Many Americans (and other world people) will say “oh, those French…” and it isn’t meant in a good way. So, my ancestry is French – ooh la la – yea, whatever…it was centuries ago, but it still gets a bit on my nerves. I aspire to someday goto Paris, the enjoy a walk along the Seine and to see the historical and architectural sights. I say I’m French along with being Irish, German and English (not a bit Italian…c’est la vie.) I like to think they do some things right and to admire my ancestral country for those things.
So, want to know something those crazy French have done? They have banned models with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of less than 18. They have also mandated that an advertisement which has been photoshopped to make the model appear skinnier be tagged with a statement indicating that the image has been manipulated. If a fashion house hires a model who does not comply, the fashion house and the designer face fines and possible imprisonment.
Now, before you say “oh those French officials weren’t the first to pass such a statute”, keep in mind how integral they are to the fashion industry. Paris is the world’s fashion capital. Milan is fourth after NYC and London but they were amongst the first to enact this ruling. So, maybe, sometimes, the French should be looked to for making good decisions (like the Italians) and the American fashion world should probably listen, at least to this. Fashion models do not need to be super-skinny, half-starved anomalies of the human body setting impossible goals for women and men to look a certain way to be considered beautiful.
~ Dawn aka Hat Girl