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oh darling fashion
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The Confidence Issue \\PAGE NUMBER
CONTENTS 4
Editors Letter
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Special Report
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Confidence Masterclass
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Be Bold
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How to Style
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POLKA DOT WEDGWOOD.CO.UK
From the Editor
First of all, welcome to the very first issue of Oh Darling! I hope you enjoy reading a magazine dedicated to petite women. From personal experience, it’s pretty damn hard finding clothes that fit my short torso and legs, never mind finding stylish clothes too. Although, I have learnt an array of useful tricks along the way from using belts to hitch up fabric; safety pins to provide a more secure fit or simply rolling sleeves and jeans up. All in aid to make clothes fit, but enough is enough! I want to find stylish clothes that are made to fit me. Which is where Oh Darling comes in - determined to broaden opportunities in fashion for petite females. Every item of clothing featured on the pages are geared for short legs, and the models you see wearing them are petite, too! A fancy feature of Oh Darling is that if you see an item of clothing you wish to add to your own wardrobe simply click on the link and it will guide you straight to the website where you can purchase it. Petite ranges have grown progressively
over the past few years. Yet, I have found that there is still a distinct lack of petite ranges available on the high-street. I praise Topshop, New Look and Miss Selfridge for their ranges, I really do. But I want more. I want playsuits from H&M, coats from Zara, dresses from Urban Outfitters and jeans from River Island. I could go on, but that would be boring. So instead of me doing all of the talking we need you to get involved too. Sign our petition to get all high-street fashion brands stocking a petite range – let’s show them that there is a Click Here to Sign demand for it! Confidently speaking up and demanding more can be a challenge, but it can be beneficial. Our Confidence Masterclass should be your go-to guide for when you need some self-help strategies to boost your self-esteem. Also in the issue, we take a look at how body ideals have altered over the past 100 years, the results are fascinating. Enjoy!
Hannah x Hannah Beardmore | Editor-in-Chief
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Special Report
A CENTURY OF THE ‘PERFECT’ BODY
W e c a n take a look at the p a s t 1 0 0 years o f trends in body shape and some of the fashion movements that came with them, as well as interviewing women from three generations, for an insight on how the ‘ideal’ body The past century a what ‘the body’ is. We see shape ofhas theirseen time influenced theirperfect lifestyles. remarkable amount of change, a diverse range of body types, all of though one thing that ceases to which have once been construed as revolutionise is the notion of one ‘perfect’: from the hour glass figure ‘ideal’ body shape for females. It is an of Marilyn Monroe to the waif-like ever changing trend, and there have Kate Moss. It is pleasing to see that been an abundance of variations in this array of different body types terms of what the ideal body is – but have all been seen as ideal in the where do these movements stem media; though what we really hope from? Looking back on the ‘ideal’ to see in the very near future is the body shape for women throughout media inspiring women to love their the past century shows us just how natural shape instead of focusing arbitrary and subjective the vision of on one preconceived body ‘ideal’.
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Special Report We can take a look at the past 100 years of trends in body shape and some of the fashion movements that came with them, as well as interviewing women from three generations, for an insight on how the ‘ideal’ body shape of their time influenced their lifestyles. The start of our timeline begins at the 1900s to the 1910s: the time of the Gibson Girl. Illustrator Charles Dana Gibson’s famous satirical pen-and-ink illustrations of women came to epitomise the ‘ideal’ feminine beauty at the turn of the century. In an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine he explained that the Gibson Girl was someone who he saw on the streets, at the theatres and in churches - “She was everywhere, doing everything”. He drew his inspiration based on “thousands of American girls” but the popular look was achieved by wearing corsets which would provide a voluptuous bust, small waist, and wide hips. Linda M. Scott writes in Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism, “The Gibson Girl was not dainty… she was dark, regal in bearing, and quite tall.”
