The Elephant in the Room

Weight issues. We all deal with them. For some, it's hell.

Last week on Stylista, the elephant in the room showed itself. Now that is a double entendre- one entendre of which is very harsh, but I don't mean it to be harsh. It's just irony it has to be this way.

Anyway, the contestant Danielle from Long Island (or Jersey, I can't remember which) was noticeably, if not, significantly heavier than the rest of the contestants. I wondered when the whole weight issue would blow up on the show- it was just a matter of time, it seemed.
To be overweight in the fashion industry I imagine would be like walking on nails over hot coals, so I seriously applauded this girl for her confidence to even desire an ounce of Elle's vicinity.
Even if I secretly thought in a very mean way that the fashion industry took her on the show to prove they were politically correct. Which of course they're not (another elephant in the room), so they did it to make a statement. And granted, the girl did have good fashion sense. But you knew it wasn't going to work.

But ooh! It was so hard to watch Anne Slowey tell her she wasn't the "right fit" (the Stylista version of "You're fired"/"You're out") for so many reasons on so many levels.

Danielle is an example of why I love the east coast so much. Had she grown up in California, she would have been a homebody loner with no friends and definitely no confidence. High school in California is all about how hot you are, how buff you are in a bikini, how blonde, how tan, etc etc.
Blech.
I hated the whole scene and was way over it before it even started, actually.

Danielle hypothetically questioned why being overweight is any different from being gay or having poor hygiene.
It's just a characteristic, she said.
She said she didn't want or feel the need to change herself.
She said she didn't want the industry to push their perception of beauty on her.
She never broke down about her weight, she was mad at the fact that no one could understand her conviction that the fashion industry is not just for the size 2.

"I'm okay with me and to hell with them!" she exclaimed.

I applaud her.


I have struggled with body image issues my entire life, ever since first grade when I distinctly remember comparing the size of my thighs to the girl I was sitting next to on the school bus (discerning that mine were bigger).

Granted, being tall gets better with time.

It was awful in 5th grade when you were taller than everyone, including most of the school's teachers. It was awkward in high school, when even being lean and healthy, I didn't have the "model" physique when everyone else had teensy teenage bodies.
And fellow classmates showed up in Pac Sun ads in Cosmo.
Or dabbled in Hollywood etc...

Anyway, Danielle on Stylista. You knew she wasn't going to win. It was inevitable. There are some with better talent, there were some with worse.

But I sincerely admire her level of confidence.

Watch the episode HERE.

And I'm convinced they put Kate on the show to show how ditzy and dumb L.A. is to New Yorkers. It's kind of funny.

My favorite competitor is Joanna. She is smart, savvy and sophisticated.
I love her style.
It's less hard edged than bitchy Megan, more feminine with lots of ruffles, skirts and tops that show off her sculpted shoulders in a high-fashion yet non-flashy way.
And she's mildly uptight and takes the competition seriously. It especially touched me in the contest to create a birthday party for Slowey's niece (which she won), when Joanna expressed she was having a hard time creating a concept because she never felt like she was ever a kid anyway. I totally agree.
I have always been about age 26 mentally. Sometimes 38. Sometimes 66. But never really under age 20.

Go Joanna!