According to British Vogue, cleavage is “out.” In Kathleen Baird-Murray’s Desperately Seeking Cleavage, featured in the December issue of the magazine, she notes the distinct lack of pertinently pushed-up breasts everywhere from runway to red carpet. “The tits will not be out for the lads. Or for anyone else, for that matter,” she states. In the edition she explores the history of a “bosom focused” fashion industry and analyses the different approaches women of today take cleavage.
As per usual, the Internet was not having it, with articles being published left and right, attacking the magazine for dictating the closets of women and seemingly degrading a woman of a certain body type. “The question Vogue offers to its readers ― “Is the cleavage over?” ― seems to forget that cleavage refers to body parts and not a fashion trend that comes and goes. Not all women are able to make their cleavage magically disappear just because a magazine declares it out of style,” states Huffington post writer Clara Herreria. Amy Croffey of The Sydney Morning Herald said, “Vogue is taking the term “fashion bible” far too literally” as the social media firestorm ensued.
It’s not the first time that the magazine is finding itself at odds with the masses. Less than two months ago it came under fire after a scathing piece scrutinizing influencers attending fashion week. The Internet responded using words such as “bitter” and “bully” to describe the print giant. It’s an instance that perfectly illustrates how social media is changing the norms and minds of the people. There was once a time when Vogue was synonymous with fashion and what they said went… but it seems the users of the web are having their own say. What are your thoughts on the matter?
by Tia Taylor
