Super skinny models for M&S?

[CheeseDreamz]

I am really struggling to shop online at the moment as it feels like many retailers are using super slinky and very tall models to show clothes that are usually aimed at a more average demographic and body type. M&S being the worst right now.

Before people accuse me of body shaming I am observing the predominant use of what is actually quite a rare human shape - not about whether it is attractive, or healthy or possible to achieve. 5ft 10+ and size zero with very long legs is not that common, especially over 25. I have my thoughts on this, but my question is more around the widom of doing this and the difficulty of shopping.

It's making it impossible to tell what a piece of clothing might look like if you have boobs or bum, even at a size 12. And in many cases the clothes don't even look that great. Also has the model wears size x information now gone on many sites?

Looking over a few sites it seems to be increasing in mens clothing too.

I know that representation of a variety of body types has been adopted (for years by some retailers) but it feel as if that is really waning now - weirdly it seems to be better in brands I would consider for younger people. There is some discussion in the media about "the return of hyper skinny" (though a quick google reveals there are articles on this going back to 2022), so it's a perennial thing. But really, who the hell do M&S think shops with them? It's so off-putting - all I see is that these clothes are not for me.

I think they are ok.

I see they are mostly 5'8 to 5' 10 and a size 8, not 0. Which is a healthy weight for young women. Not hyper skinny at all.

The postures are more of an issue for me. Why can't they just have a normal stance, front, back and side? No need for contortions unless it's exercise gear in which case a full body fold or downward facing dog is OK.

I suppose they could have two models like Joanie but that would drive the price up.
I do think sometimes that size 10-12's are completely absent everywhere on websites. It's either size 8 or size 18.

I totally agree re: M&S at the moment. It would be much better to show the item on 3 different sized women eg a size 6/8, a size 12/14 and a size 18/20.

i agree op. Half the time the clothes don’t even fit the models on the M&S site eg the top of a dress with bust darts is just flapping around because the model is not full busted enough to fill it. It seems so pointless. I love looking at these beautiful willowy women, I genuinely do, but when I go on the M&S/ site I want to look at the clothes and how they might fit my body. I’m an average size, 12-14 with a D cup bust. Probably the typical M&S customer. Where do I see models like that?

I think they're fine and, as PP pointed out, they clearly aren't "size 0".

I'm in my late 50s and just under 5'3". I've always had to use my imagination when thinking about what a certain garment may look like on me as clothes are usually cut for taller women, so this is no different.

Frankly I find it far less annoying or distracting than the trend of using very large women to model clothes, which I find patronising. I was 13 stone myself for many years so know what being fat is like, but there's no way I looked good in anything at that weight and, not being a fool, I knew it. Obesity shouldn't be normalised or "promoted" in this way.

There's always an element of fantasy involved when viewing clothes, in my opinion, and most clothes do look better on slim people. Totally agree with PP, though, about the ridiculous poses often used, which often make it impossible to tell what the garment style actually is.

It doesn't feel like tall models of a healthy weight are anything new really. It's expensive to shoot every garment several times, I'd rather they keep their prices reasonable (which they are compared to others).

Not celebrating either, and not sure where obesity or even health comes into anything I have said? Just observing that it seems an odd and unattainable choice for stores aimed largely at a 30+ demographic that simply does not and cannot look like this.

I am slightly supicious about the photography and image adjustments as I look further.

Exactly. To say otherwise implies that thin or even just slim women are somehow not as genuinely female as their larger counterparts. That's a deeply unpleasant insinuation yet it often goes unremarked upon, unlike so-called "fat-shaming".

We don't have size 0 in the UK. That would be a U.K. size 4. There are very few adult women who would naturally be a size 4. Hence they're always on clearance.

Size 8 at 5'10 is NOT representative of a wide range of the population either. Even the ones at a correct BMI. So OPs point stands.

I think it's difficult for fashion retailers though as we're much more tolerant of flaws when trying something on and looking in a mirror.

I once looked on a site that showed their dresses on a range of models and bought nothing because the one closest to my build looked pretty awful compared to the small hips/chest one.

Now I probably did just save myself from having to send back styles that wouldn't suit my build, but I get why other places don't do it.

I think it's perfectly possible and healthy to be a size 8 with an A cup in your thirties, and many 'real' women are.
As pp said, I dont want prices to go up with 3 different models.

Totally agree. The average height in the U.K. of women is 5'6, with M&S having a more mature clientele I suspect their average height of customers is actually shorter than that. When taking photos for online shopping it makes sense to show the clothes on 2-3 different body type shapes but if not possible holding models who are sized 10-12 and no more than 5'8 makes far more sense.

Companies that show clothes on multiple sized models are ones I really appreciate aka shop with. Full marks for instance to the evening wear companies like Ever Pretty who put photos of size 18, 20 models so I can genuinely see if it will work for my body shape!

They look pretty normal-sized to me. On the tall side, obviously, but not particularly thin.

Note I'm not saying they're "average", as I know the average size in the UK is a 16. Which for most people is overweight. But these models are well within the realms of normal and unremarkable in terms of being slim.

They're a fat cry from, say, the waif look of the 90s (Kate Moss, Jodie Kidd, etc)

No point in seeing an outfit on somebody tall and very slim if you're short and not - we all know they're going to look great in a binbag (especially when they're also photoshopped to look even taller, slimmer and quite possibly to have no pelvis or ribs) but actually need to know whether the top is long enough to cover a section overhang, whether trousers are going to form a big cloth puddle because they've not specified the actual inside leg measurement without skyscraper heels or that the 'midi' dress that the model is squatting down in actually finishes two inches above the knees.

It's not normalising or 'promoting' anything to make it vaguely possible to infer than actually, that dress needs some pretty impressive breasts to fill it at the appropriate waist measurement and will need something underneath to be able to wear it for work, whereas that other one gives a level of coverage more appropriate for the workplace.

Frankly I find it far less annoying or distracting than the trend of using very large women to model clothes, which I find patronising
I agree. Patronising and also confusing when trying to figure out how the clothes will look like on me.

But even with 100 photos not everyone will be able to see it on someone their height, shape, weight. The idea of models is to showcase the clothes, they invariably look better on slim women is the reality. The obvious answer here is to shop in person and try stuff on, or order and return if its not suitable.

I guess it's just me then, that's okay if it doesn't resonate for others. My post should have been why don't M&S have models that look like me?

The comment about boobs and bum wasn't misoginistic nor saying anything about their femininity or femaleness - it was an observation that it is impossible to judge how a piece might fit on D cups when shown on A cups.

I think some of these comments are deliberately disingenuous, but my generalisations/assumptions are clearly flawed. Thanks all

Because it's expensive to have models that look like us ( I am now a 12 in my 50s) People wont buy the clothes.

You remind me of my dm who made toxic comments in the 90s, about women being flat chested if they were anything under a c cup. She was overweight, and it came from a place of jealousy. I've looked at the link, and the woman in the brown costume looks a healthy weight, and has a great figure.
The women don't look underweight. I do agree there should be a range of women with different body sizes, slim, and a little overweight, to help people see more accurately how the clothes will fit. They have used women are are neither under or over weight.

They are aiming at the late 20 - 30 year old market and are succeeding. M&S are popular amongst that group at the mo. I’m over 50, 5’8 and size 12 - I love the new direction M&S are taking with their clothes. About bloody time! We just need them to get on board with bra sizing now.