As a Dive who is into personal styling, style image and ID, is beauty focused and such.
I hope this doesnât sound inappropriate to say, as someone who prefers to not touch the subject. But I wanted to comment my 2 cents on it.
Lizâs visual appreciation and her third and major rising popularity era is not due to her getting âsuddenly super skinnyâ.
It might be a small partly reason but the reality is that it is due to her visage. It has always been since literally Day 1. Always always always, her face, mostly with light hair and her being âGermanâ meme - Elizabeth Helga MĂźller (I personally prefer her in dark hair colours better, just saying).
Liz has unfortunately received some criticism and negative commentaries about her size but she hasnât âsuddenlyâ shrinked. Everyone who is HALF into IVE knows that it is an âold storyâ and that she has been getting gradually and slowly skinnier for years now. By âold storyâ I donât mean that it was âunimportantâ but that she was already kinda skinnier by 1 year and a half after the criticism and she stopped getting it before their second year. It didnât happen in 2 months.
I also need to say this: 6 months ago she was already almost the same as now, maybe same size but a few centimetres difference. Sheâs undoubtedly skinnier but itâs not a shocking difference. Itâs visually imperceptible to the naked eye unless you compare pictures.
Her Fancam got super popular because for a while now they have found her perfect makeup style and mastered it. Her makeup, hair and outfit were another level of perfection and she was simply incredibly eye catching, standing out. But not in the usual âunusual pop of colour(usually diyed hair) catches the attentionâ like her average light hair or many K-pop idols and groups but in a âit all fits her perfectly and sheâs actually owning the fitâ.
People clicked the video because her visage complimented by her makeup and hair, and the top of her outfit had an effect. Sheâs mostly zoomed on the upper side of her body.
If you know the first 2 things about aesthetics, is that âFace is RULEâ, like it or hate it. It doesnât need to be extraordinary but unless the body is ââseriously choppedââ, face is more important. It needs to at least be âreasonably averageâ. I have seen many people âwinning regardlessâ because of their visage. There is even a discussion about how some very obese (not just fat, I am actually visibly obese) ladies hide under their faces to justify their bad eating habits. They get off because their face is attractive enough for them to still be considered somewhat beautiful, receive at least a bit of pretty privilege and compliments. They like to prove others that they are desired regardless. Another example is also obese ladies hiding behind their bodiesâ proportions, usually extra large bust and derrière, nobody wants to admit that they have cake because of excess estrogen, often caused by bad fast food diet. Many big people have come out admitting that unfortunately not everyone of them is âluckyâ and some even said that they felt deceived by thinking that they would have looked like said plus size models.
Yes, people see your figure, but their eyes follow your face first, your size is the second thing they might process but your actual body takes time to be noticed unless you dress a bit âexposedâ. Many K-pop groups have similar size range, but some are skinnier or bigger than others. Even in IVE, even back then, Liz wasnât ever that big to legitimately look out of space. And she is one of those who âwonâ with her face card. Straight from debut, even in the middle of the arguments against the unfair criticism, every single time sheâs viral, itâs because of her face. For reference, she went viral also just a couple of months ago doing solo promotions, viral outside the fandom and even the generation (like also among older people who donât listen much to modern idol pop).
Speaking of her face, it actually has caught the attention of some Dives the possibility that she has not just shed weight but maybe in the past year or so, got more cosmetic or plastic surgeries. I am not very experienced or familiar in those, and I find people who know all the details about it just to criticise those who get it to be disgusting secret bullies in the name of âethicsâ and âtelling the truthâ, but I think that she might have shielsed/shaved a tiny bit her visage. Making her look slightly skinnier than what she already was. Giving a more dramatic appearance. Maybe, just maybe, if she were letâs say occasionally puffy in the face, this would have been her most non puffy moment, and she might have made that permanent. Or of course, probably not facial shaving, but a cosmetic procedure that kinda tightened it or such. Dives have been commenting on her probably doing cosmetic procedures in 2025 after various appearances and looks on photoshoots that seemed too drastic to be makeup. Various guessed lip fillers and slightly something on her nose, accentuating her features, but I think at some point it was too drastic or styled too much with makeup and eventually dissolved/removed it. She has been accused of possibly copying Wonyoungâs looks for months. That is why Dives were happy that her facecam got viral also outside the fanbase, so it would push back that claim or solidify her personal style ID that organically fits her best (not a copy of someone elseâs with different features).
