a person and blogger any more passionately than I already do because I feel as though he’s absolutely one fellow with whom I could sit with, enjoying conversation and laughter! Rational, objectivist discussion about fashion, bodies, and life. Although I prefer not to enter into those types of social situations just for the fun of it; I can see not being annoyed by it, and that says a lot.
People ask me, “Why do you waste your time writing about such things at your blog?” I always have some sort of snippy reply like, “Because it’s what I find interesting, therefore I do it.” But reactions like yours, something from a smart, kind, producing individual and friend are what really keeps me going with this blog project. Merci beaucoup for being you, from the bottom of my heart. xoxoxo
GWENDOLYN (lol FAT letters but I guess it’s 9 so whatevs) looks very puppy-millish. She’s adorable, don’t get me wrong, but not glamorous. She just looks unhappy in all of her pics. I don’t doubt you love her like a child, but I also question your ability to love or care for anything (feelings and all that). Not to mention the part II that never materialised. I’d never put my baby in a lake/pond/dump in Pittsburgh with a leash on for “cardio,” but then again, I also completed my college education, so maybe I’m not your target audience. But I do appreciate the ad for the eating disorder rehab that recently appeared on your site.
And I appreciate the ad dollars that I’ve apparently earned from you. ;)
Unless someone actually clicks on the ad, you’re not earning any money. A commenter simply gazing at the ad for eating disorder rehab (ahh, sweet sweet irony) doesn’t earn you your 2 cents. But I’m sure you knew that. Right, Einstein?
I’m so happy that you told me this! I had no fucking clue!
;)
thanks for telling us! just clicked on the shoe add :-) glad to have made you 2 cents!
You must only click if you are interested in the product!!! I want like fuck to click upon the “ED Hospital Bla bla bla” links becuase I want to criticise them, but it exists against my contract with Google. Haha! Thank you for your interest in the shoes, and thank you for the 2 cents. After Obama-fied taxes, that shall probably be a negative 3 cents… all going to the looters. :) xoxoxo
I am going to preface my response with I am not really a “high fashion” observer. So my answer is based on clothes ads and NOT fashion-show, runway looks. From what I understand of fashion shows the clothes on those models are not meant for the “normal” person, so it makes sense that those women wouldn’t have the “normal” body shape.
As far as clothing ads, commercials and the like, I have respect for “plus sized” models, and people would probably think that because I don’t wear a size zero (or 2 or 4 for that matter), that I would appreciate the plus sized model. People probably think that I would think that they represent how the clothes would fit on my body better than the other models. But I don’t. Because I don’t want the clothes to look on me the way they look on plus sized models…..because I know they are plus sized models, and SHOCKER!! I don’t want to be plus sized. Call me a self-loathing fat hater, doesn’t matter to me. I am not going to be mad at the ads or the commercials if the clothes don’t look on me like they do on the models. I am going to be fucking mad at MYSELF!!! I am fully aware of my own body shape and what types of clothes look good on me, and if I am the size I am trying on something I saw on a super skinny model……it is my own damn fault that I wasn’t aware enough to know that those clothes would look different on me.
That being said, I do think that models in ad campaigns should be a relative medium in the size range, because in the stores that is the people buying the clothes…..That is for fashion in a normal department store, NOT direct from designer, couture or any other high fashion stuff, for that the models they have should be the ones that style that fashion.
Your comment makes me wonder… how much additional revenue does a fashion line actually earn by using ultra thin models? Would they earn more if presented upon a “normal” frame? Would they appeal to a different demographic therefore compromising their stature in the high fashion world? Whatever is the case, I know, me, for one, shall never appreciate a heavy model. To me, she speaks lethargy, distaste, and haste to her own self. And that does not a product sell. At least to me. And to me, me is all that matters. I love that you do not campaign for the body which you think you are, against the body which is the model. Your mind is a lot like mine, and I appreciate it tremendously. xoxoxo
I think it would be interesting to see what percentages of profits are made based on model size. I would add to that some kind of study control over price of clothing, and what price points hit different sized models. Because while instances of ED doesn’t discriminate across the socioeconomic spectrum, I would venture to think that types of models selling clothes might be affected by SES.
