High street store Topshop have removed an image of Australian model Codie Young after they received many complaints that the model is too thin and possibly anorexic. The photo in question which is no longer on their website (they replaced it with a different photo of Codie) shows the model in a belted shirt style printed dress and oversized sunglasses. Although Topshop insists she is a healthy size 8UK, many who have complained about the image feel it sets an unrealistic and unhealthy example for young girls.
Fighting back at the claims, Codie took to her personal blog to explain that she is naturally skinny and always has been. She wrote: ‘I am naturally skinny . . . as my dad is 6ft 5in tall and skinny, and my mum is also skinny. For someone like Ms Davies to say it’s not okay for me to be this thin (which is how I was created) basically says it’s not okay for me to be who I am!
Throughout my entire childhood I was called anorexic and people would ask if I was bulimic. You know what, some people are just naturally skinny and even if I tried to put on weight it wouldn’t matter, because it doesn’t matter what I eat, I don’t put it on. I love food.
And finally, yes okay I maybe am American size 0-2 and a UK size eight, so what. There are overweight/obese people who are a size 18 but no one says anything to them because you don’t want to offend them.’
Spokesman Andrew Leahy told the DailyMail: ‘Topshop is confident that Codie is a healthy young woman and we do not feel it necessary to remove her from our imagery. However we do recognise regretfully that the angle this image has been shot at may accentuate Codie’s proportions making her head look bigger and neck longer in proportion to her body . . . We have taken down that specific image at the earliest opportunity.’
He continued ‘While we recognise that Codie is a slim young woman, she is a size eight, not a size zero. The clothes she is wearing are a sample size ten so in some instances they may look a little looser than normal. Topshop only retails size four within our Petite range . . . aimed at women who are proportionately smaller at 5ft 2in or under. Topshop is proud of its heritage of celebrating individual-looking girls who offer an alternative more unusual beauty.’
He continued ‘While we recognise that Codie is a slim young woman, she is a size eight, not a size zero. The clothes she is wearing are a sample size ten so in some instances they may look a little looser than normal. Topshop only retails size four within our Petite range . . . aimed at women who are proportionately smaller at 5ft 2in or under. Topshop is proud of its heritage of celebrating individual-looking girls who offer an alternative more unusual beauty.’
Below is the photo which was removed from the Topshop website: does she look too thin?
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