via Victoriassecret.com The pursuit of a ‘perfect’ body impacts our psyche and typically not for the better.

With all the hoopla around the Ralph Lauren ads and Karl Lagerfeld’s psychological slap across the face to ‘potato chip eating fat mommies’, women’s ire and frustration are focused at designers. There’s more to this picture, and it involves us.

“Perfection is as easy as a good pushup bra and some Spanx.” Just remember, it was a catty, competitive Modern-values Melrose Place girl who said that.

via the totally fabulous discovery operachic.typepad.comAs today’s Wall Street Journal points out in “Shapewear Has Women Bent Out of Shape”, the issue of body manipulation extends far beyond designer ads.  In our relentless pursuit of perfection, women have bought into the picture, tripling the size of the body-girdle market since 2000 to $750 million last year.

Yes, I know. Our grandmothers and even great-ones wore girdles in the Fifties. Seventies women said “no way”. But Modern values advocate female perfection at every cost to young women. And let’s face it, gravity is setting in on mom.

All is not lost. In-shape older women know a thing or two about men and female libido both. In a post about authenticity, Sophia Loren delivers real-deal, real-woman bombshell!

Sophia Loren Photo Shoot