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.

M&S regularly use normal sized people and plus size on their social media, especially on Instagram. They are big supporters of all sizes and their clothing sizes reflect that. I like seeing both, the clothes look good on models on their website, and real on other media.

I have used AI tools lately. Can't remember on which site but they were useful.

The problem is that what people say and what they do are 2 different things.

I used to work in retail and we would have customers emailing all the time asking if we could use more types of models. We did and guess what? The products with mid and plus size models didn’t sell as well.

If using more average looking people as models worked, retailers would do it. People prefer to buy into a sort of fantasy even though they don’t admit it.

Because size 0 5ft10 women can make anything look good which helps clothes sell, I think most of us are optimists who hope the clothes will look as good on us

Must admit while I don't take issue with the size of the models I don't understand why they have exclusively chosen models with little to no bust?
Most UK women have a bust, and certainly the m&s audience of slightly older women probably if anything have fuller busts - i dont get why they don't have even a single model with a more typical physique and fuller bust.

I work for a fashion company and regularly book models for photoshoots.

Its actually surprisingly difficult to find models that are different height and size that dont charge an extortionate amount. We'd love to have a range of different sized models, but they are either very inexperienced models, or extortionate in price that we just wouldn't be able to fit within budget.

@Mannersmattertoo I agree there should be no body shaming either direction, but one extreme group is photographed and displayed as attractive more than the other, we know that. I think it leads to frustrated backlash against the thinner group.

I agree that showing healthy bodies is good but I also think that bigger than a size 8/10 is also healthy too e.g. 12, 14.

That's what I thought. Magazine covers with " average" women on them don't sell either. Sadly.

'According to Office for National Statistics, the average female height in UK is 164.3 cm in 2025. Female adult refers to someone is 18 years or older.'

The average is actually shorter than that, 5'6 is above average height. With length I always look at the size chart to see leg length, because I have short legs, and a longer body.

I would agree with an above post too, pur customers were regularly asking for a size 16-18 model. We got one - none of the clothes sold. We then reshot on a size 8 and they sold.

I much prefer to see clothes modelled on people who look vaguely like me, gives a much better chance of not being disappointed with the item when it arrives!
So yes, I might buy the item modelled by a stunning woman but I am more likely to return it!

I actually love the sites that encourage customers to show themselves wearing the clothes, also fabulous! I've bought clothes based on how these people look.

But none of them have a fuller bust? Why out of several models didn't the pick even one with bigger boobs. All of them have very very small busts. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with small busts but the absence of any models with a fuller bust makes me think m&s don't think women with fuller busts look good? It just isn't representative of women in the UK who do not all have very small busts.

@Loki64 why don't they photograph on both sizes?

They're not 'super skinny', they're slim.

I think there's also a massive difference between clothes on a size 8 versus 12 model.
The 12 I can extrapolate to my size 14 body really easily.
The 8 is too far away in sizes.

The M&S models look fine. Other sites, yes they are thin but that doesn't bother me but i wish they wouldn't use ones that look so bloody miserable, they don't need to be grinning but not looking like they are seriously pissed off would be nice.

I suppose it's because, as I stated above, clothes just look 'better' on slender, smaller boobed models. They aren't there as representative of all women after all, they are there as hangers for the clothes. In my case big boobs make clothes hang oddly, everything that fits around my bust is too big everywhere else or just doesn't touch my body and give me any shape. I wouldn't buy a dress that looked as though it fitted where it touched, so I don't really blame retailers for using shapes that make the clothes look good.

Yes, I agree. This is why I said size 8 etc, and that a range of sizes should be shown.

As someone who is 5 10, I'd say the photos are bullshit anyway. I'm not a size 8, but not overweight either. It's rare that I can wear an M&S dress or more fitted blouse as the torsos just aren't made to fit taller people, the bust darts and waists are wrong and long sleeved tops often aren't long sleeved enough. They also been shortening bra straps in more recent years too. I suspect there's a stylist in the background tweaking the fit.

I was literally just thinking this yesterday. I saw a really pretty cardigan online, but the model is v skinny with no bust. I'm a size 14 with a 34g bust and I have NO IDEA whether it will work on me. It's so frustrating! Do I buy it and then go to all the hassle of sending it back of it doesn't look right? There's so few high street clothes stores where you can actually try things on now, I really think online retailers need to do better!

This is something that you'd think AI would be able to do something about?

What's worse is if you click on the curve section you still get he super skinny models ... could do better M&S!

Why do you mean by “size zero”? They are usually a size 8. The whole “size zero” thing is a red herring which arose out of American sizing. Many years ago I used to buy from J Crew and yes, it was size zero, which ( because of vanity sizing) was actually a small size 8.

in any case, I kind of agree that many of the models are super tall and the clothes will not look as good on someone shorter but I guess they the reality is that most brands want their clothes to look as good as possible.

I agree with this. The word "skinny" is like "fat." It is the shaming of other women, who are often a healthy weight. Even if outside of healthy, shaming is not okay. Commenting on the size of other women's busts is not okay. Some posters on this thread should be ashamed of themselves. Women should build other women up!

All this thread needed to say is that a range of sizes and heights should be shown; we are not all the same. Insulting other women's bodies however, is neither constructive or necessary.

Twice the cost, twice the work. Triple it if you want mid size.

In my company we had items that went up to size 24 so we would do it for those but then you still had customers going “what about a size 16 model?”.

Extra photos help for the largest sizes but for the middle ones which are the most common it’s diminishing returns.

The revealed preference of average size 14 customers is that they will buy it based on the sample size model.