I have a lot of respect for plus sized models, because that takes a lot of courage, especially the lingerie models. BUT it just doesn’t attract me to the clothing. That being said, neither do the super skinny models, because that isn’t a body type that I would like to have either….I am way too attached to my boobs. I don’t look at models necessarily for my style, I look at actresses and musicians whose bodies I like and look at styles they wear. I dress my body for the size that it currently is, but I aspire the styles of the size I want to be.
Oh! Such an interesting study that would be! Carrie Bradshaw was known in the series to wear a $5 dress with her $800 manolos. And I once found a great dress at Target. Anything looks good on a thin body except for BCBG Maxazria (I learned that when I stopped being bulimic – even the 0s and XSmalls are humungous and baggy). I am more attracted to pricier clothing; but I was as a fat girl, too.
Gwendolyn is cute, but she isn’t thin. I’m not saying she needs to lose weight; that’s just the way puggles are. Chubby & stocky. That second dog isn’t fat either, it’s just a bigger breed of dog. I would say that it looks much thinner in proportion to size than Gwendolyn does. Gwen is smaller, yes, not thinner or daintier.
i would agree with previous posters–maybe in a magazine spread or fashion shoot, art is a big part of it, and directors should choose the model that would look the best to people (thin or big) or that looks the best for that particular shoot, but on the other hand, if its on a shopping website or commercial, then people want to see what the clothes they’re considering buying look on someone similar to their size.
Clearly you know nothing about dogs.
The second dog is also a puggle.
Thanks for your feedback!
The white one, you mean? I know very little about smaller breeds, it’s true, so if you say its a puggle, ill believe you. But either way, even you can’t disagree tht it’s smaller around than Gwendolyn. In my comment I was actually referring to the third one, the one you label “plus sized”. I’d totally forgotten about the white dog, so I got my labeling wrong.
Wait. Isn’t the second one….a chihuahua? I think?
The white dog is not a puggle.
The second dog is Gwendolyn. She is a puggle.
The third dog is the meaty dog. It is a puggle.
If the third dog is a puggle, it’s a much taller one than Gwendolyn. Likely its got more beagle in it than pug, unlike gwendolyn, who looks more pug than beagle, and the other dog therefore looks like a taller dog. Either way my point was that neither Gwen nor that dog are fat. I think the ‘plus sized’ dog LOOKS leaner, personally, but that’s just a factor of the tallness. Not dissing Gwendolyn, or saying she needs to lose any weight.
Gwendolyn is a pocket puggle. Her mother was a puggle (pug x beagle). Her father was a pug. A standard puggle is puggle x beagle; and that is what exists on the Martha Stewart ad campaign.
For the love of god! Who fucking cares? Get a mother fucking life you stupid GOMI idiot bitch. Seriously. You have spent soooo much time on here (and other posts) debating banal shit, which means you are an idiot. No, I’m not kidding JEM. Get yourself laid, or eat a hamburger or something. You’ve contributed N-O-T-H-I-N-G to this conversation, yet you are so invested in this conversation. Go buy yourself a pug or something. LORD HAVE MERCY on your idiot soul.
I awoke from my slumber to this comment, Cassy, and I believe that Fred Savage and the little monsters underneath heard the bed rumbling from my extreme laughter. Hahahahaha!
I love that you said this: “I argue that models are not intended to demonstrate real life scenarios but rather to be presentational mediums for pieces of art.”
and Francois this: ” Frankly, most of these clothes are made and designed with a particular body style (thin) in mind. ”
This is the only way I can appreciate fashion, as art. I do love to make clothes.
I wear scrubs for work and cheap crap the rest of the time so I’m not even trying to be an icon of fashion myself :).
Then marketing gets involved, and those egos are attacked and nothing can EVER be perfect>>>>anxiety>>>expression of that anxiety in whatever form it takes.
Pick yer poison.
About the dogs. Even those have “standards” and it’s sorta artsy how people groom them for shows. They’re all shapes and sizes and as they say in biology “form follows function”. So they’re all built differently.
Why those internet police want to keep harping on Gwendolyn is beyond me.
