In analyzing 25 years worth of fashion industry data, encompassing nearly 800,000 ads, magazine covers, runway shows and model profiles, researchers found that the industry has strongly clung to its traditional beauty standards and that its acceptance of plus size bodies has changed shockingly little. The number of plus size models and models of color has increased, but researchers say that means little in an industry where they have typically had so little representation.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt does appear to be that we\u2019re seeing more plus size models and more women of color more visibly in fashion than we used to, but what it looks like is the average [body size] isn\u2019t really changing,\u201d said Sagar Kumar<\/a>, a researcher at Northeastern University\u2019s Network Science Institute involved in the new work.<\/p>\n \t\t\t The discrepancies matter because the fashion industry wields incredible power in how people, especially women, see themselves, according to experts. Repetitive exposure to these largely unachievable body ideals \u201ccan have a long and lasting impact on self-esteem and mental health\u201d for young women, Caryn Franklin, a UK fashion and identity commentator, told Northeastern Global News. People compare themselves<\/a> to the standard set by the industry and realize they fall short, which can cause their body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and, ultimately, mortality to rise<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the danger of emphasizing one exclusive body shape at a time when young women are very impressionable and susceptible to external conditioning,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cThe result is they learn to self-objectify which means ignoring their inner voice whilst normalizing the pressure from outside forces: fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers looked at data from 2000 to 2024, including ads, magazines, runway shows and individual model profiles in the U.S. While the share of non-white models rose from about 13% in 2011 to more than 40% in 2024, when it comes to body size, it\u2019s a different story.<\/p>\n In 2000, the average model had a 60-centimeter waist, the equivalent of a U.S. size zero, and 18% body fat, according to data collected by the researchers. In 2024, the numbers had barely changed: Models, on average, had a 62-centimeter waist and 19% body fat.\u00a0<\/p>\n Comparing their data against the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers found there was virtually no overlap in body size between models and the general U.S. population.\u00a0<\/p>\n +2 Fashion beauty standards have changed little in 25 years, study finds In 2000, the average American woman had an 88-centimeter waist, generally a size large or extra large, or between a size 12 and 18, in the U.S., and 37% body fat. In 2024, those numbers increased slightly to 92 centimeters and 40% but were still far out of sync with the image being depicted by the fashion industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even plus size models are, on average, smaller than the average American woman, although they more closely correspond to the general population, Kumar said.<\/p>\n \u201cEven within the moments where the industry as a whole has tried to be a little more inclusive, there\u2019s always been a limit of how far that inclusion will go when it comes to body size,\u201d said Tigress Osborn, executive director of advocacy organization the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. \u201cThere\u2019s always been a designation of what\u2019s a \u2018good fat body,\u2019 what is a \u2018curves in all the right places\u2019 body.\u201d<\/p>\n The disconnect was also apparent when the researchers looked at how brands have concentrated their diversity efforts. The data revealed that such efforts don\u2019t actually increase how inclusive the industry is overall. Plus size models are 4.5 times more likely to be non-white, meaning fashion brands have increased visible diversity on the margins without changing the norm, according to Kumar.<\/p>\n \u201c[The industry] is ticking off as many diversity boxes as possible so that it looks like the industry has become more diverse,\u201d Kumar said.<\/p>\n Efforts have been made to regulate the fashion industry out of its limited body ideal, with mixed results, Kumar said. In 2006, Milan Fashion Week established a firm rule that fashion houses couldn\u2019t hire models under a body mass index measure of 18.5, which is considered the cutoff of underweight. In 2017, Paris Fashion Week required that models had to be certified as \u201chealthy\u201d by a doctor but there was no set weight minimum.<\/p>\n But the impact of these attempts to reign in the fashion industry have been limited, Kumar said. He admitted that this research is a piece of a much larger puzzle that points to a need for change in the industry, one that will require the work of researchers, legislators and activists like West.<\/p>\n![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sagar-Kumar.jpg\")
The fashion industry\u2019s approach to changing norms around body image have involved emphasizing diversity with a select few models while the traditional image of a model stays the same, said Sagar Kumar, a researcher at Northeastern University\u2019s Network Science Institute. Courtesy Photo\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/model01.jpg\")
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\nIn addition to modeling, Saucye West consults with brands that want to be more body inclusive. She said she often finds that brands are more willing to change their sizing numbers than invest in more involved cultural changes. Photos Courtesy of Sophie Spinelle\/Shameless Photography<\/p>\n<\/p>\n