A Weighty Issue

The fashion industry's standards on weight have always been perceived as harsh and unfair to mainstream society. The typically skeletal standards are positively alarming to the everyday woman with regular boobs and hips. What is not usually touched on, however, is how these standards effect the models themselves.

Curves were once embraced by the fashion industry, allowing a generation of models to become "supers" because of their womanly beauty and staying power. Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista are who they are today because they were allowed to grow into women in the fashion industry, read: grow boobs and a butt.

Today, standards have changed. Models rarely make it past the age of 25 in the industry now because the appearance of womanly curves earns girls a one way ticket on the "fat" train to Nowheresville. Coco Rocha is just another recent example of this. Many former fashion-darlings before her have been pushed out of the industry because of these impossible standards.

Gemma Ward, an Australian model whom you may recognize by face before name, recently befell a similar, possibly worse, fate than Coco. Gemma, known for her "alien doll" face, was the youngest model to ever appear on the cover of Vogue at 16. She was also listed by Forbes as the 11th highest-paid model in 2008. Yet, she quit modeling in November this year. Why? Because some pictures surfaced of Gemma sporting a fuller figure than the industry remembered her for and they lashed out on blogs. Gemma had also been dealing with grief over the death of Heath Ledger, whom she was reportedly dating at the time of his death.

Dutch model Lara Stone has also struggled with weight, being known as a token "curvier" model in the industry, usually only booking gigs when they called for curves. Lara was featured in a Vogue article recently discussing the troubles she has had being called "fat" by stylists who are used to fitting size 00's when going to castings. Lara has been lucky of late. Something about her has caught the industry's eye and she has been popping up more and more. However, the recent victory does not seem to have come without a lot of struggle.

Coco Rocha has been everywhere the past 2 years. She was shot to modeling fame after opening the Jean Paul Gaultier couture show a few years ago doing an Irish jig (She grew up Irish dancing). She was even kept exclusively under wraps by Vogue, not allowed to shoot anything else, until an issue was released with her sporting new red locks a year ago... and now she's not being booked for any shows? It's ridiculous. [PS- I follow Coco on facebook and she seems to be a very intelligent, funny girl!]

Following in Coco's footsteps in American model Karlie Kloss, now just 17. If you are familiar with Vogue, you know that she has a rising star, frequently appearing in their editorials and ads. But are her days numbered? When she turns 18 and the butt appears, will she turn into a has-been like Gemma?

If these models, among the top in the industry today, cannot comply with the industry's skewed views, something must be wrong. There is a difference between becoming a woman and getting fat. Should the industry really end a girl's career just as it is beginning? Can we allow ourselves a new generation of "supers"? I'd like to see it.

Mandy

Creative Director

J. LaMore

Jessica Simpson to add watches to fashion empire

Jessica Simpson is adding watches to her fashion empire :) I'll have to admit that I have a pair of Jessica Simpson shoes and I really like them!

This is what Jess had to say about her upcoming watch collection...

"Creating and inspiring the collection is very near to my heart- my mom and I work on this collectively and its a passion for the both of us. It is a joy to be able to create a line that is affordable and fashionable. Collecting watches, both new and vintage, has been a hobby of mine for some time so adding watches to the collection was a natural extension."

The massive 35 piece collection for both women and men will range from $60 - $250 and expected to launch this Fall.

Kalyn

New York

Coco Rocha. . . Fabulous

Hi Friends & bloggers! I was very amused by the article on Coco Rocha being too fat to walk a runwayy so I did a little research of my own and I completely agree, she is gorgeous and hardly fat. Here's an interview she gave Joy Sewing yesterday for the Houston Chronical. I hope it's ok that I posted it for all the J. LaMore readers.

Rocha, 21, talked to us about her work and her plans for her own clothing line, Rococo.

“I want to be taken seriously for this fashion line,” she said by phone. “It's not just a licensing thing. If it flops, I'll continue work on it until it's a success.”