In the 1920s though, the most prominent body ‘ideal’ was dainty – the Flapper Girl. She was the complete opposite of the Gibson Girl in ideologies, style, and mannerisms. The exaggerated curve of the Gibson was replaced with a straight-up, straight-down
Their behaviour was scandalous figure. Some Flappers even went to the extreme of tightly wrapping their breasts in fabric to achieve the Flapper Girl look. This ‘ideal’ body shape was petite but they were never short of sex appeal since their hemlines were daringly short (for the time) and their behaviour was scandalous. The first winner of Miss America Margaret Gorman, who was crowned in 1921, was titled as having the perfect flapper figure with her 5ft 1” height and a 7st10lb weight. This ‘ideal’ of thinness drove upper-class women to diet in order to achieve this look. Weight-loss diets were
featured in new women’s magazines to give women the desired Flapper figure which worked so well with the iconic, low waist flapper dress. In terms of style and culture the 1930s saw a startling paradox; the style was soft and elegant but the world was in the midst of a severe economic downturn, known as the Great Depression. It was during this time which saw a return of the natural waist, not like the over exaggerated waist of a Gibson Girl. Women now aspired to look more naturally curvaceous to emphasise their figure, in contrast to the boyish flapper style of the previous decade. Magazine of the time, Photoplay, commended actress Dolores del Rio for her “roundly” and “warmly curved” figure. The clothing and style of the sophisticated Thirties posed as a form of escapism for many. A more traditional style in clothing was adopted and the hemline fell when morale was low following the stock market crash. A more balanced and wellproportioned body became the fashion ‘ideal’ as people wanted their voluptuousness 6
Special Report to symbolise that they ate unused suites of men who well, despite the recession. were away in combat, Clothing was used as an aid redesigning them into stylish, to show off a natural shape everyday women’s wear. by highlighting the specific These ‘ideals’ contours of the body rather heightened in the Fifties, than draping and disguising when weight gain tablets them. were endorsed through WW2 had a huge magazines to help women impact on society, including fill out their curves. The post how females wanted to war era was the decade of portray themselves for their the hourglass with a surge returning heroes. So the in resources a fuller shape curvy, feminine look was became popularised and was adopted – essentially a toned most likely a reaction against down version of the Gibson Girl. This more voluptuous look of big breasts, tiny waist, and broad hips led well into the 1940s and even more so when this ‘ideal’ body shape was embraced by the media. Advertisements even told women how they could avoid Barbara on body image in the Fifties a too-skinny look. Ladies of the Forties, even though rationing which ended in curves were preferential, 1954. Barbara, a retired care their active lifestyles is what home manager, remembers kept them slim. However how ‘‘everyone had more this was not through choice; confidence in themselves there was no petrol for and about their future. The cars so everyone walked or body ideal during the Fifties cycled to work. The softer, could not have been better more elegant look of the portrayed than by the now 1930s was replaced with famous icons of their time, military style angularity of namely; Marilyn Monroe broad shoulders, ‘torpedo’ and Rita Hayworth”. Since bras and a hitched in waist. TV had not become popular Magazines even included to its current level yet, it was features on how to tailor the increasing popularity of
“Everyone had more confidence in themselves and about their future”
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glamorous Hollywood films which prompted women to “become more conscious of their clothing and their body image” Barbara tells us. “I never saw myself fitting the ideal body shape, as I was very slim and always felt envious of women I considered to have an iconic, ideal body shape”. It was during this decade that Playboy magazine first graced newsagents which echoed the tiny waist, large breasted ‘ideal’. The past three decades, while each possessed unique aspects, had no extreme change on the ‘ideal’ body shape; although history was about to repeat itself with another drastic change. Cue the Swinging Sixties, which saw a substantial reversal of the Fifties ‘idealised’ image. The rebellious, sexual revolution of the Sixties bought with it a new beauty ‘ideal’ in the form of famous model Twiggy “which gave rise to what can only be described as the anti-ideal body attitude” Barbara explains. She goes on to say how Twiggy’s androgynous, unruly and daring style “gave women more confidence to change the way they look.” The clothing supports this
Special Report Below: Barbara reminisces on what the ideal body shape was during her twenties. Right: A snapshot of Barbara in her twenties with her husband.
trend: a shrunken shift dress without a waistline was designed to suit the favoured petite frame. This fashion, which recapitulates the flapper look of the 1920s, demanded slim hips and a smaller bust. It was during the Sixties that Weight Watchers was founded to help women maintain a balanced diet, which Barbara says “was surprisingly far easier to achieve in the 1960s because women weren’t tempted to buy from any of the fast food outlets, as the population is now”. Dieting was popularising in order to fulfil the slim, flat-stomached
ideal look of the decade since society was becoming m o r e accepting of skinny models used in the media. Again, during the 1970s, the promoted ‘ideal’ body shape for females remained as slim and slender as a Sixties girl but the look becomes leaner. A BBC documentary ‘The Way We Travelled’ gave an insight to what the body ‘ideal’ of the Seventies was like as Judith Woods writes, “The people looked so different, although I couldn’t quite put my finger in it. I realised it had nothing to do with the vintage swimwear, or the mullet hairstyles and perms – it was their body shape. The women’s curves were more toned and the men’s middle-
ages spread was modest. There was no sign of the huge beached sunbathers that are part and parcel of any seaside scene today”. The decade was dubbed the era of the Disco Diva, where synthetic fabrics like polyester and spandex were fully embraced. Although, the not-so-flattering fabric meant that women were pressured to maintain a slim, and toned body in order pull of the fashion. The silhouette of actress Farrah Fawcett was most aspired to as she donned one-piece swimsuits with natural looking layered hair and rose to prominence as a sex symbol of the time. It was during this decade that eating disorders leaped into the national conscience and the Twiggy-like thin ‘ideal’, began to have a widespread impact on women’s eating habits and health. Twiggy has since spoken out against the skinny ideal while recognising that she had a role in perpetuating it but said that “I ate. I always said I ate, and I looked like my dad who was very skinny, so I think that’s genetic.” Women of all shapes and sizes strived to be as tiny as the naturally skinny models, an impossible task for many. 8
Special Report Maureen never let her confidence dwindle because of her height.
