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Thinness as a Fashion Aesthetic
- Jenny Chan
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
The resurgence of thinness can be seen throughout the fashion space, especially in the past couple of years. When scrolling through social media, it seems like everyone around us is consumed by what others eat in their day, each other’s workout routines and ‘fit checks’ that increasingly seem more like 'body checking'. The 2020 era of inclusivity has been drowned out by the obsession with body types which are 'more socially desirable'. However, Holmes, who was crowned Miss England 2012, believes "ultra-thin" has always remained the "silent standard" for models, suggesting that the short-lived era of inclusivity was insincere to begin with.
A clear example of this is the popularisation of Ozempic. Despite its negative side effects such as nausea, fatigue and depression, Ozempic has quickly become romanticised within popular culture, swinging the focus even further away from inclusivity. The world of fashion has likewise been infiltrated in a much more explicit way. Just last year, Berlin-based label Namilia ended its lineup for Berlin SS25 with a white vest labelled with the statement: ‘I <3 OZEMPIC’. It’s “Good Girl Gone Bad” show featured handcrafted pieces reminiscent of the 00s and early 2010s. This collection, designed by Nan Li and Emilia Pfohl, transformed vintage Ed Hardy pieces into handmade couture pieces.
This collection was aimed to provoke. Whilst the brand wanted to ask “why [...] society desperately categorize us into stereotypes only to be disappointed when we fail to fully live up to these impossible standards?”, they ultimately ended up sparking even more controversy despite casting an inclusive range of models of different races, genders and sizes. Namilia’s attempts at satire backfired, and they faced strong criticism for what some say was a market joke at the expense of plus-sized people. As Dazed journalist Emma Davidson says, “joke or not, this one just did not land.”
So what does this say about the fashion industry as a whole?
The industry's renewed obsession with thinness makes it impossible to entertain these jokes when real people are still facing the real-life consequences of body-image pressure. The satire falls flat when it relies on a cultural landscape in which only some bodies are deemed aesthetic, leaving many to question their self-worth and identity. According to the Vogue Business Spring/Summer 2026 size inclusivity report, of the 9038 looks across the span of 198 shows and presentations, only 2% were mid-size (Size UK 10-16) and 0.9% were plus-size (Size UK 18+). Compared to the Spring/Summer 2025 season, whilst plus-size representation stayed pretty much stagnant, mid-size representation has halved. It’s particularly concerning considering that fact that the average size for women in the UK is size 16…
Yet again, this apparent hyper-fixation with thinness is not a new phenomenon. For example, celebrities such as Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid are regularly perceived as prime examples of the latest fashion trends by the media. However, the high pedestal on which they are placed seems not to be due to their original fashion style, but towards their body type. With skinny being the primary accessory to clothing, fashion has become selective and exclusive to anyone who does not fit into its tiny guidelines.
Whilst we don’t realise it in our day-to-day lives, 'thinness' is visually coded into trends such as low-rise clothing, micro-hem, baby tees, and ultra tailoring. Clothes, instead of being designed to fit bodies, have suddenly become a way to show off bodies which are deemed desirable by society. Let's take the revival of skinny jeans, for example. Fashionable in the 2000s, deemed cringy in 2020 and now suddenly chic - with the likes of Isabel Marant and Acne Studios showcasing slim-cut jeans. The return of this trend signals fashion being rebuilt around smaller body types - just as it did 20 years ago.
That being said, perhaps it is the popularity of Y2K fashion which has brought back the idealisation of ‘noughties-era bodies’. Those who do not fit the ‘beauty standard’ are suddenly considered to be committing fashion faux pas when wearing an exact outfit that would be seen as stylish on someone else with a smaller frame. So the issue of thinness as a fashion aesthetic is not just to do with body positivity, but also a direct threat to the art of fashion itself.
When the latest fashion trends are only flattering to the minority body type, fashion becomes a mode of conformity rather than self-expression. Instead of being a space for experimentation and individual aesthetic, fashion is slowly pressuring people to chase the same body-centred trends, and in turn, chase an unrealistic body type. Less and less people are empowered to take risks in fashion and find clothing which they feel truly comfortable in, creating a culture of exclusivity and hierarchy.
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