Q: What runway shows do you enjoy walking in?

A: Zac Posen, Rag & Bone, Gaultier. I like ones in which the designer lets me show my personality. You feel far better in the clothes when you're allowed to be yourself.

Q: What New York shows will you walk in?

A: I don't do many any more. Some designers don't want the bigger or the more expensive girls.

Q: You're actually considered big, seriously?

A: In this industry, you will always be either too big or too small. I realize it's not necessary to please everyone.

Q: At nearly 5 feet 10 inches tall, how much do you weigh?

A: 125.

Q: Do you feel pressured to lose weight?

A: When I started at 15, I worked in Singapore and lost 10 pounds. I went from 118 to 108. Then I was asked to lose more weight because the “anorexic look” was in. I started to panic about eating certain foods. Finally, I had to calm down and realize I just needed to be healthy.

Q: You're an advocate for promoting healthier body images in the industry. What does that mean?

A: I get a lot of e-mails from young girls saying they need to lose weight to look like us. So it's important I go to schools and talk with girls and get them to realize that what they see on the covers of the magazines isn't always what is seems.

Q: What would surprise people to know about New York Fashion Week?

A: People forget most of the models are young girls. They are babies who are being influenced by anyone and everything.

So if someone says to them, “You're not our look,” they take it so hard.

They want to know how they can change.

It's a lot of pressure on their tiny shoulders that they don't need.

Lynn
Los Angeles, CA

Your new model

Hi Jennifer and Jim. It's Lila. I LOVE your new model. I love her unconventional look and that hair!!! When was the last time you saw a model with naturally curly hair like that? Andie McDowell???? I love that she is thin but looks healthy. She looks great in the Black Orchid jeans. See you guys soon!! Love, Lila.

It's New York Fashion Week. . . ,

and guess what? There's a scandal! Not a Tiger Woods kind of sex scandal but a real bona-fide stop the presses scandal. Canadian super model Coco Rocha was declared "too fat" to work some of the runway shows. Oh no! Bless her heart!

She's a hulking size 4 and got rejected by some of the big name designers! LOL! OMG!

The picture above looks like a "WTF" shot doesn't it?

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water this happens. First you had the image altering scandal not too long ago and then the anorexic scandal which apparently never ends and now a size 4 is just to damn fat to walk a runway. Do you think the runway floor itself had to be reinforced underneath? Like with braces or something? Hey New York, you can send her our way. J. LaMore will photograph her ALL DAY LONG!

Ok, that was kind of snobby on my part but it was called for. Rocha is 5'10" and 115 pounds. I know the runway model size today is a "0" and a size 4 is huge by any New York comparison but I think if you saw some of the fashions I strongly doubt one single person could tell if the model was a 2, 4, or a 6. Fashion shows like these are kind of silly because hardly a single design you see on the runway makes it to a store or is available to buy. They're just putting on a talent show, so to speak. Granted the shows are fascinating and fun but not very realistic. I'm a fashion photographer so I can pick on our industry if I want.

I also smell a rat here with this scandal because it seems to me that the elite and snooty designers at the show are trying to steal some press and create a scandal where one doesn't exist. Coco Rocha is stunningly beautiful at age 21 and has been doing this for some time. She did become an outspoken person for industry reform as she often tells the story of making herself sick trying to lose the weight for a show but she looks amazing even at a size 4.

But lets be fair here, Rocha has walked several shows at New York Fashion Week and scheduled to walk a few more so I'm a little confused by her saying she can't get work. She's all over the place. I think it's a two headed rat I smell.

Jim
Jlamore.com

I need to be motivated. . . !

Hi Jennifer & Everyone! Getting motivated to workout has always been difficult for me and I see the new 'Mag' format of the friends blog is starting to talk about working out to get into shape for spring and summer. I live in Dallas, TX and I should be working out all year long. Unlike my northern friends, I don't have a weather excuse. Our winters are easy compared to the Midwest and the east coast. I've never lived in that kind of winter.

