The 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has reignited debate over body image and the role of fashion in shaping societal values.
What Happened at the Show
The event featured a parade of models in form-fitting, often revealing attire, including push-up bras and feathered garments. The show aired live and was watched by a family in a suburban home.
The mother, a feminist, watched with her 15-year-old daughter and son. The daughter expressed discomfort with the models’ thinness, noting that fewer than 10% of the 80 models were considered curvy or plus-sized.
One model walked down the runway wearing layers of hot pink fabric that bobbed around her head. The daughter called it ‘the most Republican thing I’ve ever seen.’
Family Reflections on Feminism and Fashion
The family discussed the show as a form of informal education on gender, power, and media influence.
The daughter said, ‘She’s too skinny.’ The mother responded, ‘You can’t criticize their bodies.’ The son added, ‘Aren’t they inviting us to talk about their bodies?’
The daughter replied, ‘Mom! Are you kidding me right now?’
The son pointed out the show’s soundtrack, saying, ‘The sports car song! This is what I would walk to.’
Later, the family noticed the models twerking and backing up during the performance. The children quickly left the room to do homework.
Why the Show Matters
The show is not a new event. The original founder, Les Wexner, stepped down five years ago. The company is now led by a woman, though her name is not disclosed in the piece.
The author notes that the show has shifted from celebrating body diversity to presenting a curated, narrow ideal. The models are still dressed in wings and minimal clothing, but the message is now framed as progress.
One key point is that the show markets itself as feminist, yet the content does not reflect body inclusivity. The author writes, ‘The sexism is covert.’
What the Audience Thinks
During the viewing, the children made observations about the show’s content and tone. They compared it to entertainment media like Page Six, noting it was more about spectacle than substance.
The son asked, ‘Do they sell the wing things IRL?’ The mother responded with a dry humor, saying, ‘This is like a bunch of surgery reference pictures for future White House press secretaries.’
The family concluded that the show does not represent a step forward for feminism. Instead, it rebrands a traditional, objectifying aesthetic as progressive.
What It Means for Body Image
The author reflects that the show no longer inspires aspiration. It sells a fantasy that has been outdated for years.
She writes, ‘I hope it ends soon. Not because the show is making me feel bad about my body. Not because it’s setting feminism back 50 years. Not even because I’ve spent the evening watching women dressed as centerpieces and it’s not Halloween. Because I’m bored.’
The show once offered fantasy. Now it offers the same fantasy, repackaged as progress. The audience has moved on.
The author notes that women like Ashley Graham, Precious Lee, and Paloma Elsesser have long been visible in fashion. But in the 2026 show, they are overshadowed by models with extremely thin builds.
The piece ends with a personal observation: the family stopped watching after the children left. The mother then cleaned up, and the show continued on screen—women in stilettos and frothy garments walking down the runway, one after another.
She realized that the show has lost its audience. Not because of content, but because it no longer resonates with modern values.
The article concludes with a call to reflect on how media shapes body image and what progress truly looks like.
- One model wore hot pink fabric that bobbed around her head, prompting a daughter to call it ‘the most Republican thing I’ve ever seen.’
- The family observed that the show’s soundtrack and choreography resembled a music video, not a feminist statement.
- Children noted the models twerking and backing up, leading them to leave the room.
- The author states that the show no longer inspires aspiration and has become outdated.
For more on body discourse in fashion, see The 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Let Us Relive the Bad Old Days.
Body image is not just about appearance. It’s about how media shapes what we see, value, and believe about our bodies.
Sources & further reading
Featured image: original publisher image. Via original publisher. Image source