I personally find fat to be uncomfortable . When I haul 40 pounds of shopping up two flights of stairs I can’t imagine not being able to put it down. Ever. I think it’s unattractive when people wear clothing too small for them and I would not want to look that way myself with bulging rolls and muffin tops. It’s not something I feel like I need them to change for my own eyes because frankly, I don’t pay that much attention to what people look like. More so where they are in relation to me and what they are actually doing. I think people of any size can dress themselves artfully and be attractive to the eye.
In conclusion, I will always want to be able to wipe my own ass. Being obese will never be a reason why I can’t.
YASHA, You not only prompt me to laugh so fucking damn hard, but you prompt me to appreciate blogging for more than just a self serving reason. You and Francoise and Jessica do. I simply find it fucking phenomenal that smart girls such as yourselves actually read my stuff and appreciate it. That’s amazing to me. SO! Onto the moral of our story… I am with you. And the moral of your story makes me question of why you ever loved Fiona the looting Anorexic’s blog and her ‘I don’t take kindly to being called a hypocrite by a hypocrite’ BS before you loved mine. But it doesn’t matter. Because I won. :) mwahahaha. xoxoxo ;)
:) I never heard of Fiona before I noticed N&G being thrashed in the shallow end !!!
You were the only independent one in the bunch xoxo
And the shallow end is mine.
Bitches didn’t realise that.
I can’t swim. :)
THIS is the most awesome thing I’ve read on the internets for at least a week, if not more ; )
LOL! This makes me so happy because it came from my normal brain! No wine or gin whatsoever! :D I can be funny!
Wow – I have no idea what sparked this incredibly nasty and abusive response but it really couldn’t have been about her comments on this post as they’re really quite innocuous.
I meant to respond to Cassy who was responding to Gem.
Ah.
You’ve answered my question.
Gem is a lurking amoeba who brings no value to these discussions.
Hell, she’s probably Fiona. LOL.
What is nasty and abusive about Yasha’s comment?
Ok, since you asked I have to say that I think the other two dogs are better looking than Gwendolyn. Particularly the one you referred to as plus-sized (!?). He is absolutely gorgeous. Of course Gwendolyn is cute, but I think that apart from that she is average looking. As her mother you might think she’s the best looking dog in the world, but this is not an objective fact. And big deal if she isn’t great looking. Some of the dogs I love the most are quite funny looking!
My dog is the epitome of prettiness. Thank you very much.
Gwendolyn looks beautiful! I Think the point is that although we may enjoy similar fashion tastes, big or small, but depending on one’s size and body shape, the outfit could look drastically different, as is the case on Gwendolyn and the dog models. I think a big issue is when the clothes don’t fit properly, model or regular consumer (as referenced by Mommy in your previous article about buy bigger close or lose weight lol). I don’t have a bias against fat people since I am currently large (and wouldn’t if I wasn’t large), but since I have also been on the other side of the weight scale, I can also say that not all clothes look good on someone who isn’t properly nourished. When I was 89 lbs, I looked like a skeleton with cloth hanging off me and some models today portray that as well. In summary, I think you do need varying size models to show off clothing lines because the style looks completely different on the two ends of the scale.
You are the sister with an open mind.
I am the sister with black and white thinking.
I could not disagree with you more on your position.
I love it.
And I love you! :D
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Gwendolyn is many things but svelte is not one of them. See how the clothing buckles up and wrinkles across her back? How her neck rolls pour out of the collar? She needs to go up a size. I know you don’t like people criticizing your precious G but in this instance you’re outright inviting it. Long story short, she doesn’t have a dog model physique.
Check out her waist.
But thanks for trying.
I see fat only counts if its waistline fat! Good to know
Jem…
Jem is excitement!
Ooh Jem…
Jem is adventure!
ooh…
Glamour and glitter,
Fashion and fame! ;)
Right? “But I have A SMALL WAIST!” such a fat girl thing to say.
See also:
http://www.fashionbased.com/images/made/images/uploads/blog/kim-kardashian-white-michael-kors-bathing-suit_480_740_s_c1.jpg
Gwendolyn is fat. Your vet says so. Your readers say so. Her photos say so. You saying otherwise doesn’t make it so.
Care to call my vet for summary of Friday’s examination, sweet pea? ;)
I honestly would prefer if all advertising had to stop using regular models. Not because I’m trying to be pc, but because the combination of extreme height and low weight on those ladies makes everything, but everything look good. Case in point: cropped pants. They look like hell on everyone else, but karlie kloss makes them look killer enough that I’m tempted. It then takes me ages to realize that yet another new trend will never work on me because with my proportions I look stumpy in cropped pants.
