One size does NOT fit all
“I’m sorry. I thought I had been invited to such an illustrious event because I am good at my job. Putting clothes on is such a small part of my day. They may as well have been criticising me for brushing my teeth differently to them”
Recently, when nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award, Comedian Sarah Millican received a Twitter-storm of negative feedback after her red carpet appearance. Millican is not a small woman, but neither is she an overly large woman. She is actually pretty much an average-sized woman, wearing a comfortable-for-her size 18 (and she admits, sometimes a 20). She is the same size as a majority of my personal acquaintances.
The full-length gown she chose to wear was a beautiful, flowery-patterned sleeveless dress designed by John Lewis.?It gently highlights her ample bosom in a V-neck, without accenting excessive cleavage. The dress was tastefully designed with a high waist band, removing the accent from the hips of a less-than-perfectly-shaped body.
Looking at pictures from Sarah Millican’s online image files including many from her performances as a comedian, it is easy to understand why she chose this dress. It not only fit her body shape and style, it was a perfect match for her personality and a brilliant addition to her sensible wardrobe.
Well, I'm glad I didn't buy a new dress.
— Sarah Millican (@SarahMillican75) May 18, 2014
Millican’s response to the negative Twitter-storm, via an essay published at RadioTimes was classic. In the essay she talks openly about not being a small woman. She talks about selecting the dress and how she knew it was meant for her when she waltzed out of the fitting room and caught the first glance of it on her.
She writes about driving to the award ceremony with her husband; about being slightly intimidated by the red carpet, and joking with the photographers about where she got her dress from. She mentions her low self-esteem and the lack of experience posing on the carpet. Apparently her husband was upset because no one asked him the designer label of his tuxedo. For the record, it was an Asda tux.
In writing?about the negative comments, she is brutally honest
? Yes, there were lovely messages from my fans between the hate but the hate was dominant and made me upset at first and then furious. Why does it matter so much what I was wearing? Why did no one ask my husband where he got his suit from? I felt wonderful in that dress. And surely that’s all that counts. I made a decision the following day that should I ever be invited to attend the Baftas again, I will wear the same dress. To make the point that it doesn’t matter what I wear; that’s not what I’m being judged on. With the added fun of answering the red-carpet question, ?Where did you get your dress?? with ?Oh, it’s just last year?s, pet?.?
Be comfortable with who you are
As a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) sort of gal myself, I can fully understand Millican’s frustration, anger, and eventual acceptance of the criticism. When I go out in jeans and a sweatshirt to do my grocery shopping I am not trying to impress anyone. I am being comfortable. I am being me.
When Millican chose her gown for the BAFTA Awards, she was being comfortable. She was being herself. If I ever get a chance to see her in person, I will recognize her immediately ? because she is not pretending to be something that she is not. I commend her choice of a dress that fit not only her body-type, but her personality and style. She was beautiful on the red carpet.
For all of the average women (and men) out there ? be comfortable in your own skin. Be yourself and don’t worry about what other people think. We as a society spend so much time worrying about how other people see us that we become unhappy with ourselves.
Dr. Suess said it best ?
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
Marty Townsend is an activist at heart. A lifelong writer, she concentrates her journalistic efforts on human interest, liberal politics, Michigan, educational and environmental issues. She is an active volunteer with the PTA, currently serving as President of her local District PTA Council. She also stays busy volunteering as a youth softball coach for the summer league in her community and participates in Relay for Life. Marty frequently sports a near-shaved head?as a way to?support of all women experiencing hair loss for any reason. Find her on Twitter and Facebook.
BAFTA ? British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Original Essay: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-05-15/sarah-millican-twitter-was-a-pin-to-my-excitable-bafta-balloon
edited by tw
