Two Sisters Carry Out an Anti-Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. extravagant / ɪkˈstræv ə gənt / (adj) – expensive
    Example:

    She can’t afford the designer’s extravagant bags.


  2. take it upon (oneself) / teɪk ɪt əˈpɒn / (idiom) – to do something voluntarily
    Example:

    He took it upon himself to print the handouts even if his boss did not ask him to.


  3. flaunt / flɔnt / (v) – to display with confidence
    Example:

    I like my new dress so I flaunted it to my friends.


  4. distortion / dɪˈstɔr ʃən / (n) – a change that makes something not recognizable anymore
    Example:

    I prefer photos that did not undergo digital distortion.


  5. insecurity / ˌɪn sɪˈkyʊər ɪ ti / (n) – the state of not being confident
    Example:

    I always compare myself with others because of my insecurity.


Article

Read the text below.

Two sisters threw an anti-Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Paulsboro, New Jersey, to promote body positivity among women.


The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is an annual event wherein models wear extravagant lingerie made by the brand Victoria’s Secret.


Alyse and Alexis Scaffidi are fans of this fashion show, but they recognize the lack of body diversity on its runway. Therefore, they took it upon themselves to create their own fashion show that showcases different body types. They wanted to advocate confidence and love for one’s body by inviting women with different body types and with unique life stories to be the models of the show.


Through the help of their relatives, friends, and social media, the Scaffidi sisters immediately found 21 women who agreed to be the show’s models. They asked each model to design their own costumes to make sure that they will feel confident on the runway.


Tessa Snyder was one of the chosen models for the show. Despite losing her leg to cancer, she said that she felt beautiful and comfortable with her own body on the runway. The Scaffidi sisters’ 60-year-old mother also flaunted her lingerie costume and said that even old age should not stop someone from feeling beautiful.


Aside from the Scaffidi sisters, famous brands like Dove, a personal care label, also promote body positivity. Dove creates advertisements that show women of different skin colors and body types.


Recently, the company started a photo campaign for women and pledged not to make any digital distortion to their bodies. In their photos, there are explanations on how the participants dealt with their insecurities.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think fashion shows like Victoria’s Secret should continue? Why or why not?
• Would you be interested to see a fashion show similar to the one thrown by the Scaffidi sisters? Explain.

Discussion B

• Why do you think it is important to promote body positivity?
• How else can body positivity be promoted?