History of Feminism

The one-size-fits-all mannequin is getting a much-needed makeover.

Wings Beachwear's mannequins in Miami sport flower tattoos like some of the women who shop there. The mannequins at American Apparel's downtown New York City store have pubic hair peeking through their lingerie. And at David's Bridal, mannequins soon will get thicker waists, saggier breasts and back fat to mimic a more realistic shape.

"This will give (a shopper) a better idea of what the dress will look like on her," says Michele Von Plato, a vice president at the nation's largest bridal chain.

Stores are using more realistic versions of the usually tall, svelte, faceless mannequins in windows and aisles. It's part of retailers' efforts to make them look more like the women who wear their clothes. That means not only adding fat and hair, but also experimenting with makeup, wigs and even poses.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/mannequins-makeover-real-22265201

Bye bye, Brazilian: Backlash to the bare bikini line has begun

If you've flipped through any celebrity or fashion magazine — or, for a clearer picture, a copy of Playboy — over the past 10 years or so, you've seen the growing (or rather diminishing) trend in hair down there. Bikini areas have gone bald, if you're to draw conclusions from what you can't see on the ladies in the sheer dresses.

But recently celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jenny McCarthy have let on that they prefer a more natural look. Kathie Lee Gifford made her feelings about female grooming uncomfortably clear a while back on TODAY. Add to the celeb praise of the "'70s vibe" the addition of merkins to American Apparel mannequins and the appearance of a character in “Girls" flashing abundant foliage, and it seems like a backlash might be in the works.

Gwen Flamberg, Beauty Director at Us Weekly, says that while the "the hairless style" may still be predominant, "for better or worse" American Apparel has set beauty trends, and "with Cameron Diaz speaking out about going natural, we may see the pendulum swinging in the other direction."

But before we get into the backlash, let's take a look at when and why it all seems to have disappeared. Of course, artwork back to antiquity depicts smooth nether regions, while online chatter credits, or blames, '80s pornographic movies and magazines for the most recent extreme trimming fad.

http://www.today.com/health/bye-bye-brazilian-backlash-bare-bikini-line-has-begun-2D11988259?lite&lite=obinsite