The Concerns of "Heroin Chic" Returning to Fashion
The ban on high street fashion advertising, in which models looked "unhealthy", has prompted industry experts to warn of a return to the Super-Skinny Trend. This trend, characterized by models with hollow faces and protruding bones, was observed in the 1990s and early 2000s but was put aside in recent years to make room for more body-positive representations.
The Rise of Complaints
In recent months, Zara, Next, and Marks & Spencer have banned advertising for models that "seemed unhealthy". An advertising lawyer informed the BBC that she saw a "definitive increase" in complaints about such advertisements. The Advertising Statutory Authority (ASA) announced in 2025 that it received five or six complaints per week, but in the two weeks after the M&S advertising book from July, it had more than 20.
Guidelines for Advertisers
According to ASA guidelines, advertisers should ensure that they do not represent an unhealthy body image as aspiration. However, the ASA in all its latest decisions did not find models to be unhealthy. Instead, it was said that the pose, styling, and camera angles made the models appear thinner in each of the retail advertisements.
The Impact of Lighting and Styling
Model and activist Charli Howard believes that lighting definitely plays a role in making models appear thinner. "The lighting can produce cheekbones, fools, and chest," she said. After the body-positive movement of the 2010s, it was unfortunately inevitable that fashion could swing back, and we know how harmful it can be.
The Concerns of Models
For model and yoga teacher Charlotte Holmes, the demand for thinner models is nothing new. During her 20-year career, she noticed "a slight more in inclusiveness", but was still rejected for jobs because "they are not thin enough". The movement of body positivity has raised awareness, but it has not completely changed the system. Now it feels as if we were again where we started.
The Importance of Body Diversity
Simone Konu-Rae, stylist and senior lecturer for fashion communication, says that "to appreciate that the human body comes in a number of shapes and sizes" is key. High Street brands use Runway models to increase their collections, but the problem is not that the models are not healthy, but that this is "not the norm for many people, and trying to achieve this body type can be harmful".
The Return of 90s Silhouettes
The personal stylist Keren Beaumont says that the comeback of 90s-like fashion, such as ultra-low-rise jeans and crop tops, could be to blame for the return of the Super-Skinny Trend. With these recurring trends in silhouettes, we see hip bones and chests that correspond to the original presentations of these silhouettes, which are shown on very, very thin models.
The Responsibility of Brands
Matt Wilson from the ASA says that the problem emphasizes the responsibilities of the brands and "the thoughtfulness they have to take". We know socially that there is a problem with eating disorders, and we have to continue to prohibit advertising that can harm. If you are concerned about the problems raised in this article, help and support are available through the BBC Action Line.
