The Sartorialist and commentary on womens bodies

The Sartorialist was one of the first fashion blogs I read regularly on the internet. I loved the photographs, how clear they were, what they captured. Once I started searching the internet more, however, the flaws I found within the blog outweighed my enjoyment of it. The other day was the last straw.

To be honest, I had been a little iffy on the blog for a while. It’s not entirely The Sartorialist’s fault – being almost completely immersed in the fashion industry means that a fair amount of the people he shoots are going to be in that industry, and as a result, have the money and the bodies to wear the clothing, the shoes, carry the bags and look ‘good’. He still does street style shoots, but, again, the vast majority of the people on the street are fashion people or look like fashion people.

And none of them are fat. Or even remotely chubby.

Again, not entirely his fault, but I just didn’t find this aspirational, I was kind of bored by it. I’ve written before about how now I mostly check out Hel-Looks (I wish they updated more regularly) and fashion blogs for ‘regular’ people for the diversity and for clothing I might actually be able to afford or wear. I prefer these types of blogs because I like to read about why people have chosen their outfits, what their thought processes were when they picked out that dress, or those shoes. I’m a voyeur at heart, really.

So, the other day? I hadn’t checked The Sartorialist in a while, but someone on Tumblr linked to a recent post of his and I went over to the blog to find an explosion of comments on one picture. The rare commentary was what set it off – there were a couple of pictures of a fashion blogger, shooting some pictures herself and in the commentary, he called her curvy, mentioning, in particular her ‘sturdy’ legs.

No other commentary on any other person’s body throughout most of his other posts, just pictures or comments on clothing. But a comment on this particular blogger and her body, not just her clothing.

Why?

To show that he is oh so totally diverse? That he doesn’t just shoot fashion people? (Which, being that she’s a fashion blogger and taking photographs, I’m going to assume she is). To talk about how awesome it is that this person is ‘bigger’ in the fashion industry? If it’s to engender discussion, then why the updated post which smacks of backpedalling? I don’t get the goal here.

I seem to recall a similar type of brouhaha happening before on the blog. I gave it another chance after that, but didn’t visit all that regularly. Now? I won’t be visiting anymore.

Editor’s Note: This photograph has been so controversial, and has re-sparked the debate around the presentation of body image in the media – I’d love to know what you guys think!

Image Credit