Is the super skinny back? Britain sees an increase in grievances on thin models

Banning high street fashion advertisements in which the model appeared “unhealthy thin”, has warned industry experts to return to the Super Skini trend.

The aesthetics depicted by models with hollow faces and protruding bones were seen in the 1990s and the early 2000s, but in recent years, it was pushed aside to allow the place for the positive movement of the body to allow the space that hugged the decrease.

However, Zara, Next and Marx and Spencer have banned all the models in recent months, which “appeared unwell”. Advertisement Watchdog has told the BBC that it has seen “definite utteric” in complaints about such advertisements.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it found five or six of these complaints in a week in 2025, but it was more than 20 in two weeks of the M&S advertising ban of July.

In 2024, it received 61 complaints about the weight of the model, but it had the basis to check only eight.

The figures are small, but this is something that is monitoring the sentinel, as well as breaking up illegal advertisements Pamphlet drugs.

The ASA guidelines stated that advertisers should ensure that they do not present the image of unhealthy body as an aspiration.

Model and activist Charlie Howard wrote a viral open letter after being dropped by his modeling agency to be “very big” despite being six to eight of Britain -sized.

On a decade she says: “I think we are looking at the heroin chic return.”

The phrase heroin chic was used in the early 1990s, when some models were extremely thin, yellow and dark under the eyes, reminiscent of the use of drugs.

Ms. Howard says that high street advertisements are as worrying as the images being shared on social media as “thinspiration”.

In June, Tiktok blocked the search results for “Skinitok” – A hashtag that critics say that it directs people to material that “gives ingredients to excessive thinness.”

“Some women are naturally thin, and this is perfectly fine. But intentionally working models that appear unwell, are deeply upset,” she said.

In all its recent decisions, ASA did not consider any model unhealthy. In the next case, it was accepted that She appeared healthy in other shots of the same model. Instead, it said that currency, style and camera angles have created every model of retailers who appear thinner in advertisements.

M&S said that the model’s currency was chosen to portray confidence and ease and not to express the thin. This was followed by the model, while Slim, a “healthy and toned physique”.

Last week, two advertisements were banned, Zara said that both models had medical certifications which were proving that they were in good health.

Asa said that shadow, pose, and a sleek back bun hairstyle was used The model can see thin.

“Lighting certainly plays a role – it can bring out cheeks, collarbones and ribbacks,” said Ms. Howard.

“After the positivity movement of the 2010 body, it is sad that unavoidable fashion can be swing back … and we know how harmful it can be,” she said.

For model and yoga teacher Charlotte Holmes, the demand for thin model is not new.

During his 20 -year career, he saw “a brief moment of enlarged inclusion”, but was still rejected for jobs for “not being thin”.

“The body’s positivity movement increased awareness, but it did not change the system completely. Now, it seems that we have come back where we have started,” she says.

The 36 -year -old was crowned Miss England in 2012 and came fourth in the next top model of Britain and Ireland in 2010.

He believes that “ultra-thin” always remains a “silent standard” for the model.

“Words show trends like ‘heroin chic’ and ‘skintok’ how soon they can resume harmful ideals. It is not progress, it is a repetition,” she says.

Fashion journalist and advisor Victoria Moss does not think we are facing “heroin chic”, but rather combines the trend for the rise of weight loss injection.

She says, “What is happening at this time during comprehensive culture, it is about being organized as a moral health imperative, which is inspired by enthusiasm on the GLP -1 weight loss drug,” she says.

Ms. Moss accepted many celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian and Oopra Winfrey, have shrunk visually to our eyes.

But she still thinks that it is uncommon to see very thin models in high road fashion campaigns, saying that it is “more a catwalk event”.

“I think the models are very small in all these cases, it must be incredibly disturbing for them to focus on these banned advertisements. Many women are naturally very thin and are wrong to cast aspirations,” she says.

Central St. Martins, in Fashion Communication at the Arts of the Arts, says Simon Conu-Ri Stylist and Senior Lecturer, while “it is important to appreciate that the human body comes in a range of size and sizes”, not to be thin in fashion “.

“High Street Brands use the runway model to elevate their collections,” she believes.

“High Street is saying” Look, we have the same model as your favorite luxury brand, and looks equally good in our product price, “she says.

Ms. Conu-Ray says that the problem is not that the models are not healthy, but it is “not ideal for many people, and trying to achieve this body type can be harmful.

She says, “It is important to show more body diversity to show people that they can be fashionable and stylish, without changing who they are,” she says.

Personal stylist Karen Buumont says that the return of fashion of the nineties – such as ultra -loving jeans and strapi slip tops – may be blamed.

“With these emerging trends in the silhouette, we see the hip bones and chest and keeping in mind the original presentations of these silhouettes, these are shown on very, very thin models,” she says.

“My hope is that there will be a reminder for Kalpana, M&S and Zara brands recently from the next that we have maintained the diversity in the model in recent years and not to bring back the old standards.”

Matt Wilson in ASA says the issue highlighted the responsibilities of brands and “the thoughtfulness”.

“Socially we know that there is a problem with food disorders and we should continue to ban advertisements that can harm.”

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