Is Skinny Back — and Will Banning Ads Really Help?

Is skinny back — and will banning ads really help?

Zara, Next and M&S have all fallen foul of the regulator, catwalks are shunning plus-size...the industry’s at a crossroads, says Arielle Domb

Does banning ads featuring “unhealthily thin” models undermine fashion’s body diversity?

The recent wave of Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) bans targeting ads featuring “unhealthily thin” models — including campaigns by Zara, M&S, and Next — shines a spotlight on one of fashion’s toughest challenges: balancing the promotion of healthy body standards without erasing the diversity of real bodies. For instance, Zara’s recently banned ads included images where clothing choice, poses, and lighting accentuated models’ collarbones an…