What Men Think
I asked five men around the age of 21–31 years old what they thought about the fashion industry’s use of the thin ideal and their opinions on what they thought made a women beautiful.
Max Lindsey, 31, Southampton.
What do you think about the models represented in the fashion industry?
I think their use of slim models is vastly unrealistic as it is not what the average woman looks like. I prefer images of plus size models, I think it is cool that they are confident in the way they look.
What do you think makes a women beautiful?
I think it is a woman’s personality that makes her beautiful. When she is bright, engaging and bubbly and it’s a plus if they have a smart appearance.
Paul Hewitt, 23, Southampton.
What do you think about the models represented in the fashion industry?
I think the models we see today are extremely unrealistic and we should not even have the label ‘plus size’, as the plus size model is just an average size for woman in the UK. The fashion industry needs to drop the label.
What do you think makes a women beautiful?
I know it sounds cheesy but I think it’s a woman’s ora that makes her beautiful.
Billy Frost, 21, Kent.
What do you think about the models represented in the fashion industry?
It comes across to me that the girls in fashion magazines are unhealthy.
What do you think makes a women beautiful?
I just like a woman that take care of themselves and are not too skinny and unhealthy looking.
Joshua Woodford, 23, Southampton.
What do you think about the models represented in the fashion industry?
It seems the fashion industry sticks to one size, there is no variation and they never seem to show an average sized model. They just aren’t typical woman.
What do you think makes a women beautiful?
I think for a woman to be beautiful she needs to be herself to start with. But I do prefer a girl who has something different about her, a bit eccentric.
Luke Mooney, 21, Southampton.
What do you think about the models represented in the fashion industry?
The models I see in magazines just appear fake, as if every part of them has been digitally altered.
What do you think makes a women beautiful?
I think natural beauty is the best kind of beauty in a woman. When they aren’t wearing make up, fake tan or anything like that.
