Actress and writer Lena Dunham is adding another strand to her bow, collaborating with the e-tailer 11 Honoré on a collection of plus size clothing. But according to a new profile in the New York Times, “plus size” is one of several terms framed around larger bodies that frustrate Dunham, who “accommodated himself in a size of 14 to 16”.
“Body positivity” is another loaded term for the Girls star, who last year posted on Instagram about feeling more “body-tolerant” than “body-positive”.
“What is complicated about positive body movement is that it can be for the privileged few who have a body that looks like people want to feel positive,” Dunham said. Times. “We want curvaceous bodies that look like Kim Kardashian slightly enlarged. We want big, beautiful asses and beautiful, big breasts without cellulite and faces that look like you could crush them in thin women.”
Dunham, who has not shied away from displaying his figure on and off the screen, has suggested that his body does not fall into this category.
“I have a big stomach, I always have. It’s where I gain my weight – especially after early menopause, I have a straight gut, like an old man – and it’s not where anyone wants to see meat, “the 34-year-old, who underwent a hysterectomy after fighting endometriosis, “It’s not like I post a sexy nude of myself on Instagram, people would be amazed by my beautiful ass.”
The 11 Honoré x Lena Dunham line consists of just five items from 12 to 26, with prices ranging from $ 98 to $ 298. Dunham hopes that the capsule collection will fill an under-served need for spirited products that more curvaceous bodies can use as well. She also created pieces that she personally struggled to find in tune with her body – like a miniskirt that doesn’t go up on the back and shows “what my mom calls my puppy”.
“What I really love about fashion is a certain level of fun and intelligence that people just don’t think older women want or understand,” she said. “Nobody thinks women have a sense of humor, and if they do, it’s, ‘Let’s put a watermelon on your skirt, you sassy girl!’ None of this has any subtlety or real sophistication.
“There is so much judgment around bigger bodies, and I think one of the judgments is that bigger women are more stupid,” she continued. “They eat a lot and don’t know how to stop. Thin women must be discerning and able to use their willpower. Older women must be limited in their understanding of the world and continue to do things that are bad for them. The number of people who wrote to me on my page: ‘You are promoting obesity. You don’t understand that you’re killing yourself. You’re stupid? Why are you doing this?'”
In fact, his own recent post announcing his fashion line was met with a fair amount of body shaming comments – most of them from other women.
“What has been really interesting is how angry people are when you dress like yourself,” she noted. “It’s not, ‘Oh, I don’t like that dress.’ Yeah, ‘How dare you?’ And it’s fascinating how much of that comes from other women with bodies that look like mine. It is not a male gym rat. They are other women who were indoctrinated with the same message: ‘Didn’t you get the memo? We are all doing this. We are all going to use Spanx. ‘”
Dunham, on the other hand, does not wear Spanx, or even a bra, on most occasions. Loungewear, even in the quarantine era of dyed sweatshirts, is also a minefield and something she has no plans to include in her plus size collection.
“If a skinny girl wears sweatpants, it’s kind of cute – like, ‘I’m having a rough day!’”, She explained. “But for a chubby girl it’s, ‘You decided to give up for a lifestyle.'”
Whether through his own clothing line or his red carpet looks, Dunham hopes that his bold approach to personal style will empower younger women with large bodies and little representation.
“The only way to make the red carpet interesting, or in any meaningful way, is to be myself, without worrying whether the people watching are going to anoint it better or worse, because then, at least I’m saying something about being a woman in this body that only I can say “, she shared. “And maybe there is some girl at home going to the prom and she feels like she doesn’t have the right body and she sees me in this weird and crazy dress and thinks, ‘If this girl can go to Emmy dressed up like that, then maybe I can show up at my senior prom dressed like that. ‘”
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