So why does this happen to me every year? Why is it that I cannot stay motivated to workout without stopping and starting over and over again.

Here's a clue to some of my problems. Researchers have said that 50% of women who start a workout program do so for all the wrong reasons. Someone like a husband, boyfriend, or mother-in-law may have said that you need to lose weight or a doctor told you to slim down. These are motivational killers. If you want to reach your goals you have to do it because you want to not because someone said you should. Another study showed that women who work out to "feel" good are far more successful than those who workout to "look" good. Hmmm! That study sounded just like me.

I haven't even put my tenny shoes on and I already feel like quiting. I gained 12 pounds over the past holidays and I hate it. I gain 12 pounds every holiday season and then kill myself to drop the weight and then I stop after I lose it. Oh c'mon! I love to exercise when I'm in shape but hate it when I'm not. What's that all about!

So, for everyone who's been in this situation here's what I've done in the past to drop the weight: I call my friends! I set up the schedule and some reachable goals to start walking with my friends and I'll try to make it fun for everyone. I read it here that Lynn from LA runs with her friends on the weekends and I completely connected with that and that's what I'm going to do as well.

Three out of four friends I called are in. I looked online and found a 5k charity run six weeks out! That's one goal I feel I can reach. And, I did the unthinkable; I signed myself up already. If I sign up and pay the small entry fee I will do it. Those are the things that motivate me. A small little 'commitment' entry fee! I know the J. LaMore people are supporters of Weight Watcher's and I'm thinking about signing up. I've never done a program like that before so I'm a little hesitant.

Anyway, writing about doing something is important for me and this has helped a great deal. I'm excited to get started now and when I jumped on the dreaded scale, I didn't freak out and get depressed. It is what it is and now I'm motivated. It took me a month to muster up enough courage to get on the scale. Seriously, how sick is that!

Sarah
Dallas, TX

(That new model in the previous "casting call" article looks amazing by the way! OMG! I hate her. It makes me feel better to say that. :))

Speaking of App's . . !

Hi Friends & Bloggers! As a guest writer for the new friends 'magazine' I'm excited to be able to write and express myself in a fun and informative way, especially on just about any topic I can think of! I lost some weight and feel great so weight loss is something I know about.

So I decided to write about food! I love food and sometimes food loves me too much that I can't fit into my 'skinny' jeans like these anymore. That's sucks! Is there anything worse than reaching for your favorite jeans only to discover you can't button them! Your past life wearing them will flash before your eyes.

Spring is right around the corner and that means fun and lighter clothing choices to make when going to work or anywhere for that matter. If you want to lose some weight now is the time to start. I found that if you don't keep track of calories it's really hard to lose weight. You have to write down everything you eat to win.

If you're trying to lose weight you want to make better choices when you go out to eat and that's a hard thing to do. But if you have an iPhone you download an app that will help you make better food decisions. When you’re looking at a menu at a restaurant, you never know what type of fat and calories are in a dish. You can guess, but really, you don’t know unless the restaurant provides that information.

It’s a little easier when you’re picking food out at the grocery store because you can see the nutrition information on the package. Still, it takes time to look at the nutrition labels on every loaf of bread or on each can of soup.

The folks from Men’s Health who brought you Eat This, Not That are trying to make it easier for iPhone users to make better food choices with their Eat This, Not That app ($4.99).

I also think that if you buy this kind of app it should have all the important nutritional information I need to help me lose weight. Fortunately, this one is full of useful information and it's pretty cheap at $4.99. Here’s what you’ll get with it.

Restaurant information from all the fast food chains. Super market information containing all the important information you need to buy the best foods. Calorie Logger is cool. If you ever joined Weight Watchers in the past you can keep track of calories and mark them as 'points'. As a former Weight Watcher member, I found this very helpful and worth the $4.99 price tag. I carry my phone with me all the time but could never keep track of my points tracker. Problem solved!
You can also have a Swap choice to replace new found items that are healthier choices than previous entries you made.

