Leslie twiggy Hornby Essay - 1279 Words

quot;At 17 Leslie Hornby took hold of the world. At 21 she let it go, she was the original waif, a 60’s phenomenon a superstar. She was Twiggyquot; (Vogue). Leslie Hornby was the revolutionary woman who changed the idea of beauty in the eyes of the fashion industry and the entire world. Twiggy exemplified the androgynous mod look that swept America as it had Britain and much of Europe in the 1960’s. She healthily maintained a 5 ft 6 1/2 inch 90 lb body. Based on her thin figure, a nickname of quot;Twiggyquot; was derived. Twiggy’s popularity not only produced many people who tried to look like her but also drastically increased the hourly wages of models. She paved the way for current top models like Kate Moss, Elle MacPherson,†¦show more content†¦Twiggy’s success soared when she made her first visit to America. On March 20,1967 the second she stepped off the plane she was swarmed by fans, and was candy to the media’s eyes. She was like a fever that spread. Everyone wanted a piece of her. Her pictures were everywhere. Twiggy’s popularity allowed her to charge revolutionary high prices an hour. She charged as much as $240 an hour opposed to a 50’s top model like Suzy Parker who only received about $40 an hour (Century of Models). Once again Twiggy set the standard for 90’s top models to earn outrageous sums of money. For example, the 90’s Twiggy (Kate Moss) earns about 26.3 million dollars a year. One reason for Twiggy’s great success was that the public had never seen anyone like her. She had a completely new look that took the entire world by surprise. During the 40’s, long limbed, and sophisticated was the trend. In the 50’s, a more curvaceous womanly look (Marilyn Monroe) was in. Twiggy set the 60’s waiflike standard. What a leap from Marilyn to Twiggy. They were almost completely opposite. Twiggy’s influence is still seen on today’s runways and television. The current day Twiggy is Kate Moss. Her figure is strikingly similar (Twiggy 31-22-32, Moss 33-22-35) (Century of Models). Remarkably, Twiggy’s favorite thing to eat was ice cream, bananas and hot fudge, she doesn’t drink or smoke but quot;eats like a horsequot; (Time). Twiggy isShow MoreRelated Understanding the Causes of Negative Body Image Essay518 Words   |  3 Pagesthe late Middle Ages until the 1800s, the rounded figure of a women’s body remained the prevailing image. The rounded figure was a sign of wealth, fertility, and prosperity. The thin â€Å"waif look† didn’t enter our society until 1967 when Leslie Hornby, known as Twiggy, began showing up in the media. Moe also discussed the emergence of the mass media which confronted people with many â€Å"ideal† bodies to look at and quickly, body image became a widespread obsession. The book did a great job of goingRead More Medias Influences on the Development of a Womans Self-Esteem1301 Words   |  6 Pagesare thin (Henderson-King Henderson-King. The media widely popularizes the female figure as very thin. This all has its roots to 1959 and the introduction of the Barbie Doll and then in 1967 the ?waif look? entered our society when Leslie Hornby, known as Twiggy, began showing up in the media. The majority of actresses throughout the history of media have been thin (Beauty and Body Image in the Media). Many of today?s personalities are thin, and with the newer shows and movies coming out, it is