So I’m not necessarily advocating for plus sized models, but models of different heights and body shapes so we can get a good idea of what the clothing will look like. For instance,SJP is a great model in my eyes because although she has a teeny circumference, she is not very tall. I can see what clothes will look like much more clearly on her, and I can see that the new oversized trend will not work. Like her, I am not tall enough to wear a lot of volume.
Ciao
C.,
I appreciate this tremendously because I am also a shorty. I too look to SJP as inspiration for trends and fashion sense. I do think that the models who appear in Vogue and fashion week should, indeed, be conventional “Vogue-esque”, but shots of non-models wearing the pieces are also warmly welcomed by my palate. Remember “The Real Me?” from Season Two? I wrote a little dodad on that last year… It always makes me happy to read that article when I feel in a slump… Article: ‘The Real Me’ by NicoleAndGwendolyn.
For starters, I pretend myself to be a tough indierock chick (so yes, “silence is golden” was appreciated) and tough indierock chicks don’t put clothing on their dogs :-) But I have to say if there’s one model that could make me consider buying Indie a snuggly sweater it would be Gwendolyn. Not because of her bodyshape, but because of her smushie wushie cutie face. So I guess I’m going to have to disagree with you. Gwendolyn’s cutie face distracts from the clothing as well. But I have a soft spot for all dogs and woul happily kuddle with the other two dogs shown as well. Although I would first demand they take off the nailpolish of the small one. Just a bit too weird on a dog for my taste (sorry if you have put nailpolish on Gwendolyn before and I offended you by just stating this. I’ll bet she loved it, but it’s just not for me :-)
I think plus sized models aren’t necessarily there to appeal to “the women in the street”. I am currently overweight but my big ass don’t resemble that of the larger models. My big ass resembles a moon landscape, uggh. And I guess pluse size models have photoshop, good genes, effective exercise or diet or what not to thank for the absence of michelin layers and cellulite. Plus-size models do not represent reality to me and could as easily be a medium of art as the thin ones. And I applaud this. I would rather be like the thin ones myself, thoug I will never be. There, I said it. But I know do that once I get my shit together I will be like (takes a lot to type this, it’s almost too positive to write about myself) a beautiful girl who is too big to be an average model, but too thin to be a plus-size model.
But if my little niece inherits the bodyshape from our side of the family, I can only hope that there will be all different shapes of woman she can look up too and identify with and aspire to be (after all, they’re all art, they’re all not real) when she grows up.
XX
Oh! Yes! Models do have PhotoShop. In fact, I do, too! Yet I haven’t taken the initiative to figure out how to PhotoShop my body for blog purposes. LOL, believe me, the thought has crossed my mind; and if I don’t get thin soon, I might just need to resort to that, with full disclaimers, of course! :D JK.
And you are going to LOL because I had not yet sent Indie’s gift; but guess what it is? The pink pajamas. Back to the drawing board!!! xoxoxo
ooo nooo, hahaha, I would have made her ware them either way. But Gwendolyn really works those PJs, so all’s well that ends well :-) LOL
ACTUALLY, I bought two pairs so they could be twins on Christmas morning.
I just had to tell you!
:D
I must admit, I lol’d at the ‘thin’ label on Gwendolyn. She’s a beautiful dog, but haven’t you said before the vet advised you she needs to lose weight? I’ve always found it funny how you are so anti-fat but your dog is very clearly overweight.
My dog exists in tip top condition, thank you very much!
My pug was a very active svelte little pug until she hit 8. Her knees and went bad (as they often do with pugs) and she wouldn’t go out for walks anymore. We tried water therapy but she hated it. That kind of surgery on an older pug could kill her. Due to inactivity she became rather chubby despite an impeccable diet. Now she will turn 15 in January which is pretty old for a pug. Moral of the story is… extra weight on a dog won’t necessarily shorten their life span. It doesn’t make her any less lovable and cute. I wonder when your dog puts on a few pound with age if you will be able to handle that and still love her the same way if she isn’t a perfect dog.
