Osteoporosis Is the New Black

Mary Kate Olsen, Mischa Barton, Agnes Deyne, and Keira Knightley

Most of you are probably familiar with the signature 'couture pose' -- hands on hips, elbows bent, neck and shoulders forward, with back ever-so-slightly arched -- a pose that has been around for decades thanks to one Ms. Dorian Elizabeth Leigh Parker. (It elongates the neck and torso while simultaneously making jiggly upper arms disappear. Gotta love that!) This 'hunch' pose (for lack of a better term) later became synonymous with the model Twiggy in the 1960's, then Kate Moss in the 1990's. And long after the demise of the supermodel and the rise of the uber-thin, oddish-looking model in it's place, the 'hunch' has gone from subtle to scary, making osteoporosis look like something fashionistas should aspire to. (Would that make her a contortionista?)

How such an exaggeration of the pose came about is anybody's guess. (A hungry model unable to stand up straight, perhaps? Or maybe an overly-ambitious photographer trying to outdo him/herself.) Unfortunately, this puts a kink in my theory that only three things stand in the 'ultra-exaggerated hunch' position naturally: elderly women, starving people, and penguins. (Although one might argue that the models and Hollywood starlets attempting to pull this pose off skipped breakfast to fit into their designer frocks.) Am I alone on this one?

Photo by Sara Lanzi, 2008

Juicy Couture ad, 2008

Bruna Tenorio editorial, 2008