Victoria’s Secret comes under Fire for New ‘Perfect Body’ Bra Range

A campaign against the ad has been initiated on change.org to apologize for the degrading and body shaming message.

For the past few years, the typical skinny models body has received positive and negative attention.  The eating disorders and body types typical in models have been widely criticized. Brands like Nivea and Dove took the initiative to let women feel comfortable in their bodies. All kinds of body typed women were invited to take their photographs in their under garments and the movement was widely applauded for their realistic approach.

They were also criticized though but real women can actually feel the tide of change uprising. 12 women shot nude photo shoots for a ‘Comfortable in your Skin’ cause. With a world uprising of body awareness, there still exists a world whose ideas are different than everyone.

I don’t have 2b anorexic to have a perfect body #iamperfect Why does #VictoriaSecret think it has to educate us on it’s distorted views?— Beautylicious82 (@Beautylicious82) October 30, 2014

Victoria’s Secret is famous for its skinny, anorexic bodied models. Their representation of women generally fits the brief have to have flat bodies and thin faces. That is not how women are. A former employee Amanda Synder said that the company was developed on the objective of women feel beautiful about themselves but the marketing department didn’t get the memo perhaps.

They certainly didn’t. The new Victoria’s Secret advertisement features The Victoria’s Secret Angels Behati Prinsloo, Lily Aldridge and Jasmine Tookes for their new denim push up bra line “Body” The bras might actually be good but what three young students; Gabriella Kountourides, Laura Ferris and Frances Black pointed out when they saw the ad in a shopping mall at Leeds were the words “The Perfect Body” sprawled across the Angels wearing the new range of push up bras. It would not be for the first time that Victoria’s Secret has featured the likes of skinny, tall models in an advertisement but the words make all the difference. 

Why people are angry over this Victoria’s Secret bra advertisement http://t.co/wYjW0zzdUX pic.twitter.com/LspFzWyFDO— Huffpost.ca Style (@HuffPostCaStyle) October 30, 2014

The line “The Perfect Body” in an advertisement with skinny, tall women causes body shame, inferiority and other psychological conflicts regarding their bodies. The girls pointed out that body shaming is not right. There should be no standard of beauty because each person is beautiful in their own way. To label the diversity of beauty to a one specific kind of a body type cause women all around the world to feel less adequate and guilty about their own bodies.

Everyday women are made to feel inadequate about their bodies by multiple brands on the pretense of making them feel more beautiful and feel happier. Only to make their products sell more on the expense of their customer’s self esteem. It’s regrettable for every girl who walks around any Victoria’s Secret outlet because they do not fit the brand definition of a perfect body.

The Victoria’s Secret “The Perfect Body” campaign makes me wanna throw up. Their idea of a “perfect” body is unrealistic. #iamperfect— emily spoopy✭ (@Emily_Stikeman) October 30, 2014

This time Gabriella Kountourides, Laura Ferris and Frances Black are not going to feel guilty because they have started a petition against the latest advertisement in which they are demanding an apology from the company for spreading an unhealthy and damaging message about women’s body. They have criticized Victoria’s Secret for establishing their own norms of perfect body on which to judge all women.

The message has caused a great stir of ridicule and criticism among variety of girls and women around the world. Almost two thousand signatures have already been obtained on the petition. The participants have also took to comment on Twitter to share their views and reservations about the ad and the company in general. According to Hannah Welby, this is an ongoing problem in the advertising for both genders and these issues really need to be reconsidered. Victoria’s Secret is yet to comment on the petition. 

@CBCNews 10 super-hotties caused 10 million not-super-hotties to talk about Victoria Secret online. A Stroke Of Genius. #iamperfect— Thom Johnson (@JJThommy) October 30, 2014

I don’t have 2b anorexic to have a perfect body #iamperfect Why does #VictoriaSecret think it has to educate us on it’s distorted views?— Beautylicious82 (@Beautylicious82) October 30, 2014

I love the #iamperfect message! Embrace and celebrate women of all shapes, colors and sizes! @VictoriasSecret— Adriana Michelle Inc (@Miss_LosAngeles) October 30, 2014

Victoria’s Secret, I am appalled. Frick you and your “perfect body” campaign SMH YOU’RE ALL PHOTOSHOPPED pic.twitter.com/PE49XSktJv— O’Haggerty (@leerocket5000) October 30, 2014

Sources: DailyMail , Change.org