Hourglass figure

An hourglass figure is a type of description of a female body shape compared with that of an hourglass. The hourglass is normally accepted as the "ideal" female shape in Western countries.[1] While many societies are constantly changing and becoming more adaptable for women of all shapes and sizes, the hourglass figure seems to be what the media in Western countries always relates back to when referring to how women should look. They have even found ways to calculate women body shapes and name them based on how large or small their bust, waist, and hip sizes are.[2] It has become much more prominent that the United States in particular introduces different types of body shapes to encourage young girls to love themselves the way that they are, but they are still struggling to introduce more body types where need be.[3] If you were to google the word “model,” the first page will show an abundance of women those who are thin and fair-skinned, most of which resemble this hourglass figure.

Victoria’s Secret is a well-known brand for designing and manufacturing “women’s lingerie, womenswear, and beauty products.” Victoria’s Secret is the largest American retailer for women’s lingerie, which relates to how much of an impact they provide on a females idea of “the perfect body.”[4] Victoria’s Secret Angels are what the females who model for the brand are titled; when looking at pictures of these models, you will notice how some of the tags following them are: anorexic, diet, training, and fitness.[5]

A study of more than 6,000 women conducted at North Carolina State University in 2005 revealed that only 8% were hourglass-shaped;[1] while almost half of those 6,000 women were banana-shaped, which is when your waist measurements are "less than 9 inches smaller than your hip or bust."

References

  1. 1 2 "Body Type Calculator". www.calculator.net. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  2. "Body Type Calculator". www.calculator.net. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  3. "Colombia". The Stir. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  4. "See How Much the "Perfect" Female Body Has Changed in 100 Years (It's Crazy!)". Greatist. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  5. "victoria's secret angels - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2016-10-06.


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