With the 1980’s came a new obsession with aerobics which took the Seventies body ‘ideal’ but added muscle. For the first time on our timeline muscle is more acceptable, and desirable on women. Now dieting wasn’t the only way that women were expected to keep that ‘perfect’ figure – one more beauty standard added to an ever growing list. In a decade where the most prominent women in the media towered to 6ft tall, like supermodel Elle MacPherson, we asked 5ft 3” Maureen, a teaching assistant, how she dealt with not quite measuring 9
up to the ‘ideal’ body of the Eighties; “I didn’t fit into the body ideal, I was quite short and not as slim as females portraying the ideal body shape, but I was confident with my own figure because I felt that I was in proportion and more importantly of a healthy weight.” She went on to say that “celebrities have people around them to make them look good, and to help them keep fit with support from a personal trainer. Remembering this helped, so not fitting into the body ideal didn’t affect the way I felt about myself.” Although during the Eighties there was a rise in exercise home videos which meant that women were able to strive for the body ideal in the comfort of their own homes. Fuelling this obsession of home-fitness was leading actress and fitness fanatic
Jane Fonda who extended her career with teaching women the art of aerobics. Another decade, another exaggeration of the previous one. Although instead of the ‘ideal’ body shape being slim, healthy and toned, the emphasis was on being slim. High fashion put more importance on using models who were skinnier than ever, and even bony in appearance. Female models and celebrities who were in the public eye portrayed an increasingly impossible ‘ideal’ body for women to aspire to; Penelope Cruz had a BMI of 19.6, when the national average was actually 26.3, according to rehabs.com. Something that remains consistent even today where women with the average BMI of 27.5 are left to compare their bodies to the likes of Keira Knightley who has a BMI of 17.2, and Natalie Portman who has a BMI of 19.5. The look that was prominent in the Nineties had been given the label ‘heroinechic’ to describe the waif-like models, for example Kate Moss, who were prominent on catwalks at the time. Modern channels of media now allowed a level of
Special Report scrutiny undreamed of a matter of years ago. Idols were more rapidly created and discarded – leaving behind impressionable masses endlessly pursuing impossible goals. The idea of being skinny ran into yet another decade, but supermodel Giselle Bundchen is credited with giving women a healthier, more buffed up body ‘ideal’ to aspire towards. Giselle dominated not only the catwalk and print advertisements but her CV also includes being a Victoria’s Secret model, a lingerie brand broadly known for using models with washboard abs and busty chests. She was named “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” by Rolling Stone magazine and was often seen on the red carpet in tow with Leonardo DiCaprio. Though the gaunt look of the Nineties was becoming an old trend, the new portrayed ‘ideal’ body was just as difficult for young women to achieve. Prominent celebrity of time, Britney Spears, confessed to the world that in order to achieve her toned tummy she did 600 sit-ups a day to achieve it, which promoted an unhealthy obsession with
fitness and exercise to her relatively young audience. Bootylicious - there is no better term to describe the current decade’s ‘ideal’ body shape. Curves are back with a vengeance but are more contained to a big breasted, tight bottomed ‘ideal’. We are living in a decade where Kim Kardashian broke the internet with her famous backside. Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj and the rest of the Kardashian clan are all in favour of the more curvaceous behind but with this ‘ideal’ has come an unhealthy trend: the ‘waisttrainer’. The practice involves wearing a modern corset for hours at a time to compress your core, which will supposedly decrease the size of your waist p e r m a n e nt l y over time. Kim Kardashian isn’t the only celebrity to jump on the bandwagon with Khloe Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica
Alba all showing off their waist-trainers with the help of social media outlets which is only fuelling the national trend. Gemma, a 23 year old hospitality manager, says how social media is the main platform to which she sees this body ‘ideal’: “girls are constantly posting pictures of women with their dream bodies of toned stomachs, bums and tiny waists.” Can this celeb-endorsed practice actually shrink your waist size? “Medically, it doesn’t make sense that cinching your waist tightly with make it permanently smaller” says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D clinical professor in an Gemma tells us of the most current body shape trend on social media.
