WHEN British model Twiggy arrived on the American fashion scene in 1967, the waif-like 17-year-old could not have known she would become a symbol of cultural oppression in feminist circles.

The model Twiggy, above, became a symbol of cultural oppression for feminists in the late 1960s.

"I think Twiggy, and then the mass advertising touting her as the only acceptable female form, ushered in an unbelievable amount of hatred that women have about their bodies," says Carol Bloom of the Women’s Therapy Centre Institute in New York City.

In the 1950s, movie stars like Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell filled the role served by supermodels today. These stars projected a more attainable size than the 5-foot-7-inch, 91 pound Twiggy.