The airbrushing of fashion models has been a contentious issue for several years, and a U.K. department store has sparked renewed interest in the topic. British department store Debenhams made a splash this week when they posted a picture of a model before and after airbrushing. The photo depicts a beautiful model in lingerie, and points out all of the flaws that will need to be corrected in Photoshop. From skimming down arm and leg size to enhancing cleavage, 16 changes were deemed necessary before publishing the photo. Merely adhering to the editing standards of the industry, Debenhams has committed to changing this practice.
“We’re showing our commitment to encouraging positive body image by using un-airbrushed lingerie photography,” read a statement on the official Debenhams Facebook page. Debenhams is one of many fashion brands to recently amend their practices in an attempt to set a better example for girls with body image issues. Last summer, Vogue and Seventeen Magazine announced it would no longer feature “too thin” models, with Vogue going even further by banning the hiring of underage models. Fashion houses in Spain and Italy now have a standard BMI of which models cannot fall under; Israel passed legislation prohibiting models to fall below a BMI limit of 18.5.
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