Every year around this time you start hearing more and more about that special event that takes place in the holiday season. Nope, not Thanksgiving. And no, not even Christmas. What, exactly, has my Facebook feed blowing up? The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. I was intrigued to read this article about what it REALLY takes to be an VS Angel (um, no thanks, I like solid food) - but I can't help but laugh a little when I think of Victoria's Secret.
Why?
No big deal, I just used to model for them.
STOP LAUGHING! I'm serious....kind of. I need to back up a little, don't I?
Before the 6 foot, 100 pound models get to try on the infamous push up bras and tiny knickers for the catwalk, a few rather ordinary, nothing special and certainly not supermodel women "fit" them first. These "fitting models" have to be very specific measurements, but they come in ALL SIZES. Think about it - if a bra or pair of underwear gets sold to a wide range of people and sizes, it needs to be fit on a human body in that exact size.
<---------NOT me.
So I got to go to work for companies like Victoria's Secret and La Senza, trying on different clothing items. Sometimes I got lucky and wore a pair of PJs for an afternoon while designers talked about it, and other times I got to wear some teeny tiny things while (female!) fitting techs stuck me with pins.
Was it a strange job? Oh yes. Did it pay well? OH YES. You have to stand around in various stages of undress, so you basically get paid through the roof.
Anyway, my point for all of this was - if you watched the VS Fashion Show and felt bad about your body image in any way - don't. Because those sexy getups weren't made for 6 foot beauties, they were made for average women. Me. My mother - who works there full time. Even older, bigger women well into their 50s. And everyone in between.
Have you ever watched the VS fashion show? Do you find it motivational or depressing?
I've watched it on occasion, but I just watch it like I would watch a science fiction movie about time travel - it might be theoretically possible, but it's not happening in my life time!
Do you think you could ever be a fitting model - would you be comfortable?
It was okay for a few months for the money, but you definitely have to develop a thick skin hearing things like, "are you sure this model is the right size?" and having people poke at you, frown, and then go off in Cantonese. Fuuuuun.
Why?
No big deal, I just used to model for them.
STOP LAUGHING! I'm serious....kind of. I need to back up a little, don't I?
Before the 6 foot, 100 pound models get to try on the infamous push up bras and tiny knickers for the catwalk, a few rather ordinary, nothing special and certainly not supermodel women "fit" them first. These "fitting models" have to be very specific measurements, but they come in ALL SIZES. Think about it - if a bra or pair of underwear gets sold to a wide range of people and sizes, it needs to be fit on a human body in that exact size.
<---------NOT me. So I got to go to work for companies like Victoria's Secret and La Senza, trying on different clothing items. Sometimes I got lucky and wore a pair of PJs for an afternoon while designers talked about it, and other times I got to wear some teeny tiny things while (female!) fitting techs stuck me with pins.
Was it a strange job? Oh yes. Did it pay well? OH YES. You have to stand around in various stages of undress, so you basically get paid through the roof.
Anyway, my point for all of this was - if you watched the VS Fashion Show and felt bad about your body image in any way - don't. Because those sexy getups weren't made for 6 foot beauties, they were made for average women. Me. My mother - who works there full time. Even older, bigger women well into their 50s. And everyone in between.
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| Me and Mama Dukes |
Have you ever watched the VS fashion show? Do you find it motivational or depressing?
I've watched it on occasion, but I just watch it like I would watch a science fiction movie about time travel - it might be theoretically possible, but it's not happening in my life time!
Do you think you could ever be a fitting model - would you be comfortable?
It was okay for a few months for the money, but you definitely have to develop a thick skin hearing things like, "are you sure this model is the right size?" and having people poke at you, frown, and then go off in Cantonese. Fuuuuun.
Too funny!!! What interesting job.. I'm way to bashful for that job. :) I worked at Victoria's secret for one month in college before I got the heck out of dodge... Thats the only time I ever really bought stuff there... I'm a major cheapo!!!
ReplyDeleteThat job sounds awesome! I love sitting around in my underwear. The poking and critiquing I could do without, but it would be a small price to pay to get paid to hang out.
