A Marks & Spencer advertisement has been banned online for featuring an “unhealthily thin” model.
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled it was "irresponsible" for the retailer to use the image to promote its clothing.
It featured a woman wearing skinny trousers and a white top, with one hand in her pocket and the other holding a bag.
But the ASA said the model’s collarbones were “very prominent” and that she wore “large pointed shoes which emphasised the slenderness of her legs”.
It added: “In part due to the camera angle which appeared tilted downwards, the model’s head appeared out of proportion with the rest of her body and further highlighted her small frame.”
Three other adverts on the M&S app and website featuring two female models wearing a pink dress were also complained of.
However, the ASA rejected these complaints after ruling that the model’s face in the images “did not look gaunt” and that “while thin… did not display any protruding bones”.
In a statement, M&S claimed its women’s clothing range “represented a full spectrum of sizes, ranging from eight to 24”.
However, the company acknowledged that the models used were size eight and at the lower end of its range.
M&S confirmed on Wednesday that it had removed the image after receiving the complaints.
The ASA warned M&S the advert must not appear again in any form. They also told the retailer to ensure its campaigns were prepared responsibly and did not portray models that were too thin.
Last year, Vogue’s fashion editor Chioma Nnadi warned the industry should be concerned after data revealed a “worrying return to using extremely thin models”.
