By Amelia Melnick
Since the beginning of fashion history, there has been an expectation for the way people’s bodies should look clothed. Sadly, there is a discrepancy between how men and women should appear, with women praised for being stick-thin while men usually strive to become muscle-bound and fit.
For many, social media has a huge impact on their self-esteem, as the idea of the “perfect” body is plastered everywhere. This then leads, naturally, to people constantly comparing themselves to others.
You might think the logical answer would be to get off social media – but it’s not as easy as that. Even if you were to leave social media apps forever, there would still be billboards of models lighting up the high streets, and shops would still be selling clothes in limited sizes.
No escape
Many people feel as though they cannot escape these ideals.
“I definitely believe there is an expectation for how a woman’s body should look in the fashion industry,” said university student Masie, 20, who declined to give her surname. She was shopping for vintage clothing on the Holloway Road.
“On the runway it’s only really one body type used to present the clothes and in mainstream media we are only really shown sizes 6-10 as being acceptable.”
Are there different expectations for woman as opposed to men? “I’m not sure what the male expectations are in terms of body image whereas I think most people could name what an ‘ideal’ female body should look like.”
According to a study done by mentalhealth.org.uk, one in five adults said that photographs of models and celebrities used in advertising and on social media have caused them to worry about their body image.
But how does body image affect men? Twenty-two-year-old university student Oliver Crome, who was also shopping for vintage clothes, said: “With men I don’t think there is an expectation, for me personally I’ve always been happy with myself.”
Data from the University of Alberta revealed that 90% of women compare themselves to others on social media, while only 65% of men do the same. The statistics show that men do worry about their body image but not as much as women.
This begins in childhood when young girls are given Barbies to play with and shown movies about princesses that are known for their beauty whereas boys are shown films about superheroes and given toy cars to play with.
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