Le smoking

There is something undeniably sexy about smoking. It's the moment between taking a drag and letting the smoke seep out. The cig resting lighting between your fingertips; your mouth parted just a little bit, and the ecstasy of feeling more relaxed; the world is right again.

Most people know that almost everyone involved in the fashion industry smokes. And I'm not talking about having a quick cig with champagne, I'm talking about all the time. In between shows, in between fittings, on photo shoot breaks, hell, on any kind of break. But hey, it's stressful job.

I'm talking about smoking because a friend of mine (same friend who went to the Ford Supermodel of the World open call last week) told me this weekend that she wants to try to quit the habit. She's not addicted to smoking but she likes the feeling she gets when she smokes. She told me that when she cosmetology in school, her teacher told the class to smoke with their left hands, so that when they were applying makeup to clients, they wouldn't be able to smell the smoke on their fingers. That's how much smoking is a part of the fashion culture.

Smoking in the media has been debated for a while now: Does seeing a celebrity or hot model smoking on TV or in magazines encourage people to smoke?
The media certainly glamourizes the act of smoking. There are countless famous movies where the protagonists are seen lighting up in a very sexy way. Does that make me want to smoke? No, but I do enjoy watching a person light up; especially if it's a sensual scene.

Fashion magazines are notorious for having photos of smoking models and there are two classic poses they use: Smoke floating out of a pouty, open mouth, or the cigarette is held like a cigar in an open, pouty mouth. It's hot, but is it wrong to promote smoking?

I don't have the answer to this, but please weigh in! Should fashion magazines be featuring models smoking?

And while you think about it, here are some hot photos of models smoking.