Australia Introduces Body-Image Standards for Fashion Industry

Women’s Wear Daily reported this morning about a new Australian program touted as “the world’s first body image initiative.” The voluntary code of conduct, developed in partnership with eating-disorder support group The Butterfly Foundation, will designate magazines, fashion retailers and designers, and modeling agencies that comply with the guidelines as “body image friendly.” The criteria, as reported in WWD:

Recommendations include disclosing and avoiding the digital enhancement of images; banning ultra-thin female models or overly muscular male ones, in addition to models under the age of 16 to advertise adult clothes; employing a greater diversity of ethnicities and model body sizes; eschewing editorial and advertising content that promotes negative body image through rapid weight loss and cosmetic surgery, and, for retailers, carrying a wider variety of clothing sizes that better reflects the demands of the community.

There is, I think, small cause for concern about the ban on “ultra-thin female models or overly muscular male ones”—what are the determining factors for these body types? Will naturally slender or naturally sculpted models be excluded? The idea shouldn’t be that any one type of body is better; it should be that there is beauty in all sizes of bodies.

But that message seems lost on a retailer quoted in the WWD article. While she acknowledges that today's models are thinner than ever before, former model Belinda Seper says,

“Fashion is for, generally speaking, women who are in good physical shape, who choose to take care of themselves.”

And if that isn't illogical enough for you, read on!

Seper harbors doubts that larger sizes would in fact sell. Just 10 percent of her merchandise is a size 16 (size 14 in the U.S.)

So larger sizes don’t sell as well as smaller sizes…but she doesn’t stock as much larger-sized merchandise. Good news, Belinda: I think I see the problem!

In any case, this program is a positive step. Australia has a female prime minister and now this? America, I hope you’re paying attention.

Update: This is the relevant section of the guidelines for determining whether a model is at a naturally sustainable weight: "Where there is concern about the healthy weight of a model, organisations are encouraged to take steps to satisfy themselves the model is healthy before employing them." And here's the full text of the guidelines [PDF].

Comments

[5ft0]

I'm from Australia and I'm happy that this is the step in the right direction. There's also a logo which will show readers if the pictures have been re-touched or not.

As with the female Prime Minister, 40 years after feminism - it's finally happened with Australia. To top it off, around six of the top positions are now held by females.

Go GIRL POWER!

[free online games]

sexy is not defined by only those that are ultra-thin.

[Mr. McGinnis]

That Ralph Lauren image is extremely disturbing.

[Mary Amaze]

In my own opinion, I think there's no big deal if a model is even thinner than now as long as she or he can handle the dress well and as long as it really fits her.

[Air Jordan]

I appreciate waking up inside of the early morning and in no way recognizing what's about to require spot, or who Now i am organizing to meet, precisely the place I am traveling to wind up. Do you like I take pleasure in waking up inside of the morning and hardly ever realizing what is about to take place, or who I am arranging to satisfy, particularly exactly where Now i am checking out wind up. Do you like Nike Shox R4 footwear, welcome to our site to determine all sorts of sneakers. Air Jordan

[jordan 23]

I'm not on this earth by opportunity. I'm correct right here to obtain a reason and that goal could be to produce proper right into a huge batch, to not dissove to a hemp of sand. Do you think about therefore?