Debenhams says no to touching up models’ pictures

Department chain store Debenhams has vowed to stop using airbrushed models to sell its products.

The retail giant said its designers will no longer use digital techniques to slim arms, thin legs, whiten eyes and teeth, and enhance cleavage.

The chain announced the move as it rolled out a lingerie line featuring images of a model that have not been “digitally retouched”.

Debenhams said it has had made the move on the back of studies which found that altered shots of models can affect the self-esteem of young girls striving for unrealistic body shapes and flawless skin.

Sharon Webb, Debenhams head of lingerie buying and design, told The Telegraph: “We want to help customers feel confident about their figures without bombarding them with unattainable body images.”

She said that as well being a “positive” step from a moral point of view, it would also save the retailer cash by not retouching “perfectly good” pictures.

“As a rule we only airbrush minor things like pigmentation or stray hair and rely on the natural beauty of models to make our product look great.”

Using before and after shots of a lingerie model, the store showed an example of just how much the image could have been altered, including:

- Face and neck slimmed;

- Under-eyes smoothed and lightened;

- Teeth whitened;

- Eyes whitened;

- Waist pulled in;

- Arms slimmed;

- Underarms tidied;

- Legs made thinner;

- Stray hairs tidied;

- Skin tone changed, smoothed, and brightened;

- Cleavage enhanced.

Debenhams has now called on its rivals to ban airbrushed images too.

“We want other retailers to follow suit and encourage positive body- image through minimal retouching rather than bombarding them with unattainable body images,” said a spokesperson.

The ban on airbrushing will be swept across all Debehnams clothing lines and the company plans to introduce curvier mannequins in its stores.

Caryn Franklin, fashion commentator and co-founder of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, says: “Fashion and beauty imagery that is honest, is absolutely crucial for all women to see. Retailers have the power to take a stance on digital manipulation, so, I’m delighted that Debenhams has taken the lead here and customer feedback will no doubt validate this important step.”