Forgive the terms that might be harsh for some. I am talking in dramatisations.
And most importantly, she is a better dancer now. Some people do not want to admit it because now every compliment gets accused to âsupporting her possible unhealthâ and we get accused of being blind to her before now. No! I literally made a post about her dancing style months ago. I am a bit unsure if I posted it or kept it in the drafts but she used to basically dance âsmallâ, now she makes bigger movements and has more openness and slightly more energy. She wasnât âbadâ but sheâs literally amazing these past few months and this comeback. Recognise it.
This is why I have been saying that I really dislike people outside the fanbase. Maybe I already made a post about it years ago on that topic. Non Dives make absurd exaggerated claims and project their reality from outside the club onto us and âwhat has been going onâ. âLiz shed off weight too fastâ, I get that you are concerted considering the circumstances but be for real, it has been consistently slow and gradual for YEARS. âNow everyone is giving her attention, she was invisible beforeâ She was skipped before but not unappreciated and invisible by the average Dive, she got viral multiple times over the past 2 years even outside the fandom; this is admittedly her major era. They pull up stuff out of their arses likes âMain singer but has very few lines, Wonyoung has the most linesâ meanwhile sheâs the one with the most lines in Iveâs discography and often among the top 3 in their main songs; Wonyoung is often the third with the most lines and itâs often the catchy ones + others, which might have made some people confused because they see her often; also, Liz is not hidden when she sings, I have noticed for 3 years now that she, like most main singers but she in particular, is highlighted during her singing parts and in her case has her own mini choreography, which I love (but I a also criticised that she didnât âgiveâ her parts).
That being said, are you even HALF into IVE? This is not just about Liz, there have been many claims over the years. IVE is actually one of the most well balanced group in opportunities, showcase and appreciation by their fandom, I clocked that super early, in the middle of the âWonyoung and friends accusationsâ in their first year. Even back then I was surprised by how much the others were given just by a single scroll on their instagram. Liz herself was in an ad once a week (so were Leeseo, Gaeul and Rei) and for example Gaul was being sponsored by Prada/Miu Miu (?) right next to Wonyoung (but Wony was an official nominated sponsor, Gaeul was wearing sponsored looks, which is often done either as a short gig or to test the waters and see if there can be an actual partnership) bet you didnât even notice that. I clocked it all as a yet non-Dive. We can tell that you come from outside the club. Put some respect on Iveâs names and donât comment without at least do a small check web surf. Donât act like IVE was asleep for 4 years or like just because Wonyoung and Yujin are by far the most popular outside the fandom, that the others arenât successful and well set. People outside the club have been acting really weird in this situation as well. Making everyone uncomfortable and triggering people, I hope it isnât affecting her as well. They only know about what gets on the news, about the âcontroversiesâ, they seriously are years behind still thinking that Liz was still the size of about 5 years ago and still getting shamed for it.
If anything unpleasant is going on, if her current state isnât whatâs best for her, I wish her well. I do not desire to open a conversation about that subject, I think people should mind their business or at least be respectful in their commentary. Most comments seem unnecessary and by triggered individuals or people who have an issue with everything: I see many using the situation to accuse Dives, Starship or K-pop as a whole. Like to âprove a pointâ. Many people thrive on controversies and conspiracies. It is also wrong to nitpick every change in visuals.
I just wanted to share my perspective objectively and kinda what the âsecretâ was to that look/glowup if you are into personal or interpersonal aesthetics.
