Money

Victoria's Secret Photoshop Draws Ire of Consumers

October 6th 2015

Victoria's Secret is receiving major backlash on social media for posting an image to Facebook that appears to have been heavily Photoshopped:

 


Many commenters noted that the picture appears Photoshopped because a small portion of the model's right arm is blacked out and her legs and rear end look very distorted. Some of the company's fans felt the image was blatantly and carelessly doctored:

Victoria's Secret FacebookVictoria's Secret Facebook - facebook.com

Victoria's Secret FacebookVictoria's Secret Facebook - facebook.com

ATTN: reached out to Victoria's Secret about the photo but did not hear back at the time of publication.

In 2011, Victoria's Secret came under fire after a model's arm was erased in a photo. According to a report from IBIS World, it is likely that commenters had such a strong reaction to the more recent image controversy because the brand was previously criticized for failing to cater to the plus-size market, which was worth $9 billion in 2014. Earlier this year, Change.org member Dana Drew created a petition asking Victoria's Secret to start serving plus-size women for once and for all, saying this could be a good opportunity for the company to earn more money and serve a wider clientele.

"My money and my credit are good enough for [Victoria's Secret], but the fact that I can only buy items like perfume, lotion, and body spray sends the message that my body is not. Every year I watch the Angel fashion show and would love to purchase the items I see on my screen but can’t because Victoria’s Secret doesn’t sell plus sizes. There are over 100 million plus size women in the United States ... Victoria’s [S]ecret already offers larger bra sizes for women with enhanced and naturally bigger breasts; it makes perfect sense to expand their lines so women with larger bodies can also join the club ... My point overall, let anyone, any size, walk in and pick something from the drawers."

Last year, Victoria's Secret also faced criticism for launching a "Perfect Body" campaign that seemed to favor thin body types:

Following backlash, the company changed its campaign name to "A Body For Every Body," but the damage had already been done:

Share your opinion

Do companies' models influence your shopping views?

Yes 49%No 51%