The fashion industry has had a lot of controversies. While it is nothing new, everyday models come out and explain what they went through while working for a certain company or doing a photoshoot. Recently model Karoline Bjornelykke came out on TikTok and said that she was told to wear padding in order to make clothes look larger on her. In her video she showed how she was expected to wear it in order to change her figure.
Now why is this a problem? Some brands choose thinner models in order for their face to be thinner but include padding to be “inclusive” and show the plus size clothes. This is harmful in many ways. Bjornelykke came out and expressed concern because not only does it create impossible beauty standards but also shows the lack of brands and styles for different women.
While she chose to stop working for these companies she warns viewers to not compare themselves as most shoots are not reality. This not only goes for fashion but for makeup, skincare, etc. When promoting a product there used to be only the typical beauty standard. Now more and more brands are showing inclusive sizes, skintones, etc. But as Bjornelykke exposed, not all of these brands are as ethical as one thinks. While it is important to be inclusive and support diverse brands and models, there is a right and wrong way to do it. We need to go beyond surface level change and it starts with calling out these types of brands.