Pinterest banning weight loss ads, Victoria’s Secret 2.0, a new (denim-heavy) office dress code, and more.
01 Pinterest has officially banned all weight loss ads
It’s official: Pinterest has become the first major social media platform to kick weight loss ads to the curb. The policy change was made with guidance from the National Eating Disorders Association and represented an expansion of already-existing bans on before-and-after weight loss photos, weight loss procedures, and appetite suppressant pills — impactful moves for a platform whose audience skews heavily female between the ages of 25-34.
“A lot of people are facing challenges related to body image and mental health, particularly as we’re emerging from COVID restrictions,” explains Sarah Bromma, Head of Policy at Pinterest. “People are now feeling added pressure to rejoin their social circles in person for the first time in a year.”
02Victoria’s Secret 2.0 is here, and it’s MUCH different from the brand we know...but will women buy it?
Victoria’s Secret is embarking on one of the starkest re-brands in recent history as they nix the Angels concept — “Fantasy Bra” and all — and instead place seven women at the helm who are celebrated for far more than their looks, including soccer star Megan Rapinoe, Olympian Eileen Gu, model Paloma Elsesser, and actor/investor Priyanka Chopra Jonas. They’ll be introducing a variety of bodies in their mannequins, as well as post-mastectomy and nursing bras. The goal? Redefine “sexy” in an effort to become a leading global advocate for female empowerment.
“When the world was changing, we were slow to respond,” explained chief brand executive Martin Waters. “We needed to stop being about what men want and to be about what women want.”
But considering the brand’s long-standing reputation for selling lingerie in what the New York Times calls “the guise of male fantasy,” coupled with the reports of a misogynistic corporate culture, many are questioning whether women will buy into the new brand message.
Revelle founder JoAnna Hartzmark recently weighed in on Instagram stories, saying…”I read all of these moves that they’re making, and they seem really wonderful, but I found myself inherently identifying this feeling of skepticism and wondering if these changes are real.”
03 Introducing Saysh, a new shoe brand from Olympian Allyson Felix
With nine medals, Allyson Felix is one of the most decorated track-and-field Olympians of all time. And now, with the launch of her own line of performance shoes, Saysh, she can add entrepreneur to her list of achievements as well. Inspiration struck after giving birth to her daughter in 2018 and breaking with her then-sponsor Nike who, she explained, cut her pay by 70% due to circumstances around her pregnancy and childbirth. Without an established shoe sponsor, Felix decided that instead of partnering with another major brand, she would create a product herself — one that prioritizes comfort, performance, and elegance.
04 Bebe Rexha turns to TikTok to “normalize 165 pounds”
In a TikTok video that has received over 1.8 million likes and 36,000 comments, Beba Rexha poses in lingerie asking followers to guess how much she weighs, followed by text flashing across the screen that says “no one’s business” because, as she then says (and we agree), it does. not. matter. how much she weighs.
05 The new office dress code is here, and it skews heavy on the denim (and “jardigan” and zebra)
There’s no singular definition of “work-appropriate” clothing — it varies so, SO much by industry. Add the whole work from home trend into the mix, and what you end up with is an “office” that looks different for everyone. But according to a recent article published by NBC News, employees heading back into the office setting are overwhelmingly ditching monochromatic pencil skirts and suit pants in favor of patterned, bright, loose-fitting clothing made in softer fabrics — denim included.
“We believe the world is back,” asserts Morris Goldfarb, CEO of G-III Apparel, the parent company of DKNY. “People are going out, people are partying. They’re not just wearing their fleece leisure wear. They’re wearing denim, and they’re wearing jeans, they’re wearing stretch fabrics, and they’re wearing sculptured products.”
Retailers such as Gap, Abercrombie, and American Eagle have reported increased interest in looser, baggier, relaxed-fit looks across both men and women’s denim, as has Kohl’s, who is expanding their line of high-rise and curvy styles.
06 Inclusivity was top of mind for Selena Gomez when designing her new swimwear collection
When Theresa Mingus and Morgan Brutocao founded La’Mariette, the goal was to cater to a wider range of sizes than other high-end swimwear brands did at the time. The recent launch of a collection in collaboration with Selena Gomez falls very much so in line with the founding mission. Sizes range from XS to XXL, with pieces featuring pops of bold green, purple, and neon.
A long-time advocate of the brand, Gomez posted a photograph in the brand’s “Selena” zip-up one-piece earlier last year that put the scar from her kidney transplant on full display.
07 This Australian photographer is finally stepping in front of the camera to send a powerful message to women who don’t see themselves as beautiful
Hazel Blake never considered herself beautiful — an insecurity that stemmed from a refrain repeatedly uttered to her around the schoolyard as a child…”pretty face, pity about the body.” As she grew up, she found a home behind the camera, only recently deciding to step in front of it to learn how to photograph herself. Along the way, as she slowly revealed more and more of herself (from deliberately blurred snapshots, to partially blurred, to unblurred), she began seeing her own beauty for the first time and now has a powerful message for all women: unhide yourself.
“Being in a bigger body all my life gave me the real awareness of the type of politics around bodies in our society,” explains Blake. “My paths just merged together to make me realise this is what I’ve been moving towards my entire life. I remember seeing my beauty for the first time and I couldn’t stop looking at the photograph. It was like I fell in love with myself.”
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