Remember when we told you about model Katie Halchishick’s Healthy is the New Skinny movement? Well, despite her upcoming nuptials and dozens of photoshoots, this 26-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. On Monday, Halchishick launched a body-positivity project that’s getting both men and women talking.
It all started with a simple Facebook posting placing the slim Victoria’s Secret models side by side with the women featured in Dove’s Real Beauty campaign.
“We just posted that photo to show how small the Victoria’s Secret models were because the Dove models are average-size,” Halchishick told us.
But the post received thousands of comments, many of them trashing the bodies of these ladies. Case in point:
“We were shocked to read how many people called the Dove models fat and ugly and said the most horrible things about these women,” Halchishick explained. “Then, others would claim that the Victoria’s Secret models were gross and looked like they were starving.”
And who loses? We all do. In their lacy panties and sexy poses, the Victoria’s Secret models are meant to exude sex appeal. But if you haven’t already noticed, all seven models have very similar body types. The underlying message: You can look and feel like your best self, but only if you’re sample size.
Meanwhile, in the Dove campaign, average-size women are featured in plain white bras and underwear. They’re beaming and beautiful, but if you ask teen girls who they’d rather look like, I’m banking on them picking the Victoria’s Secret models.
“There has been a push for more ‘real women’ in the media, but what does that mean?” Halchishick asked. “The Dove campaign is attempting to show ‘real women’, but being compared to the Victoria’s Secret campaign, it sends the message that this is less-than and not as attractive or desirable. Clearly, people want to have the discussion of size diversity, but it is not a fair comparison. That is why we created the Love Campaign. We want people to realize that you can use various body types and still have the glamour and appeal like the Victoria’s Secret models while presenting more realistic bodies to the girls who idolize them.”
You can check out the new HNS campaign video here. Are you feeling the love?
Images courtesy of Healthy is the New Skinny
