[KellyBean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasminbarley

I've always been petite. I dreaded mealtimes in front of other people outside my immediate family. It seems acceptable in office environments and social occasions to make comments about the plate of a 'thin' person and say things like "you don't eat much do you? No wonder you're so skinny." Would it be equally acceptable to say to a 'curvier' person, "You eat too much don't you, no wonder you're so fat?" Somehow, I doubt it. A number of people have also told me that they thought I was a vegetarian?! Presumably, thin person = vegetarian.

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IMHO, the 'size zero' issue doesn't really consider petites. I can understand the concern re models in the 5ft6+ range but the campaign leaves me a little cold. It's as if it's telling me that I'm not allowed to be the size that I am. That somehow I'm not normal and I'm not a real woman.

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Yes, some real women have curves, but some real women don't have curves!

To be honest, I just think that women not only obsess too much about their own weight, but they also obsess too much about other women's weight, when truth be told, it's usually none of their business.

I agree with all of this. I'm 5' tall (and still growing, I hope!) and up until recently, I've been a size 00 (now I'm a 0 to 1). I've never, ever been on a diet at all. However, some of my friends really obsess over this, saying things like "I need to lose 10 pounds." The truth is, if you're healthy, weight shouldn't matter.

I agree about society forgetting petites, like somehow we don't exist. Yes, it's true; the majority of people get bigger over time. In colonial times, for example, cielings were lower and beds were considerably shorter. However, I'm clearly never going to be tall. If I want to buy pants, especially in "juniors" sections, there's no way in heck they'll fit without being hemmed, and I'm really sick of that. I'm all for "real women aren't models"; that's true, but it's not only about weight, THERE ARE PEOPLE SHORTER THAN MODELS!!! Whenever I pass by the plus-size shop in Macy's or Nordstroms, it's usually about as big as the regular sizes. The petites are stuck with some grandma-ish rack of pastel suits. However, I absolutely love being short and if I had the chance, I'd never trade it for being tall. No way, no how.

By the way, if you're petite, I'd recommend the blog, "petite fashionista." It's written by a petite stylist and she's totally adorable! I've done a few e-mail exchanges and she's so helpful!