The big Figleaves photoshoot!
(Alternatively titled: When will I ever learn to keep my big mouth shut?)
So as you know, then, last week I may have been just a teeny bit critical of Figleaves.com and their ‘swimwear for your shape’ models, who were somewhat less curvy than they ought to have been. Well an awful lot of you agreed. The comments section was full of people saying that they wanted to see clothes meant for curvy people actually modelled on curvy people.
Let’s face it, it was never going to end well.
‘Righto, then’ said Hayley from Figleaves, ‘you can come and be our models. Find five people of all different shapes and sizes, and we promise you we’ll find you a flattering swimsuit. Oh, and you need to come here on Wednesday, get your clothes off in front of the camera and then have the photoshoot splashed across our website.’
Is that all? Pffft.
And so it came to pass after a few days of intense email negotiation with my friends, relatives (‘what? F*ck Off!’) and fellow bloggers (it’s a lot to ask of people – there were several ‘you must be JOKING!’ replies) that four brave souls and I arrived on Figleaves’ doorstep wondering what the hell we’d let ourselves in for!
The final team selection was:
Me (obviously)
Clare, one of my oldest friends (she’ll never speak to me again now)
Jill, one of Clare’s friends (who’ll probably never speak to Clare again now)
Paula, a long-time twittermate and fellow blogger, and
Naomi, another tweeter and Kids Coach suggested by my friend Becky from Baby Budgeting.
Firstly I have to say immense kudos to Figleaves, for reacting to criticism and really welcoming us with open arms. We had a question and answer session over a big tablefull of croissants and pastries (let’s face it, it was too late to diet), and we were pleased to hear that unlike some in the industry, Figleaves’ standard model size is a 12, (which is a bonus for all the gorgeous girls that work there too, I should imagine) and they regularly use larger models and, indeed, models with enormous bust sizes! Kudos also for the fact that they did take on board our criticism of the ‘swimwear for your shape’ pictures (especially the one in the drapey red swimsuit).
They also don’t ‘airbrush’. ’We’ll touch up any bruises or marks’, said Hayley, ‘but we never make our models look thinner’. We agreed that our photoshoot would be shown ‘as it comes’: no airbrushing or touching up of any kind. Gulp.
Next it was in to hair and make-up, which was really lovely (as Paula said ‘I went into a complete trance when she was doing my hair’) and then into the dreaded fitting room.
I’ll be honest here. On holiday with my family, yes, I wear a bikini. But the one they chose? Scaaaary. I would never have chosen it, either for the local pool OR for the beach – I was hoping to get a ‘hold it all in’ swimsuit. I was, however, persuaded by the lovely Christina, Figleaves’ Marketing Manager and wobbled (both literally and figuratively) to my allotted spot to be photographed.
And that leads me onto my next point: I will never again say that models have an easy job. It’s tough. No, it really is. It’s so hard to look natural. We all felt that we stood woodenly in front of the camera, while our lovely Photographer saying ‘relax! drop your shoulders, move your arm, don’t grit your teeth!’ Seriously, when you’re concentrating that hard on holding your tummy in, you do grit your teeth!
So what did we discover from this experience? Well, that modelling’s not easy, that you really don’t look anything like you think you look in a bikini, that choosing the right swimwear really can make a difference to how you look on the beach and that next time, I’ll think before I open my great big trapl
Enormous thanks to the lovely bunch at Figleaves – you can read their blog about our day here.
Even more enormous thanks to my beautiful and brave models. Without you this would not have happened and I’m immensely grateful xx
58 Responses to “The big Figleaves photoshoot!”
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Really pleased that you asked me…deffo one for the scrapbook xx
Next time I ring you’ll be quaking in your boots, Naomi!!
Seriously, you looked fab, and I think it was a hugely empowering experience. Thanks again! xx
[...] images are now all over the bloody internet, they’re here and here and here, so it would seem churlish not to show them here too. It was a fantastic day; [...]
Well done, you and your pals – and well done to Figleaves!
Now must email you about cackling. In fact will do it in the morning – oops, it’s 11pm.
[...] for your shape section’; they invited EnglishMum along with four of her readers to spend a day modeling for them. A great PR story and what fantastic exposure on one of the most popular mummy blogs around. They [...]
You are all hot!!!
Well done to you all for being so brave and putting their claims to the test. You all look fab.
That’s inspired me to have a look at the range now!
Well done to Figleaves for listening to what people want, I will definitely be checking out their site now – although I’m not sure I’m inspired enough to wear a bikini just yet though lol
Scuse me? Oh, pardon! I’m just eating my words, be with you in two ticks!
[...] how horrified she was by women’s magazines, having been out of the UK for a while. And English Mum put her money where her mouth is with Figleaves, when she challenged their use of professional [...]