Stretch marks are a common, totally normal physical feature, but we don’t often see them in clothing ads. It's not because models don’t have stretch marks, but because they’re usually Photoshopped away.
Now, one retailer is embracing women’s natural look, stretch marks and all, and the internet is taking note of the body-positive move.
ASOS, a popular British fashion website, now features several bikini models rocking visible "tiger stripes."
Reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, with praise pouring in from women excited to finally see their own so-called "imperfections" reflected in swimsuit ads.
One women pointed out that when you see nothing but smooth skin on models, it’s easy to think that you’re the only one with stretch marks.
Others thanked ASOS for offering a healthy, body-positive definition of beauty.
ASOS hasn’t commented on the latest stretch mark photos making the rounds online, but they did hint at their body-positive ethos in 2016, when they responded to a woman who praised them on Twitter for showing a plus-size model’s un-retouched body.
“Natural is best,” the company tweeted. “We think everyone is beautiful just the way they are!”
ASOS is the latest retailer embrace women’s natural bodies. A recent swimwear campaign from Target featured models of all shapes and sizes, visible stretch marks included.
And in October, Victoria’s Secret released a photo of VS angel Jasmine Tookes showing off her stretch marks at a lingerie photo shoot.
Not all the swimsuit models on the ASOS website seem to have escaped the Photoshop brush, but the fact that even some of the models are rocking stretch marks is significant.
ASOS markets mainly to “fashion-loving 20-somethings,” according to its website, and they’ve had more than 14 million active customers so far this year, meaning that millions of young women worldwide are getting the company’s body-positive message.
Hopefully, other retailers will take note, and realize that stretch marks and other so-called “flaws” are not only normal, but beautiful!