H & M model photographs

[Clafoutie]

I realise this isn’t a new thing. And I realise that H & M are not alone in this. But my eye was drawn by an H & M advert on this site and when I visited the H & M website I was appalled by the photos of models there. A lot of them are no doubt AI generated and modified, but they are presenting images of women who look unwell. I thought the fashion industry was moving on from representing women in this way. I was naive.

Fucking hell - imagine if people were saying ‘oh that model she looks so fat’ - it would be carnage and the ones saying they look heathy would be torn to shreds and shamed. But slim models? Emaciated. Anorexic. Underweight. Unhealthy. Fair game eh? Some people on this thread - gross . Mumsnet - a left leaning site with people who love slagging slim people off.

I have seen underweight models over the years but those on this thread don't fall into that category. They don't have the bony appearance that comes with being underweight.

Throwing out the bitterness/jealousy card is just so lazy. And it actually confirms what I'm saying - thinness is so deeply embedded as the beauty standard, people can't get their heads round the idea that it's not something that everyone aspires to.

I promise you that I regularly see models with a similar build to my daughter. In fact, as I tend to interact with content from eating disorder coaches etc, I get the toxic skinnytok content thrown at me too. A couple of times I've assumed that's what I'm looking at only to realise it's an ad for a fashion brand.

Why is it so difficult for people to accept that we can't always judge what is a healthy weight at the lower end of the scale? When I took my daughter for that prom fitting she was complemented on her figure.

Anyway, I'll leave it here. I can't be doing with the empty, dismissive 'I'm sorry about your daughter' bullshit. I'm sorry for everyone's daughter, for all of us actually that skinny is the beauty standard for women. It certainly isn't for men is it?

I used to weigh over 24 stone at 5'2" and now just over 9 stone.

People, including my own family, ruthlessly picked on me and made me feel less than. They told me I'd never find a job, a husband, have a future etc.

Now at my new weight, people including my own family, ruthlessly pick on me and make me feel less than. They tell me I have a "problem" as code for an eating disorder or outright tell me that I have one.

Like someone said above, you just can't win.

Same here but im likely shorter. 5ft 2. 8st 2lb.

I would like to see some more clear muscle tone, well developed arm and leg muscles for instance, as I feel that is healthier for the body to have than not.

edited to add: in general fashion pics, not necessarily the ones on this thread, though there’s some arms that don’t look very muscled (something I’m v aware of as mine are so scrawny since I got ill and I don’t like it!)

Yes it is. As a society we've got used to people being fat and it's changed our perspective somewhat. Body positivity has a lot to answer for!

These women are not a size zero or below like your child. They are size 8s in the main, there is no way round this. They are not the same as your child so repeatedly posting they sre is not going to change it.

But you’re trying to say that a girl who is smaller than size 0 is “the societal standard” when that just isn’t the case.

I used to look like this ! Before 3 children. She is absolutely fine !

Isn't it the case that a lot of models are a fair bit taller than the average woman, so they're more 'stretched out' and gangly, it can your muscles look less visible etc. if I recall, the average height of a woman is around 5'3, but models are often 5'10 and over.

You're assuming slim women ard torturing themselves to be slim. I cant speak for anyone but myself, but I'm very slim and I eat a good, healthy diet. I don't deny myself food.

I think part of my slimness is genes as come from a family of tall, slim people, but also I don't like upf/fast food.

Please dont assume all slim women have an ED or are conforming to beauty standards. Some if us just look like that because of genes/healthy food choices.

A healthy bmi should always be aspirational, these women are clearly a healthy bmi, albeit at the lower end and with clearly young women bodies.

no one should be aspiring to be fat. Not for aesthetics but due to the health implications.

She has the body of a prepubescent girl. Not a normal, healthy young woman.

Therein lies the problem.

A young, beautiful, natural slender (possibly tall too, but may just be her leg to torso proportions making her look tall), muscular, healthy young woman! I am deeply jealous of her arm muscles 😂

Believe it or not, some people are naturally very thin

No she doesn’t.

What a horrible way to talk about a woman. She just doesn’t have large breasts.

Yes, this is the problem thst you think like that or wish it to be true. You’re not in competion with her and accepting uour own body, without attacking other women is much healthier.

She looks COMPLETELY healthy. Obviously none of us can know her health status, but from her weight alone in this photograph there is nothing to suggest she is unwell. Most people are now overweight, which is why a completely healthy looking woman like this model can look too thin to some people. The bigger threat to our children currently is being obese, not skinny - and certainly not looking like this woman.

I don’t think they look unhealthy, especially not compared to the models of the past, particularly catwalk models. They are not the same size as the average woman on the street but that doesn’t mean they are unhealthy or unwell

Those models look fine. I have looked like that for all my adult life. I am now 60. It’s insulting to call it prepubescent. It’s a normal slim look.

They are all long armed ectomorphs

Your first mistake was coming to Mumsnet for a discussion about what healthy bodies look like. Thinness remains above godliness around here, at whatever the cost.

These women are very slim, and most of us will never look like that. They are a lot taller and younger than us. But it is their job to be tall and slim, it is not my job to be tall and slim. As for their health, we are not their doctors.

They are models and traditionally they are tall and slim. They’re also probably young. I have friends and family with girls who look like that. Naturally “ willowy “. I looked like that once upon a time !

Why is it a mistake, healthy bodies come in many shapes and sizes, these are healthy bodies. Thay is simply factual. These women are not underweight, they don’t look unwelll they look healthy and vibrant, much of their appeance is also to do with their youth,