'It's irrelevant' Lily James hits out at claims Cinderella's waist is too thin
IT IS a topic that's been brought up numerous times before, but Lily James has been forced to deny claims that Cinderella's waist is "too thin" yet again.
The petite actress, who is currently hard at work promoting the remake of Disney's Cinderella, has faced backlash on several occasions over her small waist.
Why on earth are we focusing on something so irrelevant?
Critics have said that 25-year-old Lily's waist is far too small in the movie. However, the Esher-born actress has insisted yet again that her physique is completely normal.
Speaking at a press conference today at London's Claridges Hotel, James said ahead of tonight's London premiere: "Why on earth are we focusing on something so irrelevant?"
The film's costume designer, Sandy Powell, then added, according to PA: "I don't understand what the concerns are actually.
"Lily does have a small waist, but then so do all the other girls in the film, all the girls in the film wear corsets because that's what you wear with period clothes - it creates the silhouettes."
She continued: "Lily's dress in particular is an optical illusion, I have to say. The diameter of the skirt is about two metres and it has the width and that really does make the waist smaller than it actually is."
The film's producer, Allison Shearmur, even stepped in to defend claims that the corset gives an unrealistic portrayal of a woman's body.
She told reporters: "I'm a mum and I'm one of the producers of the film, and I think it's gotten a lot of attention, but the funny thing is it's kind of paying attention to the opposite of the theme of the movie - which is your sense of beauty and your strength is what's on the inside.
"Sandy is right, I was there for all the early fittings - I would look like I had a two-inch waist. There is giant set of shoulders and butterflies and it was customary for women to be corseted at the time."
She continued: "Not only is it an optical illusion but I think it is interesting that the conversation has been about the outside, because this is a movie where the real emphasis is on the inside.
"My 12-year-old daughter thought the dress was really pretty, but what she took away from the film was the priority of courage and kindness."
This definitely isn't the first time that the weight issue has been brought up, with Lily previously saying in an interview with Huffpost Live that she thinks that it's "ridiculous" that women are still being pointed at for their bodies.
Cinderella, in which James stars alongside her 'Prince Charming' Richard Madden, hits cinemas on March 27th. The UK premiere takes place in London's Leicester Square tonight.
