Okay, seriously what is with the obsession with "thin?"

[Travis]

Take a look at this latest example of photoshopping via Ann Taylor and explain to me why this was necessary. Seriously, why? She already looked perfectly fine. The picture was already perfectly fine.

Was it just to dewrinkle the outfit and they got carried away? Did they have an art staff that needed "busy work?" Is there really a secret conspiracy to get women obsessed with looking unnaturally skinny?

I mean I can't figure it out. And of course we have those other recent headline grabbing incidents just like this making me wonder if the advertising agencies for these companies are run by some weirdo with an anorexic fetish.

 

[Giggywig]

The one on the left looks kinda too thin, the one on the right just freaks me out a little.

 

[Tatyana]

I am trying to get bigger by putting on as much muscle as possible.

And yes, I am serious about this.

 

[Lolly]

Whoever did it doesn't seem to have any idea of anatomy. Waists don't go up there, they are lower down. That's just bizarre. The retouched photo doesn't even look human.

I suspect the reason to be they get to charge fees for playing with the photos, so the photos must be played with.

 

[Tricky]

She looks like Mirage from The Incredibles.

 

[shadron]

They are not in the business to demonstrate normal anatomy or desensitize anyone from eating disorders. They're selling clothing. If the touched photo sells clothing better, then the reality of the situation is not a factor. Most clothes dummies used in stores are not anatomically correct either. Wrinkles do not help sell clothing; notice any woman with a skin hugging top on; she will pull at it continuously to keep it as smooth as possible, because she believes that is how she looks best in it, even if constant adjustment is the price.

 

[Emet]

I mean I can't figure it out. And of course we have those other recent headline grabbing incidents just like this making me wonder if the advertising agencies for these companies are run by some weirdo with an anorexic fetish.

I believe the fashion designers get the credit/blame, as they often state that clothes 'hang' best on absurdly thin models (I don't have any idea who looks at the photos, but I would imagine the manufacturer/designer has a "say" on the final image).

Whoever did it doesn't seem to have any idea of anatomy.

http://boingboing.net/2009/10/06/the-criticism-that-r.html

("Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis").

ETA:

If the touched photo sells clothing better, then the reality of the situation is not a factor.

Which would square with who I believe is responsible for the editing.

 

[saganite]

Was it just to dewrinkle the outfit and they got carried away? Did they have an art staff that needed "busy work?" Is there really a secret conspiracy to get women obsessed with looking unnaturally skinny?

What's secret about it?

 

[Furcifer]

They are not in the business to demonstrate normal anatomy or desensitize anyone from eating disorders. They're selling clothing. If the touched photo sells clothing better, then the reality of the situation is not a factor. Most clothes dummies used in stores are not anatomically correct either. Wrinkles do not help sell clothing; notice any woman with a skin hugging top on; she will pull at it continuously to keep it as smooth as possible, because she believes that is how she looks best in it, even if constant adjustment is the price.

This ^. It looks like the wrinkle on her right had to be shopped out, then the left was balanced out accordingly. The shadow was added to make the top "pop". They wrecked her right boob in the process, but it's about selling clothes not plastic surgery.
The top and the pants look like they were left in a bag or 1 size too big. The photographer should have been fired.

 

[Moon-Spinner]

It looks like they're going for the "Avatar" look, they just need to paint her blue now...

 

[Ausmerican]

Travis, haven't you seen Zombieland? First rule buddy: Cardio. The Zombies got the fat ones first. They are just trying to promote survival for crying out loud!

 

[Travis]

I'm pretty sure they could have dewrinkled the clothes without also squeezing her midsection.

 

[Furcifer]

I'm pretty sure they could have dewrinkled the clothes without also squeezing her midsection.

No doubt. I'm just saying I agree that it probably happened because someone was touching up the wrinkles and went a little overboard. If you look at the shadow in the raw image you can almost see where they removed the wrinkles and bunching and drew the new lines.
While the model looks ridiculous the clothes look better.

 

[Lolly]

("Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis").

That's bad. I saw on TV about some real girl with a tiny waist like that (it was on the news or something, but I think they were reporting on Next Top Model?). Now all the young girls will be trying to look like that. I find it really sad, and incredibly weird.

And what's wrong with wrinkles in a lycra top? It's going to drape and have wrinkles, unless it's a swimsuit and it's pulled taut. It's how the fabric behaves. How can someone not want what is inherent in what you are buying? It's just crazy.

 

[Furcifer]

("Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis").

That's "Bulldog chic"

 

[Manopolus]

Personally, I'm not too impressed with the origional picture. The pose is just a bit too frontal. They should hire me as their photographer and get rid of this no talent waste of space.

 

[pipelineaudio]

As was always the case in the fashion industry: things with curves do not look like little boys. Now that we have the tech to ditch the curves, we do.

It hurts a lot less than some of the alternatives. Imagine being in the ancient music business when the part called for a castrado!

 

[luchog]

TIs there really a secret conspiracy to get women obsessed with looking unnaturally skinny?

Yes and no. Yes it's a conspiracy; but no, it's not secret. It's a well-known principle in the advertising industry - use models that are well outside the norm for body types, promulgate their appearance as the cultural standard of beauty, spread dissatisfaction among otherwise normal people, claim to have the cure for that dissatisfaction in the form of many useless gimmicks that are then sold to them for exhorbitant amounts of money.

 

[Bikewer]

Most will recall Twiggy and as well the "heroin chic" trend that followed a few years later. The fashion industry seems to have as a collective standard that their "creations" look best on models that are extremely tall and extremely thin.
This while a majority of their potential consumers are tending towards obesity...

'Tis rather odd; fashions from around the turn of the century (the previous one) were quite "womanly" albeit artificially cinched-in by corsets.
I suppose the boyish figure as an ideal started around the 20s with the flappers.

I see a number of news articles lately indicating that at least some in the industry are recognizing the expanding size of their consumer base and are now showing "plus size" models more extensively. Of course, by "plus size", they mean women who would wear a 10 or a 12-sized dress.... a size that would have been considered "average" maybe 40 years ago.
Of course, fashion illustration has always used anatomically-incorrect figures. I had a couple of books on such illustration when I was studying figure drawing and I forget the proportions of the typical "model" to be drawn....But it was rather Barbie-like. Thin and statuesque.
I also recall seeing one of those shows that aired on the now-defunct "fashion" network featuring a number of designers commenting on which models had the best "bits".
They all pointed to their notion of the "best" legs on models who were virtually sticklike, with legs showing virtually no musculature or curves.

I would imagine that average men, asked the same question, would point to Tina Turner or perhaps Beyonce'....

 

[Matthew Best]

Most will recall Twiggy and as well the "heroin chic" trend that followed a few years later. The fashion industry seems to have as a collective standard that their "creations" look best on models that are extremely tall and extremely thin.

Don't blame it on Twiggy - she's not actually very tall, only 5ft 6".