In these chilly winter months, we can always count on one group of brave girls to trade in their scarves and jackets for lingerie: the Victoria’s Secret Angels. They fiercely emerge on the holiday scene to prove that showing skin is a year-round affair, and they may certainly get the praise that angels deserve from the fashion community. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which aired on Nov. 30, is always a bit unconventional, overly glamorous, and slightly outrageous–but that’s what makes it entirely different from the usual, run-of-the-mill fashion shows. It’s refreshing to see that a lingerie company can somehow pull off an entertaining and original show.
I’ve decided to get over the fact that these models display their seemingly extraterrestrial bodies to the world during this particular fashion show. I don’t necessarily agree with the idea that these women are supposed to represent the female population in general, but these angels are beautiful, fashion-forward and they get the brand’s message across.
If it weren’t for the gallant attire the models catwalked in, the show just wouldn’t be the same. The lingerie is transformed into couture Halloween costumes, accented with only the best accessories and the most flawless hair. I noticed a number of different wardrobe designs that appealed to the image of a powerful woman: a strong woman in what can often be considered a man’s world. One model flaunted a metallic hot pink leotard with a silver bra while carrying a shiny barbell; another held a blinged-out lacrosse stick while wearing pink, green and white boy shorts, sports socks and colorful elbow pads; and one blonde came out in wrestling gloves, shorts with the initials “V.S.” on the front and a long red and blue robe. At one point, the model sporting the barbell handed it over to group of males (shirtless, nonetheless) who seemed to not be strong to enough to carry such a weight. Fierce, feminine and female — an image that isn’t so hurtful to women after all.
Other notable designs included a white bra and underwear set centered on a hippie motif (flowing, layered sleeves of lace and varying floral patterns), a nude one-piece with straw-like angel wings, and Adriana Lima’s neon orange and green corset suit with platform heels and a long, cape featuring a 100-dollar bill. One of my personal favorites had to be the corseted top and bottom, with a flowing skirt of navy feathers featured only in the back, and wings that read “Tough Love,” as if mimicking the famous label Ed Hardy. A lot of the looks were also seriously edgy, featuring wings that seemed to have been constructed from scrap metal, random jewels, and brass plates. And I cannot forget the ensemble of straight-up molds of plastics bubbles encompassing the back of one model’s outfit.
This annual show simply just proves that at any given moment a woman can be sexy, cute, flirtatious, dark, edgy, sporty, tough, glamorous, simple, or wild. We have no limits to our personality or lifestyle, and this particular fashion show helps to represent the most well-rounded women. If only we could all just walk around town once in a while wearing an emblazoned corset and oh, if only we could all be angels.
Photo credit: CBS
