Brits Like 'Em Big?

Friday, August 1, 2008

filed under: fashion logic

A U.K. fashion magazine conducted a survey to find the perfect body. Do you think the results would be the same here in the U.S.?

Men are a mystery -- we're never quite sure what they consider "the perfect woman." One minute they tell us they don't like us to wear too much makeup, the next they're ogling some tramp on the street who's made up like a hooker. Or a real hooker. Then there are the body questions. Do men really love "handles" or do they lust after the waifish starving model look?

Fabulous, a U.K. fashion magazine, conducted a survey to try to get to the big bottom of the ideal woman conundrum and discovered men and women have conflicting opinions on what's a hot bod. Here at the office, we were very, very happy with results -- most of us have size 10 nailed -- until we asked the only guy who works here for his pick. He immediately choose Tillie, the size 6, as his perfect woman. Of course, no one has spoken to him since.

Blimey, what gives? Do our steak-and-kidney-pie-eating (820 calories a serving!) British cousins just like a little more meat on their bones? Or do you think -- based on this survey -- we can all lay off our diets and not worry so much about body image?

Read more fashion and beauty!

121 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

CaraClark: There are three options; 1)you don’t have a lot of faith in your husband’s love 2) you don’t love or have pride in yourself 3) your husband doesn;t love you. I guess a fourth option might be all of the above.

- RT

Posted 08/19/08 05:48 PM

why dont you people comment then come back and see how many people agree (or disagree) with you …then shut your mouths! i agree all of them ado look great and if you disagree youre one that has no supporters and should shut your mouth

- m.l in az

Posted 08/20/08 02:27 AM

Anna looks like she would have a large stomach, which is not health and increases her risk for heart disease (apple shapes). I am not against bigger women, i was once an 18 (not healthy!) and now i am a size 8/10 bottom (small top) and always thought that was the perfect size, but now that i am a 10, i want to be smaller, which just goes to show that ppl are rarely happy. ironically, i am pregnant now, so both are out the door! lol. such is life!

- Anonymous

Posted 08/20/08 02:44 PM

To me, Tillie has the only body/build I’d be confident with (of these three girls at least). I’m active, healthy, I eat well and I’m a size 1/2 (5’7 120lbs). However, I think that so long as you’re happy and healthy (and not too much larger than the girls in this photo) then you’re doing great! In my opinion, thin looks better. You can wear a tighter shirt and not worry about a belly roll, or muffin top showing through. I know a woman who’s an 8 or 10 can achieve this if she’s in shape, but it’s not so common. If Carolyn or Anna were to throw on a pair of jeans, they’d have a roll and I think that that is almost considered universally as unattractive. And as for the woman who’s husband would leave her if she was bigger, everyone says their husband would never do such a thing… but like the person said earlier, physical attraction does play a roll in a relationship. Initially, when you spot each other for the first time in the bar, or at the movies, it’s everything! I couldn’t be with someone who I didn’t think was attractive. If I married someone today who I thought was attractive, and they turned around and gained 100lbs, lost all their muscle tone, and generally let themselves go, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I would of course encourage them to get back under control, but if it just wasn’t happening then that would be a deal breaker for me. People have a type that they’re attracted to, whether it’s thin or chubby. I prefer thin. And if you honestly prefer chubby or thick or whatever you would like to call it then that’s alright. So long as you truly are healthy, looks are only a matter of opinion.

- Katelyn

Posted 08/21/08 05:26 AM

You may be missing the real “big” picture here: the facts are (biologically speaking) that there’s something for everybody. Appeal is not represented by some single prototype against which a metric may be applied. Each of these three *are* real women. Don’t fall for this notion that one of them is or isn’t. Viva la difference and enjoy. It’s Tillie for me — to each *his* own! ;-)

- Steven Bennett

Posted 08/21/08 06:46 AM

I’d shag them all ;)

- Joseph Smith

Posted 08/26/08 09:44 AM

The problem is: we are basing what women “should” look like on a man’s hormones. The solution is: Love yourself.

- Megan

Posted 08/28/08 03:05 PM

Well we all need some meat….nobody cares abt a skin n bones for a thumping…some flesh and curves makes it even more tasty and eye catching for a man…plus they are HOT in bed! (and I don’t mean FAT!)

- Jack

Posted 08/30/08 12:58 PM

Size… size… size… For most men, I reckon the primary factor is simply that a woman is (or seems to be) “willing”… size is secondary.