I placed the link here to buy the app if you're so inclined. I'm not a big app person but I own this app and I love it.

Thank you for reading and I hope to write again next week.

Grace
Minneapolis, MN

Love the Black Orchid Jeans!

Good morning Jennifer & Friends: It's so early in LA right now and I can't sleep so what better way to relax then to write

I love all the new Black Orchid jeans you just got in but I can only afford one pair at this time so I have a tough choice between three really great style. So, . . . . !

I choose this pair! I love the dark smokey grey color and the stressed areas add a nice touch because they show up in a white colored thread and not so ripped that it looks like I need a new pair. The rips are just right.

I have solid black jeans and many pairs of light and dark jeans but I don't have this color. Super cute!

On a side note! The model pictured below is completely gorgeous! Seriously Jennifer, I live in Los Angeles where it seems that everyone is beautiful but they all look the same. But the women you find in Wisconsin seem real and unique and she doesn't look like anyone I've ever seen before. I would kill for that hair! Anyway, I thought you would like to know that.

Lynn
Los Angeles, CA

Casting Calls. . . !

Hi Friends & Bloggers! As part of the new magazine format that we have changed to, one of the interesting parts of that change is the behind the scenes workings of jlamore.com and all the effort that goes into it. One important part of who we are is the look and feel from the models and talent that we have the opportunity of working with and it's very important to us because these women will represent us to the world.

We recently had a "casting call" for model talent that we need for our newly arriving spring fashions and we will also photograph these women for the lookbook, homepages, mailers, brochures and a long list of other marketing material we send out, so there's a process that goes into this.

A model has to have "the look" for us to choose them and the look can mean so many different things. There is a minimum criteria for height and weight but the face is really important. The face sets the tone that everything else follows. We're not interested in large implants or tattoos and piercings but we are interested in a great face!

During the casting calls appointments are made and a schedule is set and when the model arrives there's a little bit of setup and instructions but for the most part we're off and running. We shoot the model in two of our outfits and spend very little time with hair and makeup as we want to see what she looks like as if she was having a normal regular day.

Round one! We turn on the music in the studio and try to get them to move and be as comfortable in front of the camera as possible and we shoot about 500 images. Once the first round of images are shot, she will change her outfit as we look at the first set of images and offer a critique to the model about what we see. "Too stiff!" "Too scared!" "Too flat with no expression!" "Don't round your shoulders!" We show them every picture and mark the ones we like and skip past the ones we don't! When round two ends they usually improve a great deal.

Being a model is hard work and looking like a "model" in front of a backdrop in a cold studio is even harder but a model has to have thick skin and self confidence because it's an industry that's extremely critical of how you look, but, when you find one that has the "look" you know it from the first frame.

We also surprise a lot of people about how advanced we are with the studio lighting, professional camera equipment, and the overall set up with computers and software. Some models think they're just going to stand in front of a wall and we snap a few pictures of them with a little point & shoot camera. The jlamore.com studio is 1000 sq ft., and we're growing out of it.

The model pictured here is Alex and she has the "look" if anyone does. We did nothing to her hair and nothing to her makeup and no computer touch up. This picture shows the tag still on the Black Orchid jeans and part of her bra is showing. She walked in the door looking like this, and, she happens to be one of the nicest people you will ever meet. We used Alex for our Facebook page just from the casting call test shoot. You don't see that very often! Click the image to see it big and then let me know if we should use her as a fashion model.

Jim
jlamore.com

P.S.
This image is copyright protected and any use w/o permission is prohibited.

The Millionaire Matchmaker

OK, so I am totally hooked on the Bravo show "Millionaire Matchmaker". I'm not quite sure why. I'm happily married, but I still can't stop watching it. I think that Patti Stanger, the CEO of the company, really has some valid points when it comes to dating and relationships.

