Update: Oprah Magazine Sparks Outrage on Social Media Over “Crop Top” Body Shaming Comment
As she was in DryBar getting her hair done, editor/writer Tamar Anitai decided to flip through the pages of the April 2015 issue of Oprah Magazine, where she came across a fashion feature that made her pause.
Oprah Magazine’s Creative Director Adam Glassman was offering his style tips and answers to reader questions in this fashion feature, which included the question “Can I pull off a crop top?“. To which he answered:
“If (and only if!) you have a flat stomach, feel free to try one.”
Seeing that answer prompted Tamar to post an image of that Q&A onto her Instagram account, saying:
“Surprised to see this level of #bodyshaming in Oprah magazine. The feature is about women feeling healthy. Part of health is self-esteem and that’s intrinsically connected to body image. Stop telling women what they CAN’T wear. We can wear and do and be ANYTHING that makes us feel strong, powerful, passionate and in charge of our own destinies. I hope young women and women of any age don’t feel like they’re restricted by editorially imposed fashion “rules.” The only rules are there are no rules. Wear what you love, what makes you feel confident, and own it. Confidence is power, and it’s contagious.”
Since Tamar’s posting, the image has been reposted and shared by many. It has since sparked outrage on social media and the magazine has been accused of body shaming.
Plus size fashion blogger Sarah Conley, creator of the blog Style It, took it one step further, writing about the image and her thoughts on how she was shocked to see this come from Oprah Magazine, of all places, in a blog post titled “Don’t Let O Magazine Tell You That You Can’t #RockTheCrop Top” (you can read that blog post here):
“Flat stomachs are like thigh gaps – we’re not all meant to have one. I know women who have worked out four hours a day, five days a week in pursuit of that dream only to be thwarted by genetics.”
Sarah Conley has also rallied for all women to use the #rockthecrop hashtag and share their photos online of them wearing crop tops. This can show Oprah Magazine and the world that you don’t need a flat stomach to wear a crop top. She also featured a few beautiful women in her blog post of all shapes and sizes, rocking their crop tops.
This has been definitely been the year for body confidence with many women all over the world, plus and non-plus, proudly posting images on social media of themselves wearing bathing suits and crop tops, flaws and all. Because of the emergence of more women showing their bodies fearlessly, it is showing the world that all bodies are beautiful. Designer Monif C. even declared this summer, “the summer of body confidence” in a recent interview.
So this speaks volumes that despite all the advancements we have made in body acceptance, there are still more barriers to break down when it comes to fashion stylists and experts who have not yet embraced the idea of fashion for all.
Plus size fashion blogger and PMM fashion contributor Sarah Chiwaya also has gotten involved, speaking out against the comments made in Oprah Magazine. Sarah has also started her own hashtag campaign on Instagram called #pullingoffacroptop and has invited women to share their crop top images on social media with the hashtag as well. She wants to show that “fashion is not limited by size or body type”.
This is what we think… Can you pull off a crop top? Yes, you can. You don’t need a flat stomach. You just need confidence, self-love and a crop top that you love. That’s it.
What do you think? Do you wear crop tops? Share your images on social media with the hashtags #rockthecrop, #pullingoffacroptop and #celebratemysize, showing Oprah Magazine and Adam Glassman that you do not need a flat stomach to do so.
Editor’s Note: As of Wednesday, 7/8/15 at 11:30pm, this article has been updated to reflect a more detailed description of the origin of the image and its original posting.