Waif
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Waif literally means a homeless, forsaken or orphaned child, similar to a ragamuffin or urchin. In recent popular culture, the term has been used to described an almost unhealthily thin person, usually a woman. The 'waif look' was first used to describe the 1960s model Twiggy, who had large round eyes and a very thin body. The "gamine" look of the 1950s, associated with actresses like Audrey Hepburn, Leslie Caron and Jean Seberg, was, to some extent, a precursor.
The term "waif" was seemingly ubiquitous in the 1990s, with heroin chic fashion and models like Kate Moss and Jaime King on the runways and in advertisements. Actresses like Ally McBeal star Calista Flockhart, Winona Ryder and singer Celine Dion have all been pinned with the term.
Although the heroin chic look has gone out of fashion, it is still apparently popular in Hollywood. For example, Wonderbra model Eva Herzigova has dealt with negative criticism over her new waif-like figure.