I cracked up when I read that “‘fat’ is no longer the ultimate fashion insult” in The Sunday Times. The article was about Kate Moss’ new figure. Supposedly, now that the supermodel is no longer a waif, she is “fat.” And since she’s one of the biggest trendsetters, especially in the UK, “fat” is in.
The rest of the article wasn’t as comedic. It talked about “lean times make for fatter tums.” I literally was just having this conversation with a friend who recently started a very expensive raw food diet. My argument was it’s much easier to be thin when you have money. It’s common sense: low-cal sashimi and a cucumber sunomono is the same price as three foot-longs from Subway. But maybe eating the foot-longs isn’t a bad thing. According to a study done by Dr. Lefi Nelson at NYU, during times of financial crisis, men prefer women with a little meat on them.
My real life experience proved this to be true. I had to go on this medication last year that made me very skinny. All my girlfriends would tell me how great I looked. I was elated at first. I found I could wear just about anything I wanted—except for my favorite D&G bustier dresses. I no longer had the curves to fill them out. These lacking curves were a major turn off for men.
My best guy friend told me I looked like a little boy and when I went out I found my fuller-figured friend would get all the attention that I used to receive. Super skinny just wasn’t sexy.
Hollywood is starting to realize this as well. I just came across an article today in another British media outlet, Daily Mail, discussing the new celebrity trend: pillow faces i.e. plump, chubby cheeks. It’s another common sense notion. Youthful women have soft round cheeks. As you age, the cheeks get hollow. To look young again, you need to restore the fat in your cheeks. I’m petrified of needles. So I’d prefer to have a little fat on me so I don’t have to inject it in my face in a few years. Plus, if “fat is in” I’ll just look that much better in the latest fashions.
Photo credit: Marcel Thomas and Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic