The fashion industry has always been defined by its specific beauty standards, but these standards often come with intense physical and psychological pressures on models.
A prominent model in the industry, who recently shared her experiences from behind the scenes of the fashion world, detailed the negative impacts of these pressures on her physical and mental health. She spoke of humiliations and criticisms that made her feel her worth was reduced solely to her appearance.
This model, referencing her personal experiences, explained that when she was visibly thin, the fashion industry paid her more attention than ever before. She noted that during this time, not only did major brands and designers take notice of her, but she was also selected more frequently for fashion shows and campaigns. However, this apparent attention and success came at a heavy cost. She described how the pressure to adhere to unrealistic thinness standards not only affected her appearance but also caused serious physical and mental health problems.
The model revealed that throughout her career in the fashion industry, she repeatedly faced harsh criticisms and humiliations that forced her to base her self-image entirely on her physical appearance.
She said, “Feeling like your value is tied only to your physical appearance can have irreversible psychological effects. The pressure to stay thin was so overwhelming that I could think of nothing but my outward shape.”
She also expressed hope that one day the fashion industry will enact real changes in beauty standards, embracing models of diverse body sizes and shapes. She emphasized that “true beauty lies in diversity,” and such a shift could help models feel more valued while sending an important message to society: beauty is not confined to one specific body type.
The Guardian