With The Return Of 'Heroin Chic,' It's Time To Stop Turning Women's Bodies Into Fashion Trends

Nov 8, 2022, 5:43 PM

Unsplash | Museums Victoria

Women's bodies being used as fashion trends is not a new concept. While it feels like we've been ping-ponged around our whole lives in a uniquely terrible way, I can assure you that women of the past were just as sick of the body trends as we are today. Sure, women in the 1920s may not have had social media telling them thin was in, but they had fashion magazines and clothing trends making that message very clear.

Now, 100 years later, the problematic behavior continues, and I think I speak for us all when I say I'm sick of it.

Last week, the "New York Post" came under fire for their headline declaring that "heroin chic is back."

"Bye bye booty," the title announced.

Naturally, this type of headline and phrasing was not received well by followers and social media quickly dragged the publication.

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Not only is the phrase "heroin chic" incredibly problematic in regards to those actually struggling with substance abuse issues, but saying that parts of women's bodies are "out" in 2022 feels dated and disconnected from the body-positive climate we've worked so hard to create.

The idea that women should say say "bye bye" to their butts is incredibly harmful.

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This praising of slim figures also means detrimental consequences for those men and women who have struggled with eating disorders in the past.

Since curves had been "in style" for a while now, people were feeling more confident in embracing their natural bodies. Sadly, many people will now feel pressure to slim down to fit this "trend."

These types of body "trend cycles" can be seen throughout history.

Take the 1920s, for example. The flapper "boyish" figure was all the rage with women eager to slim down and match the trend, which included a flat chest and along, slim torso. A few decades later, curves were in with bombshells like Marilyn Monroe and Jane Mansfield dominating the 1950s.

Did you know they actually sold weight gain pills back then?

Of course, the sixties would see slender models back in style, with models like Twiggy being all the rage.

So, in many ways, the trend of the 1990's "heroin chic" coming back into style in 2022 makes sense historically as the pendulum always swings back.

However, I think we can all agree it's time for this rollercoaster to stop. Women's bodies shouldn't have to be dramatically altered to be considered beautiful.

I don't want another generation of young women to have to endure what I, and all the women who came before me, have had to endure.

Young girls don't need to be growing up seeing magazine covers filled with women in bathing suits being ranked by whose body looks "the best" and who has gained the most weight.

They don't need to see TikTok's filled with weight-loss hacks so they can look like the newly slimmed-down Kardashians.

What they need is a generation of women who are declaring that enough is enough.

I, for one, refuse to go back to the days when saying things like "heroin chic" was okay and complimenting someone's weight loss was praised regardless of how it was achieved.

Everyone's bodies are beautiful, and unique, and don't need to morph every 10 years to fit into different "trends."

I think I speak for women everywhere when I say let's keep the trends for clothing, hair, and makeup — and not people's limbs — okay?