If you’ve taken a detour to the swimwear section of the ASOS site on a recent lunch break (no judgement here) you might have noticed that something has changed. Instead of airbrushing perfectly normal stretch marks into oblivion - as per the fashion industry norm – the online store has chosen to feature images where so-called ‘tiger stripes’ can be clearly seen, and we’re all for it.
Social media users were quick to spot the change and hail it as a step in the right direction, commending the retailer’s move as ‘amazing’ and ‘impressive.’ Others said that seeing images like this would help them to embrace their own bodies, rather than remaining hung up on self-perceived flaws.
‘Thank you SO much for not getting rid of her stretchmarks, she’s stunning & this will help girls embrace theirs, I am!’ one Twitter user wrote.
‘ASOS not editing out girls’ stretch marks on their swimwear photos is giving me so much life, look how beautiful they all are,’ added another.
For others, however, this concession to body positivity did not go far enough, with some pointing out that the site is still showcasing extremely slim bodies that fall within a very narrow ideal of beauty. ‘Thoroughly unimpress[ed] by this thin white model with enough stretch marks to count on one hand,’ was one such criticism.
ASOS joins the ranks of retailers who have taken a stand against airbrushing, such as Aerie and US label Target.
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