All Asses Were Not Created Equal
Originally posted at A Spot in Time by Ms. Sarit. Cross-posted with permission.
…or at least that’s what Levi’s wants us to think!
A couple of weeks ago, I walked into a Levi’s store with the intention of picking up another pair of my beloved jeans–the ones that fit my curves, are comfortable, and don’t make me feel like a stuffed sausage. Sadly, I discover, as with so many other things, they’ve discontinued the style. Instead, they have their new “Curve ID” line, which has subsequently taken over the women’s section. Their claim: these jeans allow each woman a custom fit. Great concept, not going to lie, but the truth is there are only 3 options: Slight Curve, Demi Curve, and Bold Curve. Sounded interesting….at first. According to the new branding, “all asses were not created equal.” Frankly, upon reading that, I agree…at least from a superficial standpoint. But as I scan the rest of their advertisement and take in the criteria for each of their 3 new fits, I am flabbergasted. For starters, none of these models are of an average size. In fact, they “average” a size 2–a far cry from the actual average, which is about a 14. As they tell consumers that our asses are individual and should be celebrated as they are, there is an even stronger implication that one ass is far superior than the others: the one ready to fill out their Demi Curve jeans.
Levi’s breakdown of “curvature” goes like this:
Slight Curve
- celebrates straight figures
- defines your waist
- enhances your curves
Demi Curve:
- frames perfect proportions
- flatters your waist
- smooths your shape
Bold Curve:
- honors real curves
- hugs your waist
- no gaping or pulling
So, I guess having hardly any curves at all needs to be corrected, and having a lot should be honored, but those whose curves meet their description of “perfection,” well, hell, frame it and flatter it. To me, who sadly only fit into one wash and style of the Bold Curve jean, it would appear that Levi’s is just another company marketing for the exceptionally thin, young, pre-motherhood, barely pubescent crew.
I didn’t know about this advert. All I saw was a close up advert of 3 women’s butts with the tagline “not all asses are created equal”. I remember thinking someone in PR should have their ass kicked for that one. This actually seems friendlier than the adverts I’ve seen.
[If I remember the location and copy correctly, I might owe you a photo…]
Comment by AJ — September 8, 2010 @ 10:55 pm
I first saw this advertisement on a Glamour magazine and thought “Well this sounds interesting.” Until I realized that all the models were at a size 25 and thought “What the hell? I thought they were talking about real curves!” On average, real curves go above a size 25.
Comment by Elizabeth Pool — September 10, 2010 @ 12:49 am
My mom handed me this ad and really thought I’d be ecstatic. And I was, until I walked into the Levi’s store and the manger suggested that I should wait for the 4th addition the line (The Extreme curve) to come out.I was told it was designed for plus sized women.Grrr.
But the size 25 irritates me more than the manager,I haven’t been a size 25 since 3rd or 4th grade.To tell me or anyone that that is the best representation of the female body is insulting.Selling psuedo-1 loveness in the form of denim is not OK in my book.
Comment by Cleo — September 11, 2010 @ 8:59 am
Well, let’s face it. Big companies like Levi’s will always promote stuff that sells well…or simply best because that’s what market demands. Period
Comment by Femi — November 20, 2012 @ 11:10 am