- StationOfWok

Posted 09/01/08 11:31 AM

It’s funny how a some men on here are criticising the women in the article. Why should women judge themselves on what men supposedly want? Despite what you think, women aren’t there purely for your entertainment. So what some women are bigger than others? Can I ask every guy or woman that’s commented on the alleged “fatness” of those women: are you perfect? Men: do you have perfect abs, a six-pack, toned muscles, about 5’ 10”? No? I thought not! If you wanna complain about someone’s looks or weight, wait ‘til you’ve achieved perfection yourself, otherwise you just make yourselves look incredibly stupid ;)

- Jenny

Posted 09/01/08 11:34 AM

caroline is the best!

- brigadier sir charles arthur strong (mrs)

Posted 09/01/08 06:17 PM

Got to say I totally agree with Jenny. Woman are not here just to be something for men to lear at just as men aren’t here for the joy of women. None of these women are fat and in my opinion all three have lovely figures. For those of you calling them fat, I despair! How would you feel if somebody was calling a sister, friend, daughter of yours “fatty mcfat fat”? It’s down right rude in all honesty and no matter your feelings, totally uncalled for. What ever happened to expressing opinions in a mature way?

- Kate

Posted 09/01/08 07:11 PM

i consider myself a little too big for my taste but i have a flat tummy, big booty and a crap load of confidence and every man i meet loves me .. im 5’9 235lbs.. i would love to get to about 175-180 for health reasons and just to be more comfortable in my own skin.. i had gotten down to 207 once about 2 years ago and everyone thought i was super skinny,i have an athletic body type..i think sometimes larger women intimidate some men because they can’t handle such a full figure..so i think any woman losing or gaining weight should do it for self and self only,because there are plenty of men out there that like it either way, so i say please yourself..

- mary brown

Posted 09/05/08 08:30 AM

In all honestly, I like women who look healthy and not fake, so that generally lends itself to someone with natural curves. The first thing I notice is a woman’s face and that goes a long way. While I do like a woman with curves I don’t like a woman who I would call “cruddy”. In other words, someone who is not in any way toned. A full figured woman can be toned, solid, shapely, but cottage cheesy cruddy is gross.

- Patrick

Posted 09/05/08 09:19 AM

All three of these ladies are lovely, what is the point of all the arguing?

- Anonymous

Posted 09/05/08 09:54 AM

If Your man, that you’ve been with for awhile, leaves because you gained weight than he’s not worth having anyway….who is he to be the judge about anything? Love is love no matter how you look or weigh. If he truly loved you “weight” would not be a problem, unless of course it’s effecting your health, seriously.

- Helen

Posted 09/05/08 10:35 AM

First off as Brit living in America these size equivalents are wrong. A UK size 12 is a US size 8, and a UK 8 is a US 4. If anything the gap between the sizes has got even bigger as US clothes companies make the sizes bigger to protect our egos.

- L

Posted 09/05/08 10:58 AM

Just because someone is thin doesnt mean they are healthy. People that are unnaturally thin dont live as long, are malnurished, and will have less energy and bad skin in the long run. A size 6-12 means you actually eat, enjoy life, and live for yourself, not others. What happened to the days when curvy women were ideal? Like Betty Page, or even before that. Meat on your bones used to mean you were wealthy and beautiful. Lets go back to that. I’m a size 5-7 depending on the brand. Im not fat. I excersize and eat right. But im not perfect, im the way i should be. Like any curvy healthy women should be. Only 2% of the population is born with a natural body size 2. So keep searching for that “perfect” body… you’ll likely kill yourself trying to find it.

- STFUtypohere

Posted 09/05/08 11:23 AM

It is really sad when women let men guide them in making decisons about their looks. Men have pot bellies and are labeled as a couch potato and then bark or say lewd comments about a woman over the size of 10. I hear this from male family members and other men and I cant stand by and say nothing because they included dont have the perfect body. I even heard this from a father to his daughter and I was appalled that beauty is judged by looks only. Women if you are married and your husband, boyfriend, significant other does not accept you as you are kick him to the curb…same goes for a woman who is looking for that perfect “10” size body on a man. Life is too short to have negative people consume you!!!!!!!!!

- Karen

Posted 09/05/08 11:35 AM

Ok..so How is the average size figured? Certainly someone who is taller than 5ft shouldn’t be a size 2…the “national average” doesn’t seem like a very logical way of comparing..wouldn’t BMI be a more accurate way to comparing bodies? Yet, there are still to many variables in determining this…..

- Kat

Posted 09/05/08 12:44 PM