ReplyDeleteI like watching the boobs bounce as the VS models strut down the runway, but I don't go out of my way to watch it.
that sounds awesome! I'd totally do that job lol. I like watching the fashion show when I'm in a "girly" mood lol
ReplyDeleteSo...if my bra doesn't fit well, it's your fault? :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like kind of a sweet gig. I like hanging out in my underwear, lol. How do you get that job?
ReplyDeleteThat's super cool. My roommate in college did this - she was the perfect size six, and she got to wear lots of awesome clothes.
ReplyDeleteI love that! How fun and hopefully you got to keep all the stuff :) I have never seen the VS fashion show but I did see the clip of Adam Levine kissing his g/f. man hes beautiful and sweet! Sorry .. I digress ... I would totally NOT be comfortable but I have serious body image issues :)
ReplyDeleteIn my beachbody, I would have noooo problemo doing that job!! hahaha!! I did/do watch the VS fashion show -- and to me it's motivation!! Those girls aren't fake, they're real people! If they can do it, anyone can do it.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool that you were a VS model. Holy famous sauce! I'm totally getting your autograph when I finally meet you.
ReplyDeleteI do not really get depressed about things like that anymore because I am who I am and no matter how hard I work I will always have my weaknesses. Just gotta learn to love your body for what it is. :)
I don't usually watch the fashion show, not for any reason other than I don't watch tv live ever and it's not on my dvr list. I could be a fitting model, I'm not depressed about my body, even though it's not perfect I really love my body and what I know it's capable of. I have tested bras for VS, that was fun, they just sent new bras for me to wear for 2 weeks and fill out forms about and I got to keep them, it was a sweet deal!
ReplyDeleteThat job actually sounds kind of fun! I don't typically watch, sometimes ill catch some of it here or there. I don't really get too caught up in comparing myself to their bodies, though I have said, " i need that kind of body!". It doesn't actually bother me in any way though.
ReplyDeleteI love watching fashion shows of all kinds! I think it is more for the art of good design. Victoria's Secret is more flare than fashion and I think that is kind of fun too. I'll never look like Adrianna, but she is beautiful and I'll definitely give her the credit for working hard at it. No liquid for 12 hrs? I'd be dead.
ReplyDeleteI missed it this year but I really do enjoy the show! Yes, those bodies may be unrealistic for most people, but the girls are still beautiful and so are the things they are modelling! Like you, I just watch it as if I'm watching any other show. I don't know if I could ever do that job...maybe it would depend on the money. If it really is THAT good, then I probably would! Who cars, it's just a body and these fitters see a gazillion of them a day!
ReplyDeleteI watched for a bit- but then I saw all the FB and Twitter posts from a lot of my friends saying how they now felt INSECURE about their bodies!!
ReplyDeleteThey'd go on and on about how beautiful these women are but then at the same time talk crap about THEMSELVES.
Could not handle it! So I turned the channel.
I felt there are two types of women/girls on that runway:
1- Those who WORK for that body. Like Adriana Lima. Those who eat no solid food for 9 days before the show.
2- Those who are naturally skinny... one of the girls on there is in my friends bible study group (says her mama) and she can EAT but just her body is naturally thin.
So what does that mean to me? I'm not naturally skinny. So to look like that I'd have to pull an Adriana Lima. And I'm not too sure I'm ready for that.
PS- sorry for this long novel/blog post! I'm actually drafting a post on this topic too =)
I've never watched the show but that is an interesting job that I never even thought existed. Sometimes I wondered who in the world they tested some of those items on!
ReplyDeleteYou are one of the most interesting (and random) people I have ever "met"! I love reading your blog because I never know what to expect but am always entertained AND I usually learn something.
ReplyDeleteNice melons! :)
ReplyDeleteFunny. Thanks for sharing the 'secret' !!
ReplyDeleteI'd totally do that job! How do you get it? LOL. I like watching it for fun, and some of the girls I'm like damn good job girl you have muscles there! And some I'm like, girl you need a cheeseburger! But it never makes me feel bad :)
ReplyDeleteI'd love to spend the day in my PJs but the coffee drinking chocolate scoffing may get me booted ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have actually never watched it, but not because it would depress me, more because it seems boring.
ReplyDeleteI think that I would be cool with being a dressing model.