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Special Report interview with Woman’s Health Mag. “Once you take the garment off, your body will return to its usual shape. It’s also uncomfortable, restricts your movements, and if you wear it really tight, it can even make it difficult to breathe and theoretically could cause rib damage.” Yet this hasn’t stopped the celebrity endorsed waisttraining from becoming a widespread trend amongst women with popular brands Waist Gang Society and Shape Waist UK gracing the top of Google search engine. Our timeline of ‘body ideals’ has shown just one consistency throughout
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the century: the media’s interpretation of the ‘ideal’ body shape have always been of an unobtainable standard for the majority of women. What the media thinks viewers want to see is the main catalyst for the unreasonable standards women aspire to. For some women, they will naturally fall into whatever the trend is at the time, but for a large proportion of the rest of society it’s merely an impossible task of trying to distort our natural body shape in order to follow the current trend. Women should accept that as long as they are fit and healthy,
they should be confident enough in themselves to not want to change on the basis of a perceived idea of what a female body shape should be. What does the future hold for body ‘ideals’? Luckily for us the future is bright, with brands like Dove, and Debenhams making conscious efforts to include a diverse range of body types in their campaigns – recognising that there isn’t one body type that fits all and there is no such thing as an ‘ideal’ shape, but there is such a thing as your natural shape. Embrace it!
The Confidence Masterclass 13
Confidence Masterclass “When I’m not feeling my best I ask myself, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ I use the negativity to fuel the transformation into a better me.” – Beyoncé Knowles. Positive Attitude
Life is constantly challenging, that’s just the way it is; but when you learn to seek out the positive aspects to difficult situations, no matter how small, then you will notice how a positive mental attitude helps with coping. The next time you’re enduring a stressful situation, instead of beating yourself up about it take a deep breath, note down the positives and then formulate a plan on how it can be dealt with. For example, you didn’t get the job? You should be proud of yourself for trying. And at least you have more interview experience for next time. This way of thinking will give you a more positive outlook towards life – the key foundation for confidence.
Confidence is the intangible thing which can make a difference in feeling strong, or feeling scared. Almost everyone will need a helping hand when it comes too conquering a lack of confidence at some point. Following these strategies will work wonders for your self-esteem.
Love Your Body
Shifting your focus to what you like about your body can help towards feeling more positive about yourself, and that motivation will make you feel more confident in an array of different situations. Every time you find yourself thinking negatively, stop and concentrate on a positive about yourself. For some if the negative feelings towards your body is an occurring situation then it could be related to self-esteem issues. If this is the case then it would be important to consider reasons which cause you to think that way, because then you can focus on forming a plan on how you can deal with it and resolve the issue.
Your Body is Immense
Another way to boost confidence is rather than fixating negatively on how your body looks focus on the immense things it is capable of. Set your body a challenge. It could be something small, like walking to work once a week. Or it could be something huge, like running the next London marathon. When you embrace a challenge you’re giving yourself the opportunity to learn more about yourself, your body and what you are able to accomplish when you set your mind to something. Even if you are not successful in your challenge, you will feel a lot better for trying. 14
Confidence Masterclass
Get Out of Comfort Zone
Your
When you set out to accomplish things that you have previously convinced yourself you can’t do, then your comfort zone and confidence will only ever continue to expand. If you start off by doing something seemingly small every day it will eventually lead to doing something which is hugely out of your initial comfort zone. All it takes is that first step and app LoveThis is the perfect opportunity to do so. Developed in the UK, it is the place to discover recommendations from your friends of places to visit, books to read, bars to explore and films to endeavour. It’s also great for remembering the things we’ve done that have been out of our comfort zone – reminding you how far you’ve come. 15
Treat Yourself
You don’t have to have a big splurge, it could be treating yourself to a professionally done hair colour, instead of a home dye. Or buying yourself a rump steak from the butcher instead of the supermarket value range. Or even treating yourself to a spa day instead of a swim in the local baths. That little extra luxury every so often can do wonders for your self-esteem. Confirm to yourself that you are worthy to enjoy something a little special. How about treating yourself to a new skill? When you tackle a skill in something that interests you such as web design or photography, it gives you a can-do attitude – the ultimate confidence boost.
