An endorsement!
(A mannequin is helpful, but a real live person, like me, is better!
I have a second life as a mannequin. A living, breathing mannequin called a “fit model.” It’s a fun job most of the time, because it not only relies on my bodily measurements, but on my technical knowledge of patternmaking as well. My “day job” is helping technical designers make sure that a designer’s clothes fit right for who they’re designed for. I’m a size 6, but we fit models come in all shapes and sizes, from petite to 18W, even including kids and pregnant women.
So you see, there’s a fit model out there for everyone! (And contrary to what some people seem to think, one size fit model does not think she’s better than another size fit model—we’re all perfect for our size, which is why we get the big bucks! Get over your preconceptions, skinny-biased ladies!)
Anyway, the other day I received an endorsement from Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi! An indirect one: I was told that one of the shirts I fit for a friend was purchased by her in every color! So, I guess I did my job right!
If you want to know what women are really fighting these days, have a look at the idealized body in this Prada animation. (This is not what a fit model looks like at all.)