It is a sad day in the world when people give a doll body image issues. Christian Louboutin, who has launched a range of Barbies, has been criticizing the 50 year old toy’s legs.
To celebrate her birthday, the dolls have been launched in special collector’s editions which include four Barbie sized pairs of Louboutin’s iconic red soled shoes. Unfortunately, the shoe designer was not pleased with the size of Barbie’s ankles, and he asked for them to be redesigned, ‘Barbie’s foot has always been shaped as less ‘curvy’ than the rest of her perfect body,’ he said. ‘But fat ankles she didn’t have, she just could have thinner ankles, that’s all.’ So the people at Mattel have given her a makeover from the ankles down; her foot is now more curved and her ankle is thinner.
Louboutin’s official title to Barbie is her yearlong godfather, and after the offense he caused through his criticism of Barbie’s plastic feet, he said, ‘I apologize to my goddaughter. There has been a bit of confusion there, but it’s just the proof that Barbie has real serious fans.’
There will be three Louboutin Barbies in all; a safari themed Barbie, a Barbie who goes to the Cannes Film Festival and a jewel thief Barbie. He has also created a pair of shoes for us real people, in Barbie’s trademark colour, Pantone 219 Pink. All of the dolls will be released over the next year and they are exclusively available through the Barbie Collections website.
With summer in full swing in the UK, so what better post to start off with than a post about weddings?
From food to decorations, planning will seem endless. So here’s to making the hardest decision a little easier: which shape wedding dress to choose from? We’ll look at 4 dress shapes, what types of weddings they suit best and what body type they suit.
The Full Skirt Dress:
The Ball Gown Dress resembles an hourglass shape and therefore works very well on women with an hourglass shape – large busts, thin waists and traditional hips. It will show off your curves while maintaining sophistication and class.
Ball gown dresses are best worn to formal weddings and receptions.
The Empire Waist Dress:
The empire waist dress is one of my personal favourites, tightly fitted around the bust, falling straight down with several loose layers of fabric around the rest of the body. A dividing line in the fabric directly below the bust creates the illusion of a larger chest. The naturally, narrow fall of the material will also make the bride look taller, so this is the ideal dress for petite women.
Empire waist dresses are best worn at beach and cruise weddings.
The A-Line Dress:
An A-Line Dress, also known as the Princess Gown, consists of a tapered top, tight waist and flared skirt. The A shape is great for those with heavier hips and a defined waistline, much like the style of a Ball Gown Dress (without the layers of fabric on the skirt).
Because A Line Dresses are often very simple (monotone with a coloured ribbon around the waist), they are likely to be worn both formally and informally, depending on the shoes and jewellery combined with it.
The Mermaid/Fish Tail Dress:
The Mermaid Dress is fitted down to the knees, where it flares out, much like the shape of a mermaid tale. The Fish Tail dress is slightly different in that it’s usually trailed by a train. This shape is best for women with an altogether small frame. It can again have the effect of making a petit woman look taller by focusing the eyes on her overall line.
This is a very formal look, best reserved for the less clumsy bride!
As a final note, whatever style you choose, make sure your fittings are very particular. The better the fit, the more comfortable and confident you’ll feel. Good luck and congratulations on your special day!
