The Shape Issue 2014: Life Lessons

Under the category nostalgia lies an article written by Janine di Giovanni about celebrated journalist Dorothy Thompson.  A woman of the 50's, she was one of the only female journalists in her time, and she did everything she could to excel at her job.  She shaped the future for women in the communications field; she is a major reason that there are female journalists today at all.  

This article also playfully touches on the fact that Dorothy Thompson, a size 20, was insecure about her size and age.  Having much respect for her then and now, 50's Vogue took Thompson to Bergdorf Goodman and helped her pick out articles of clothing that made her feel beautiful.  This little aside shows that no matter how significantly powerful and culture-shaping a woman can be, she still has womanly insecurities. 

As women, our insecurities are both a weakness and a strength.  They turn us against ourselves, but they unite us with our fellow women as we help to make each other feel more confident.  Even the strongest woman in the world has a bad hair day.  This article helps women living in the competitive world of today feel a little better about the things we hate about ourselves; it brings us back down to earth a little.  

Side note: When I first began reading the article and I read that Thompson was a size 20, I was imagining a huge woman.  Later, di Giovanni revealed that in the 50's, a size 12 was considered slim.  I almost fainted when I read these words.  These days, if you're a size 4 you are considered curvy or thick.  It's so strange to think of a time where a 12 was tiny...