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Kim Kardashian loses her curves… and here's how it's changing the beauty standard
Trigger Warning: This article contains elements that may be triggering for some readers.
Dec. 12, 2022
SKKN founder Kim Kardashian said she lost about 7 kilos to fit Marilyn Monroe's dress (the most expensive dress in the world) for the Met Gala 2022. "I tried it on and it didn't fit me. I said, 'Give me three weeks" explains the The Kardashians star.
TikTokker @itsrobyn__ speaks about this transformation of Kim K as a return of the 'Skinny BBL era'. The Skinny BBL era took place in the 1990s when the female beauty ideal was characterized by pale translucent skin and a bone-thin build. Due to the immense popularity of the hard drug heroin at the time, this beauty ideal was called the heroin chic look.
Heroine Chic
Kate Moss was the face of the heroin chic look in the 90s. In a Calvin Klein campaign, Moss was seen with dark circles under her eyes, a sunken face, and an empty look. What was the impact of this relatively short-lived fashion trend? Heroin Chic is said to glorify drug use (especially heroin) and promote anorexia and child pornography.
Years later we have made a lot of steps when it comes to body positivity and inclusivity. We can still use the 20-year rule in the fashion industry: trends repeat themselves every (approximately) 20 years. And so the trend relives… bye-bye booty, heroin chic is back.
The recurring trend is also visible on social media. For example, on TikTok, the search terms “size 0 return” and “size 0 is coming back Kardashians” are popular. It's interesting (and not entirely surprising) that the Kardashians are mentioned in these search terms. In addition to Kim openly admitting that she wanted to lose weight for Marilyn Monroe's dress, the gossip that Kim and Khloé reversed their Brazilian butt lifts has also reached me.
Why it's unfair that the Kardashians are being blamed for the 'size 0' trend
In 2006, Kim Kardashian was best known as Paris Hilton's plus 1 and stylist (I know, the times really have changed). Having a slim figure was the beauty ideal at the time. Kim Kardashian was therefore criticized for her fuller forms. In fact, her (ex) best friend Paris Hilton said the following about it: “it's gross … It reminds me of cottage cheese inside a big trash bag.”
While Kim seemed to go against the 'size 0' trend with her curves, she was body-shamed for this. And that's not the only thing Kim had to put up with when it comes to body shaming. During her pregnancy with North West, the reality star was compared to a whale and accused of gaining weight on purpose to get a diet deal (spoiler alert: she gained weight because she was pregnant). Once again she was body-shamed for her fuller weight.
In Touch, 2013
Twitter.com/whoworeitbetter, 2013
And then we haven't even mentioned Khloé Kardashian who was labeled as "not a Kardashian" because she had a beautiful full figure (unlike her sisters who had smaller waists). In her book Strong Looks Better Naked, Khloé writes that she never considered herself "chubby" and never really cared about her weight. She describes that mainly the media had a lot to say about her weight.
We can't accuse someone of promoting an unhealthy lifestyle if we don't know the whole story. Kim Kardashian has been bodyshamed several times in the media for her curves, then blamed for making the youth insecure (with these same curves) and is now being accused online of encouraging the 'size 0' trend through her statements at the Met Gala. But do we know the whole story?
Kim confessed that she lost weight for Marilyn Monroe's dress, but also added that she would go straight back to burgers and pizzas after the Met Gala. She does not want to lose any more weight, but she does want to maintain the healthy lifestyle in which she no longer eats junk food and sugars. There's nothing wrong with that, right?