Slimming Designs
Often, we think of our clothing as being flattering on our bodies, accentuating our “good” features and disguising our “bad” curves. This language surrounding clothing and body appearance is deeply ingrained in fashion marketing and advertising. It was unsurprisingly present in garment descriptions in mail-order catalogs (like Sears) throughout the 20th century. Catalogs like this constructed the societal expectation that clothing should make women appear slimmer, fitter, and prettier, rather than our clothing being made to fit our bodies as they are. Examples of this language in the Sears catalogs are abundant. An endorsement by a stylist for a tailored coat in the 1936 catalog says, “I tried it on women of all sizes and shapes…it was almost miraculously ‘slimming’ to every one of them! Perhaps it’s the long graceful lines of the stitched and pleated collar that hide so many unwanted pounds through the bust.” The language hadn’t changed much by 1961; a description for stretch pants tells women that they will “look slimmer, trimmer instantly” and that the pants “have an up-and-down stretch action that sharpens your figure to a leaner, smoother line.” The pages here are only a small selection of garment descriptions that urge women to hide their curves and trim their waist by wearing specific “slimming” styles.
