Still Falling for False Advertising

This brochure came from a rack
near the canes at my local pharmacy.
This model does not need compression hose.

These suits, from Athleta, do not look good
because they have ruffled skirt bottoms.
Look at those toned bodies!



 

Some people, me among them, are concerned about the effect advertising has on the young – and rightly so.

 

But all of us – of all ages – are constantly being shown idealized versions of what our bodies "should" look like.

 

Apparently, we fall for it.

 

At 49, in my quest for clothes that don’t (to paraphrase Gilda Radner) itch, I have found myself in stores, like J. Jill and Chico’s, that cater to older women. (“Mom!” my daughter will hiss, her eyes rolling with embarrassment. “You’re in an old-lady store again!”)

 

But have you ever noticed that stores and clothing lines like these use models who haven’t hit 30 yet?

 

I’ll see some catalog page and think, “Wow, those Mommy jeans actually look pretty good,” before I realize that anything would look good on the 20-something, sylph-like model.

 

Geesh.