British retailer Debenhams released its second annual survey of the best beach bodies, and confirmed that, as a rule, our friends across the pond prefer curvaceous figures. Respondents this year selected Marilyn Monroe, while last year they chose Raquel Welch for the title of “Best Beach Body of all time. The survey took answers only from female shoppers, with 14,000 women surveyed last year, and a similar number this year as well. Debenhams also noted that women’s preferences for sonsie figures was reflected in their shopping habits as well. Last year, the retailer noticed a 58% overall rise in bikinis with silicone gel-filled tops. Although this was a considerable downturn from the spring spike of 430% by April, it still shows that many women want to emulate the buxom look of these celebrities. Remarkably, Christina Hendricks was named second on the list, despite not having a strong reputation for her swimsuit figure, showing the extent to which women are favoring voluptuous figures. The full list of the top 10 (numbers in parentheses indicate place on the previous year’s list):
- Marilyn Monroe
- Christina Hendricks
- Ursula Andress (4)
- Kim Kardashian (2)
- Tulisa Contostavlos
- Raquel Welch (1)
- Helen Mirren(9)
- Scarlett Johansson
- Amy Childs (12)
- Lucy Mecklenburgh
We don’t have similar commercial or survey figures in the US, but the rising popularity of silicone gel-filled bikinis can be seen from the dramatically increased availability of these products. This marks the second time Marilyn Monroe has inspired women to seek a more pneumatic figure. Her initial rise to fame is credited with ushering in the breast enlargement trend in the late 1940s and early 50s. Partly due to her influence, Sears offered 22 different models of “falsies”–breast pads–in its 1951 catalog. And in 1957 plastic surgeon Gustave Aufricht remarked at a convention of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (as the ASPS was known then), “My waiting room used to be full of women wanting smaller breasts. Now, doubtless because of people in the public eye . . . it’s the opposite.” Dr. Aufricht did not mention any celebrities by name, but doubtless Monroe was one of those to which he referred. Although gel-filled bikinis are a good alternative for some women, others might get better results with surgical breast enlargement. If you are considering breast augmentation in Philadelphia, please contact Dr. David A. Bottger for a consultation today.