Beauty unadorned: brands that have done away with retouching

Beauty unadorned: brands that have done away with retouching

Thanks to them we stopped being ashamed of our flaws.

The world is gradually moving away from the worship of perfectly photoshopped bodies and wrinkle-free faces. And while glossy magazines are not yet ready for radical measures, many fashion brands have long since stopped abusing photoshop. We tell you about famous brands that have refused the services of retouchers.

H&M: no Photoshop

In 2018, the Swedish brand decided to completely abandon photoshop in advertising their products. Since then, they have been shooting models with age spots, stretch marks on the skin and hair on their arms.

According to H&M brand representatives, photos without retouching give female customers more self-confidence.

Adidas: body-positive campaign

The fall of 2017 was a memorable one for adidas. That’s when the ad campaign with Swedish model Arvida Byström came out, which showed natural beauty literally – with hair on legs and armpits. Neither adidas nor Byström expected such a feedback. Not everyone appreciated the model’s naturalness, her photos collected thousands of negative comments, and some users even threatened her with reprisal in private messages.

Aerie: swimwear for everyone

The American underwear brand refused retouching in 2014: the advertising campaign was accompanied by the slogans “No retouching here. The real you is sexy.” Aerie made a real revolution in the fashion industry, proving that not only Victoria’s Secret models can show swimsuits. Since then, the concept of the brand has not changed: girls in advertising photos are not ashamed to show birthmarks, scars, wrinkles and cellulite.

ASOS: clothes of all sizes

ASOS is a multi-brand store that has achieved a lot of success with its audience. They’ve created a Curve line with an extended size range, and retouchers don’t try to hide stretch marks and cellulite on models’ bodies. The store also refused photoshop on shoots for the swimwear section, where all the shots are presented even without minimal processing.

It is noteworthy that the brand is not trying to hype on this or make a source of profit out of its philosophy. This kind of sincerity is especially important in the online shopping segment, where buying clothes without trying them on is provided.

Dove: the first in business

The pioneer in the world without retouching can rightly be considered Dove. Back in 2004, the brand released an advertising campaign where it said “no” to Photoshop and called it a “campaign for real beauty”. At the same time, a video “Evolution” was released, which described the efforts of marketing companies in imposing unattainable ideals. The absence of acne, perfect styling and makeup are considered unquestioned symbols of beauty. But Dove dug deeper and asked the question: what is behind this ideal? For 15 years, the brand has not changed its philosophy and continues to celebrate the diversity of women’s beauty.