The Big Back Dictatorship

Daily, no hourly, I am given links to Pinterest boards lovingly curated by brides to be that are building in disappointment for some.

The stealth brainwashing of perfect back view images is as creeping a curse as any as I have come across to build in disappointment and extra layers of body anxiety. They are truly beautiful but lets consider the tongue-in-cheek list of commandments that is the accompanying subtext of these images.

The 10 Commandments for working this look are

• Thou shalt live in California or elsewhere where there is the ‘golden hour’ and you shalt never look chilly or under-dressed bathed in setting sunlight
• Thou shalt have thick hair that braids well
• Thou shalt have boobs under a C Cup that need no support & never need a bra
• Thou shalt never have had a cheap tattoo on your gap year ( expensive,well drawn body art is fine)
• Thou shalt never suffer from spot breakouts
• Thou shalt not have seen-through Celtic skin (like me) that shows the shadow of every strappy top or bikini I have ever worn
• Thou shalt not have moles, scoliosis or any perfectly natural, regularly occurring, normal back feature
• Thou shalt never turn sharply in front of the camera or guests or your skin will crease and the dress will gape
• Thou shall never pursue any un-girly sports and develop any muscle tone across your shoulders
• Thou shalt acknowledge that you will get no waist definition and probably a really high front neck to give this a hope in hell of working and not falling off your shoulders!

I actually love Style Me Pretty as a blog for flowers and colour schemes.  However,  much like the idealised boudoir shoots they feature that are a long way from sexy and uncomfortably close to body fascism, they are now throwing brides into a spinal trap of back perfection.

Here’s the link to the ‘very-pretty’ shoot

 http://www.stylemepretty.com/california-weddings/2015/03/17/rustic-grecian-bridal-inspiration/

Yours frankly

Emma xxx