Most of the millionaires are men, and when I'm watching it, I can't believe what I hear sometimes from these guys. I am thinking that if I were single, I would never, ever date most of these guys, and I'm not surprised that they have not found love. And many of them are just plain cocky. UGHGHH!!! One guy actually asked a woman that he just must met how hot she thought he was. I would never go out with a guy like that, no matter how good-looking or rich. Another guy urinated during their date. Are you kidding me???? This other guy took his date to a "junk haul". I would just die.

Well, this is very entertaining, but at the same time, Patti really knows what she's talking about. She said that "men are like microwaves". They heat up in 5 seconds. They see a girl, and they want to be with her physically. Women are not so much like a microwave, but take some time to heat up slowly. I believe that.

I love that she's so honest and open and ruthless. It's sheer entertainment.

Lila.

Dating: There's an App for that...

If you're an iPhone user your dating life just got a little easier. I found three dating apps that will help you out in the dating world.

The first one is Date Check: This app runs for approximately $40 but, may be worth it :) With the name, phone number, or email address of your potential date, Date Check scours public records- from Face book to home owner fillings to sex offenders data basis to confirm that the guy you're going on a date with isn't wanted in three states!

The second application is Skout, which is free! Input your location and a basic profile (age, status, photos,) and this application locates other singles in your vicinity from other Skout users. You can also chat with a prospect before deciding to meet up :)

Thirdly is the Fake Calls application which happens to be my favorite! This app is 99 cents per use. Simply set up a time for your phone to ring and from whom the call will come from. Answer the call if you need to exit the date making up an excuse, or ignore the call if the date is going well.

Three very clever applications to help all the single ladies out there just in time for Valentines Day!

Jessica
Stylist/Model

New format! No ads . . !

Hello friends & bloggers: Yes! Yes! Yes! Jlamore.com is changing the format of the blog to a new magazine style format which means I have to actually write more articles and answer questions. Ok! I can do that! This is a change that's cool and I love it! As the blog administrator, let's open up this baby and see where it takes us.

"No! . . . No! . . . No!" This is a collective answer from Jennifer and me to all the people and businesses who ask jlamore.com to sell advertising on the friends blog. I would put up a banner that said "no advertisers" if it didn't look so much like an advertisement for not selling ads.

After saying all of this, however, I would love to do an article on cool ads that people remember and how they get to become an ad. That's fun stuff and very interesting because it takes months to create an ad that last for just a few seconds.

I get emails every week from people asking me to place their banner ads on our site and everyone of them ask me by way of email. Not one call or a letter, just a chincy stinking little email! How lame and lazy is that. How did these people get my email address anyway? If they called I would still say "no" but at least I would respect the effort.

We don't sell ads because it would ruin the integrity of the blog and cheapen the site all together. Having all kinds of ads on the site is not who we are. In addition, I really don't like "private" sites that sell ads with blinking banners and ads that slide from the side of your screen to stare right at you and then your forced to click the "X" to get rid of it. Ugh! Do those people hate their readers? They must because after that happens I click to get rid of the site all together and will never come back, but that's just me and I'm easily annoyed by those things. Have you ever been on InStyle.com? I removed the link for fear that you would hate me later on.

We love our readers and writers and the last thing we want to do is annoy any of them. I understand why people want us to have their ads running on the site. The friends blog is popular! It took us four years to get to this level and for me it's not worth the risk of upsetting even one reader.

I'm going to try very hard to give you the best Internet experience you can have when you visit our site. The new content format will make the site even more intelligent, informative, fun and interesting for you to read. In the future, we want to add video to the blog as well as have a reporter type feel with writer assignments that can take you in all sorts of different directions. Not just fashion but lifestyles too!

So, if you want to be a writer for the new "friends magazine" let me know. We would love to have you. Having great writing skills is a plus but if you want to express yourself in a wide open forum, this is the place for you. Personally, I think it would be great to have a writer from Vancouver reporting on the Olympics. Anyone in Vancouver interested?

Jim
jlamore.com

Yes! I'm the geek in the back room! In the dark! All alone! Like a mushroom!