And Gwendolyn doesn’t look any different than the M.S. dog. The other dog is taller but they both look like puggles with neck rolls. Sounds like you are projecting.
“So, with all the passion I can muster… fuck you. You aren’t a thing like my sister. She has your disease, and your shitty temperament, but she at least lives in reality. At least she knows she is an anorexic. You blew it. You’ve lost your community and all but 2 readers with this one. If any of your dog walking clients see this, they will back away too. My final advice, read more than Ayn Rand. That’s the same as eating one food for your entire life. Copying her doesnt suit you. Get help, you have OCD and are manic-depressive. And your “logo” is hideous. I told you to get of it. It looks like a teenager drew it. Unprofessional.”
I’m thinking two things:
1. ANNICK is an alcoholic/drug addict, and forgets what she posts
2. ANNICK is bipolar and hates in one minute then forgets that she hates in the next minute?
Hahahahahahaha!
She replied to this with something nasty about Gwendolyn and my business. I declined publishing it. Rarely do I decline and or edit comments from regulars (and newbies, for that matter); but, I have done it twice. Once with Missy Miller. And now with our drug addict Annick.
In this instance, I’d buy from the M.S dog. Gwendolyn is the plus size here. Can’t you see that?
I’m glad that you love the Plus Sized Martha Stewart model. More sales for Martha mean new fabulous designs for Gwendolyn! Mwah! ;)
Just wanted to clarify and to save you from abusing me – I think Gwendolyn is adorable, but certainly not thin. I wouldn’t buy from plus sized anything – human or animal. To be blunt, I hate the heavier models they are using now.
Thanks for the clarification.
finally in front of lap top, STILL love this post. =)
All dogs are beautiful :-)
High Fashion/Models are ART.
Just my opinion again, a little late ;-)
(art is always debatable isn’t it? that’s the beauty of it!!! ;-) )
xoxo
I was thinking about why men don’t face the whole ‘Oh-no-you’re-a-model-you-must-have-an-ED’ issue. I realized it is because the ideal ‘manly’ look (for models) requires both food and exercise, there’s really no other way to get to it. But with women, the lean look can both be obtained by either doing the above, or by just not eating, and the anorexic way is a surefire way to get there. What I mean is, if you eat a lot and you exercise, you might end up thin and lean, or you might end up developing a lot of muscle. Then again, too much exercising would become a form of bulimia.
Okay now I’m wondering why this isn’t a concern for male models. They could just as well become obsessed with their body image, and exercise all the time – it is not uncommon, after all. So why don’t people worry that featuring buff, muscular male models will induce an ED in men?
What’s your opinion, Nicole?
You know where I stand on the plus-sized model issue? I think it’s all rubbish. The plus-sized models they pick all look gorgeous in whatever they wear, they don’t have Huge hips, or a stomach that sticks a mile out, which is how Real plus-sized women are. So if using them as models is going to paint a more accurate picture of how a garment would look upon the ‘average’ woman, then everyone’s just talking out of their asses. Nobody will ever be like all of the models. I’m thin enough, but when I look at ‘average’ models, I don’t get an accurate picture because they are usually more booby and assy than me. Or they have gorgeous hair, or a good posture. I can’t even use the thinner models as a reference point, because again, my clothes would never look like that on me! You know how I get an accurate picture of how stuff would look on me? I try them on, and I look at myself in the mirror.
And that’s the same with the dogs. You’ve got a pug, you can’t use a model of another breed to see how it would look on Gwendolyn. The chihuahua, the “plus-sized” dog, Gwendolyn, they’re different and they cannot model for each other. You can only use a model to show how it would look on Some people, or more generally, where the parts of the garment go. How much skin the shoulder straps expose, or just where the waistband will rest – all of that.
I don’t like chihuahuas as a breed, per se, so I do agree that Gwendolyn looks much better. But I kind of object to you calling the “plus sized” dog fat. It’s really not, Nicole. Perhaps you would have passed it by because you don’t like the breed (like I would’ve done with the chihuahua), but to say that it’s fat? It’s a bit like saying baobab trees are fat. They’re big, Nicole, as compared to a eucalyptus tree, for example, but they’re certainly not fat.
I would be interested in knowing how you differentiate between ‘big’ and ‘fat’.