Bombshells: Curvy Women

By Elma B.

After I saw Cameron Russell's speech on TED about race, height and weight in the modeling industry, I was inspired to write this article for all of the girls and women suffering because a small clique of people have bombarded us with images of anorexic women for almost three decades. In fact, making the anorexic look synonymous with beautiful ignored the fact that women come in a variety of different shapes: hour glass, inverted triangle, apple shaped, and pear shaped and that beauty came in all kinds of different shapes...

Body Types for Women

In fact, the anorexic look became dubbed as "heroine-chic"; the latter adjective-chic must have been used erroneously since obviously there is nothing chic about heroine. What has happened for about three decades is that even the curvy actresses, e.g. Kate Winslet and Jennifer Lawrence, have been photoshopped to look slim. 

Many women across the world look at these images that are photoshopped endlessly and directly suffer, which spans from death to starvation. Hence, the problem is very serious. More recently, the high-end fashion industry has incorporated fit into the very skinny. We are constantly bombarded by some of the biggest fashion brands and major magazines by anorexic and sometimes muscular models, who have the spotlight at almost every fashion show, magazine cover and major commercial.

Through this article, I wanted to take you back how the ideal body image has evolved. The bombshells and the sex symbols, e.g., Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Raquel Welch, Sofia Loren, and Brigitte Bardot, of the 1950s and 1960s were certainly not stick skinny. These bombshells did not have scrawny thighs or six pack stomachs. 

Kate Winslet Photoshopped on the January 2003 GQ Cover

It is very important to remind ourselves that beauty is not any one look but comes in different sizes, shapes, and ethnic backgrounds. Thus, each time you pick up a major magazine or find yourself watching TV commercials or shows that promotes the anorexic look, turn your head and find a different kind of beauty that inspires you!

Curves: Bombshell Raquel Welch

Below, you will find some of my favorite 1950s and 1960s bombshells whom indeed had gorgeous curves in all the right places! Until next time...xoxo! 

Curvy Body: Marilyn Monroe

Curvy Women: Sofia Loren with her famous hourglass figure

Hourglass Figure: Elizabeth Taylor 

Curvy Body: Marilyn Monroe 

Curves: Sofia Loren

Hourglass Figure: Bombshell Raquel Welch

James Bond Dr. No.
starring Ursula Andress and Sean Connery