April 23, 2015
Linda Heasley, CEOc/o Lane Bryant
Lane Bryant Headquarters
3344 Morse Crossing
Columbus, OH 43219
Dear Linda,
I'd love to take a second of your time and share my thoughts
about the #ImNoAngel campaign with you.
We met a couple of months ago in NYC along with a dozen
other bloggers and your Chief Marketing Officer. We gathered to discuss how
Lane Bryant can better serve the plus-size community and it turned into a
passionate discussion where those in attendance openly requested more diversity
both on the catwalk and online. That, and less Sharkbite dresses, wink wink. I
left the lunch inspired and looking forward to what Lane Bryant would produce
next. Truthfully? While it's absolutely gorgeous, I expected more than the #ImNoAngel campaign.
Even though I was disappointed, I’ve been reading the
responses with great interest since your launch; observing those who applaud
the images saying FINALLY, and others who are saying We want more. It’s
been fascinating to say the least. What has interested me the most though,
is watching some individuals quickly become frustrated with those who demand
representation. Individuals asking “for more” are often told to stop
"whining" about a "first world problem" and many defended
the campaign saying that fashion figures are supposed to be aspirational
and not necessarily representational. Many of these comments were visibly
supported by your company via social media.
This seems to conflict, however, with your ultimate
intention. You were quoted as saying:
"Our '#ImNoAngel' campaign is designed to empower ALL women to love every part of herself. Lane Bryant firmly believes that she is sexy and we want to encourage her to confidently show it, in her own way."
Personally, I question how empowering these images can be for “all
women.” #ImNoAngel only shows ONE shape while redefining the sexy plus
women; that shape being the traditional hourglass: a body with a waistline
considerably smaller than a larger bust and hips. This is almost always (and
is, in this case) accompanied by a flat belly. This shape is ubiquitous in
plus-size modeling and some say that only showing one type of body isn’t an
issue (after all, at least they’re plus-sized and on the F train, right?!?),
but I disagree and would like to share with you a little bit about diversity
and why it’s more important than you think.
We’re all aware that only a miniscule percentage (a whopping
5%) of body types are positively represented in the media. What some
of us don’t realize is how monumentally this affects us and our wellbeing.
When we, as a society, fail to include diverse bodies in our
media, the message becomes clear to those excluded: you are unworthy of taking
up space. It’s a powerful message that settles into the core of those who
aren’t represented. #ImNoAngel, seemingly attempts to convey
empowerment for plus-sized women, but instead has continued to perpetuate this
exact same message. This time, though, with a specialized addition for the
bodies not pictured: not only are you unworthy of taking up space, but you are
also not invited to feel sexy.
Given that the majority of your customers (and plus women in
general) don't see themselves represented in #ImNoAngel… this campaign seems
to be an empowerment “backfire.”
When a person is constantly bombarded by images of one
"ideal" body (plus or otherwise) it wreaks havoc on their psyche. The
continual exposure mentally trains them to believe that only ONE body is worthy
and this unfortunate social conditioning is one of the largest contributors to
low self-esteem, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and other severe body image
related issues- all of which affect daily living. Visible diversity is a
solution to these problems, and asking for it is anything but egotistical. It’s
absolutely necessary.
I'd like to also point out that exclusionary images cause
more than just personal pain. They also cause negative reactions from others
that can turn into harassment, bullying and general hatred. Because we haven’t
been given a positive framework within which to process “alternative” plus
bodies, when presented with models of varying shapes feelin’ all sexy and shit
(like the images that follow) the public’s knee-jerk reaction is almost always
negative. No doubt, this post will receive its fair share of ghastly remarks
and this response is directly linked to the fact that we've been
conditioned to believe that only one kind of body deserves to be seen as sexy. Anyone that breaks this rule is met with animosity. Bummer, man.
The cool thing though? This reaction can be eventually
disappear if companies like Lane Bryant were to step outside their comfort zone
and do something radical like: incorporate body diversity. It’s critical that
we #EmpowerALLBodies, and it's more important to do so than we think.
Of course you can't represent every type of body
when you have six models (trust me, I know- #EmpowerALLBodies isn't perfect either), but what Lane Bryant can do... is
a little bit better. You’ve presented the “ideal” plus body: hourglass,
perceivably "healthy", cellulite free, able bodied, cis-gender, and
"conventionally" beautiful. And while I appreciate your conscious
inclusion of varying skin tones (and Elly's scar), I’m going to ask you to consider including
some of the following next time: cellulite; 90% of women have it. Bellies; many
plus women don't have flat torsos. All abilities; we’re all inherently sexy.
Transgender women; they're "all woman" too. Small boobs and wide
waists; we're not all "proportional." Stretch marks and wrinkles;
they're trophies of a life lived. And this is just the beginning! I’ve taken
the liberty of creating some inclusionary images with Jade Beall, reminiscent
of yours. These photos highlight all of these things mentioned above… and
y’know what? I find them sexy as hell. I believe that constructive criticism is an important part of making progress, but I also believe that when you attach a solution you've got a game changer! Hopefully these can be a game changer for you. Now, I realize that you are a company with
financial motives (and that change is often met with resistance), but if you’re
truly interested in empowering all women and joining the body positive
conversation, I strongly suggest you consider widening your definition of sexy.
I want to be clear: the models you chose are not wrong or
unworthy of being photographed. They're beautiful, they exist in the real
world, they are valuable and I’m so happy that some identify with their
presence. But they are not the whole story.
Linda, as the head of the largest plus-size retailer, you
have the opportunity to tell the WHOLE story. You have the platform. You have
the financial backing. And after meeting your team, I know you have employees
who are interested in taking the conversation in a new direction. So let’s work
together to make that happen! Whaddyasay?
All the love (body and otherwise),
Jes
P.S. I'm happy to consult at any time and I know a lot of
other bad-ass babes that would love to do the same! At the end of the day,
we're all in this hot mess together, y'know?
P.P.S. Lemme at your social media accounts already. Someone
needs to address the big issues in a big way and I'm DEFINITELY your gal.
------------------------------
GREAT NEWS! Lane Bryant has responded!
Linda
said "Yes, we can do even more in supporting women, pushing body
confidence and self-esteem amplification as well as making inclusiveness more a
part of the norm. Over the many decades that I have been active in Women’s
Issues and Concerns, I have come to appreciate that Feminist issues are in fact
Humanist issues. We together can make this world better for so many."
This reinforces everything I believe: Maybe it's possible to NOT shut down those who have the ability to reach individuals that we can't, but to still approach them with honesty and ask for change. If we are
honest with ourselves about how change is best achieved in this fucked up
world, we'll acknowledge that utopian ideals will always be the goal, but the
steps towards this will be slow and anything but perfect. This is how all giant movements go, and there is still an overwhelming
amount of societal pushback when it comes to visible body acceptance.
Sometimes, the most effective way of creating change is by breaking down old
walls and dismantling social issues from the inside out and I fully plan on doing
this whenever the opportunity arises. Lane Bryant reaches many women who are still unfamiliar with the concept of body love and I'm
hoping that their small (or large?) changes will bring this idea to light for
those who find me too radical or abrasive;) Will we see this change? I don't
know. Retail has had a long standing relationship with Exclusivity, but I'm hopeful.
If you have any suggestions on what YOU feel needs to be
represented in their future campaigns, you can email me at themilitantbaker@gmail.com. I’ll
be sure to pass them along.
Images: Jade Beall Photography | MUA: Strawberri Gashes | Hair: ARKANEStudios
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