Spain fashion houses create anti-anorexia charter, break away from "impossible" beauty ideals

[k_dub]

MADRID (AFP) - Leading Spanish fashion houses including Inditex and flagship brand Zara agreed an unprecedented move to draw up a beauty "canon" including harmonising dress sizes after a recent storm over the number of young women suffering from anorexia.

The 12-point package of measures, or beauty "charter" -- drawn up with the health ministry -- includes a stipulation that shop windows display sizes of 38 minimum (size 10 in Britain, eight in the United States) and that size-46 apparel be placed in easy view in stores under the generic label "large sizes."

In a joint statement the couturiers said they intended to harmonise sizes in a bid to reduce the possibility of "consumer error" with sizes currently not in sync from one firm to the next.

Aside from Zara, other signatories included Cortefiel, Mango and chain store Corte Ingles as the Spanish firms, most of whom also sell their wares abroad, are reacting to concerns that anorexia is on the rise and that models are "excessively thin."

The charter, whose measures will be progressively introduced, aims to mark a break with showcasing models of beauty which are "impossible to reach for most people" and "can contribute to serious health disorders," such as anorexia, a health ministry statement said.

The measures are based on a biometric study of 8,500 Spanish women aged between 12 and 70 begun earlier this year, the ministry said.

Last year, Madrid's prestigious Pasarela Cibeles fashion show banned five models from participating because they did not meet World Health Organisation (WHO) weight guidelines.

A Madrid regional law aimed at fighting anorexia also ensured the five were discarded from last September's event when it emerged their body mass index (BMI), calculated on a height-weight ratio was under 18 (56 kilograms for 1.75 meters or 123 pounds for five feet eight inches).

And earlier this month, Madrid authorities this week took the fight against anorexia into cyberspace by forcing the closure of a website promoting the ideal that it's hip to be thin, after lambasting the site for publicising a competition offering would-be models prizes for losing weight.

Recent studies estimate that more than 100,000 Spanish women are anorexic and that up to half a million Spaniards suffer from various food-related disorders.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070123/lf_af...in_070123175627

Now shop windows in Spain are gonna show sizes of 8 minumum?

[Prettyphile]

Outstanding!

I'm starting to loath seeing all these ubery skinny models on the runway all the time (aka Tiiu, Anja, Natasha, Inguna ect). They don't have realistic figures IMO. I'd rather see someone who filled out the clothing walking down the runway over someone like Inguna any day.

I mean the average woman's body in the United State's is a healthy size 10-14, nice curves, a little junk in the trunk... but that's nowhere where near fat. Tyra has got to be at size 8-10 right now and she doesn't look bad does she?! Since when did having curve's become bad?!

I say bring on the healthier body images.. (Adriana Lima, Tyra Banks, Monica Bellucci, Laetitia Casta, Josie Maran ect)..

[Jennka]

whow, finally someone´ve decided to fight but...how it will help?

[alisa]

i don't belive that, it is just marketing,nothing else...

they said a while ago the same thing in italy,but u still see in most of major campains ultra skinny models,like sasha,vlada,gemma...

there's too much money in the industry and no one will give up they share just cos some girls died... they really don't care...

they just doing it for publicity

[valmount]

Actually Milan is affecting from the thin model ban We will see it 3 weeks later on milan fw.Altough I don't think really big names will ban but we will see.

[cmyth]

[quote name='

[cmyth]

 

[jey47key]

i'm sorry to say that, but i think you're all off-topic

this news is not about skinny girls on runway for fashion shows

it's about, unless i missunderstood, size of clothes aviable in stores that will match the size of the customers

[AnaBB Cover]

W/e. I know it's important but i'm just so sick of this subject. Nothing is going to change.

[cmyth]

[ILOVETrentini]

I wonder... if they stopped making such a fuss about bans and clothes and sizes, that maybe things might "settle" down a bit. I mean, there's SO much attention being drawn to eating disorders that everyone notices it. you don't really hear about the consequences of anorexia in some articles and if a girl is trying to lose weight fast, she might think, "oh, that model in this article looks really good". I dunno.. I just think that if they stopped pressuring the models to gain or obese people to lose, that the whole weight controversy wouldn't be such a big issue. it's not the models fault if girls idolize them, but it's also not some of their own faults that they're skinny...

[Lolita]

I agree with your first comment Josie Maran

[Expresso]

It's in people's nature to go from one extreme to another

[Nemeside]

i'm glad for this

but just spain is doing something while fashion's capitals - milan, paris NY - don't bother

[Lolita]

I think its the desingers fault to go from one extreme to another. Size six models are good. But not size zero.