“Our ability to accessorize is what separates us from the animals.” – Steel Magnolias
I am an accessories girl. So this season I have my eye on the Verdura cuff The House of Chanel is releasing in honor of the famous jeweler’s 70th anniversary. Chanel will issue a limited edition collection of 70 cuffs, 35 of which are signed and numbered. The price tag is around $29,500 –each. I love the Fulco cuff. Love it. But I refuse to buy one. Because this season I am banning Chanel. (Unlike every other season when I just can’t afford Chanel.) 
Why? Because last week, German fashion magazine, Brigitte, said it was no longer going to use professional models in its editorial. Instead, the magazine is looking for “real women” with whom who readers can better identify. Apparently the editors are also tired of photo shopping the models to camouflage their protruding collarbones.
Well, in response to the Bridgette team’s news, Karl Lagerfeld, head designer for Chanel, told another German magazine, Focus, that “No one wants to see curvy women,” and, “You’ve got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly.”
So while some in the fashion industry are working to promote healthier body images, others, like Lagerfeld, are not. And speaking of Photoshop….
When it comes to accessories, shoes are my absolute favorite. This season I have my eye on the Carminda boot from Ralph Lauren. These boots are fabulous: brown burnished leather, pointy toes and 4 inch heels. But alas, I will not buy them. No, not because they cost $1200. Nor is it because there is no way this fat, chip-eating, TV-watching mother can get them over her calves. It is because this season I am banning Ralph Lauren.
Ralph Lauren, you see, doesn’t use Photoshop to plump up its models. No, they use Photoshop to distort their models. Apparently size zero women are just too fat for their campaigns. They prefer size physically impossible. 
The company did apologize after this photo shopped image (Eds. note: Images will not appear on Hello Ladies homepage. Click story headline to see the picture.) caused an outcry on the Internet. But now there is news of another retouched image causing a stir.
I am tired of these men dictating what is fashionable to women. So, next time you see me, I will be naked, holding a Burberry umbrella and drinking a Diet Coke.