That's way cool!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's really neat actually! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletewhat a cool job! I knew they had "fit" models, which is why the same "type" of pants from a company might fit slightly different two years down the road, because the fit model changed. Very cool fact!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun job! I had no idea they had those kind of models!
ReplyDeleteYour Mom is beautiful! As are you, of course. I don't watch the fashion show, just the commercials. I think the women are beautiful, but I don't idolize them or anything. I rarely see people in real life that look like that. Plus, if we had someone spending hours (or days) giving us new hair and a new face, we would look even more amazing than we already do.
ReplyDeleteI love ants on a log, too!!!!
AWESOME, little miss model!!
ReplyDeleteI had never thought about that aspect of the fashion industry before. Very interesting! That'd be tough to stay the exact same size and shape, I'd be terrible at it.
that is so extremely cool! definitely tops the weird job I had of dressing up like the NBC peacock
ReplyDeleteSuper cool job. And, no, I don't watch the show. I've covered it before for work, and that was enough for me. :-)
ReplyDeleteYour mom is gorgeous!
Very cool...and interesting to learn that about you.
ReplyDeleteI don't really watch fashion shows...and don't relate to it so it isn't demotivating to me.
i don't even understand the vs show ? never watch - never will - seems very senseless to me
ReplyDeleteOh man - what a super interesting GR factoid about your 'real' life :) Your confidence is astonishing and impressive.
ReplyDeleteI have only watched the fashion show in short segments while channel surfing. It's depressing!
This was so interesting. I had no idea that companies like VS even made items for "normal" women. I honestly thought you had to be a size 4 (US 0) to be able to wear this stuff.
ReplyDeleteI confess that I do watch the show, I love it. I love it for the gorgeous pieces that I never thought I could wear, but now, thanks to you, I know that's not true.
I might even venture out to get me some VS????
Cool job!
ReplyDeleteI have never watched the show before. :) But I love buying their stuff!
wat a great post, and crazy interesting u were a fitting model! :) i'd def do that if the pay was good...not that i'm all too keen in walking around nearly naked, but i figure after all the years i've run in a skimpy racing gear, that's kinda close enough...lol.
ReplyDeleteya, and as for the runway models:1) i'm glad at least one is honest and not saying, "i swear, i eat like a horse!" and 2) i'd rather workout and enjoy me my food! :)
That would have been an interesting job! I didn't watch the show this year but I have in the past. I am a big fan of their pushup bras, that is until I discovered Handful and now hardly ever get my VS bras out of the drawer anymore!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I could never do that for an underwear company! Maybe Nike or Lululemon, haha.
ReplyDeleteLook at those melons, girl!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned you did fit modeling before and I'm glad to hear more about it. Since I work for a clothing company I've actually helped with some fitting for bikinis. I basically fit the bill of a shorter disproportioned girl they need, haha. Gotta love 4 people tugging and pulling and pinning under very unflattering light!!!
I am far too broke and boob-less to afford victoria's secret! But I still love watching the fashion shows. They always have the most unique outfits.
ReplyDeleteThe best part of this post? The fact that you were sure to clarify that the angel with wings was NOT you... oh my... I'm still laughing.
ReplyDeleteI usually only buy the undies from VS - Sounds like a pretty fun job you had, except I don't know comfortable I would have been in front of other ppl with minimal clothes! I have the VS fashion show on DVR - still have to watch it. I enjoy the outrageous outfits but I know they are crazy skinny.
ReplyDeleteWow - that's awesome! I'd probably feel uncomfortable, but I already feel uncomfortable doing things like calling parents telling them their 8 year old wrote me a note cursing me out, so, why not? I'll do (almost) anything for a few extra bucks. How did you get that - I want in! Did you get to meet the real models?
ReplyDeleteHmmm just read that article....it's interesting they compare themselves to marathon runners, yet starve themselves and purposely dehydrate themselves? And marathon runners are trying to complete and endurance event by being in great shape, not entirely diplomata their bodies of any nourishment in order to look good in underwear? Doesn't really sound very similar to me.
ReplyDeleteNow don't lie to us! We know you had to prance around in those Angel wings! LOL! That is a pretty neat tidbit of info I didn't know! You have the coolest jobs/opportunities!
ReplyDeletecoolest job ever. I need to get hooked up. I love strutting around in underwear
ReplyDelete