Pay Attention Compliments
to
Embrace the little ego boost instead of dismissing it – the person who thought to pay credit to how hard you’ve worked, or admired the colour of your nails, or appreciated your help has said these things because they’re true regardless of whether you agree or not. Shunning their efforts to appreciate you will discourage them to do so in the future! If you were to set yourself a challenge to write down every compliment you receive during the week then you would have to pay attention to them. Then, when you read through the little list at the end of the week you’ll see how truly appreciated you are.
Confidence Masterclass
Cut Down on Social Media Eat Happy
Did you know there is such a thing a moodboosting foods? Well, there is! Our favourite mood-boosting food has got to be the dark chocolate. It has to be 70% cocoa or more since it has the ability to stimulate the production of endorphins. It also contains serotonin, a neurotransmitter that acts as a natural antidepressant. Nutritionist Naomi Mead also recommends nuts for the zinc; salmon for its essential omega 3 fats; sweet potato for the abundance of vitamin B6; spinach which has loads of magnesium and eggs which are complete protein and have a variety of amino acids which can help lift your mood.
Confidence coach Georgina Elliot says “the worst enemy of self-confidence is comparison” and social media provides the perfect platform for you to compare yourself to others. This is a damaging affair since they only ever show a glorified version of other people’s lives. Having a cyber-stalk can end up making you feel as if your life doesn’t compare, which certainly isn’t the case. So what do you do to prevent feeling like this? Cut down on the amount of time you spend on it and stop comparing yourself to others and start celebrating your individuality. You’ll soon realise how much time you wasted pointlessly obsessing over social media.
Spend More Outside
Time
Now that you’ve cut down on your social media intake it’s time to fill that time with something more fulfilling. Boosting your physical wellbeing will make an enormous positive difference to your state of mind. Exercise, especially when it’s an outdoor activity, will release those feelgood chemicals, like dopamine, which helps to regulate attributes that cause damage to your confidence, stress and anxiety. When you find an exercise that gives you the most pleasure incorporate it into your routine. Even a couple of sessions a week will help you feel better about yourself physically, and mentally. When you see what your body is capable of, your self-confidence will soar. 16
BO LD
Be Bold
Be Bold. Make a statement. Forget mundane black. Think powerful, clashing colours. This season’s block colours are chic and daring.
Jacket, Miss Selfridge, £39 Shirt, Dorothy Perkins, £20 Jeans, ASOS, £28 Shoes, Models Own
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Be Bold
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Be Bold
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Be Bold
Be Bold
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Petite Style
The Ankle Grazer
How to Style:
A classic staple to anyone’s wardrobe: the ankle grazer. Not quite pedal pushers, but not quite full-length either – the perfect inbetweener. This style was first pioneered during the 1950s by icon Audrey Hepburn in fashion loving film Funny Face; pairing them with a turtle neck and some slipper shoes. Even though this outfit was to represent her characters ‘frumpy stage’, the ankle grazer has since been transformed, updated and re-vamped into fashion for today and have led SS15 runways. The knack of this look is all in the length, which should narrow and skim just above the ankle bone. A length which is particularly flattering for shorter legs, which will help to elongate them – especially when combined with heels, what’s not to love? Since the style of these ankle grazers from the petite range at ASOS is so simple you can wear them for almost any occasion, and are ideal for the transition from winter to summer. 23
Necklace, H&M, £1.99 Blouse, Miss Selfridge, £22
Kimono, New Look, £17.99
Shoes, Clarks Originals, £60
Working Girl The lightweight, stretchy fabric of these trousers makes them wonderfully suited for work attire. Add a bold blazer for a splash of colour. With inspiration from Funny Face, a pair of slipper shoes from Clarks Original range provide ultimate comfort for those long working days - we just can’t guarantee that you’ll get whisked off to Paris on a modelling contract by the end of it.
Petite Style
Jacket, Topshop, £55 Necklace, New Look, £9.99 Crop top, Topshop, £26 Top, Miss Selfridge, £22
Shoes, Vans, £47
Shoes, Select, £9.99
Casual
cocktails
This season, the bomber is back. The contrast of these smart tailored trousers with a sportswear jacket proves to be the best casual combo for when you’re travelling and then exploring city sites this summer. Take these ankle grazers out and about teamed with a fitted, high-neck crop top, like this one from Topshop. Most ideal for when the sun is shining.
Trousers are the best way to make a statement at the cocktail bar when styled with a gorgeous pair of heels and a flattering scallop-hem top, like this one from Miss Selfridge’s petite range. This outfit is worthy of a double-take, and will certainly give you the confidence to dance as Audrey does in that exuberant, yet iconic choreography from Funny Face. 24