'Living through it once was enough': Why we can't let 'size zero' make a comeback

Oh hell no. Size zero is back in fashion? No. Nope.

I lived through it once, and it was awful.

But as the autumn/winter 2023 shows moved from New York to London, Milan to Paris, the lack of body diversity was obvious.

It seems fashion labels were happy to have body diversity for a year or two but now they have regressed to the Hunger Games again.

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Research from the fashion search engine Tagwalk confirmed the casting of mid or plus-size models for the season declined by 24 per cent, with only 68 brands opting to cast at least one, whereas 90 did for the season before.

It's so disappointing that fashion labels want models with jutting clavicles and gaunt cheeks, because 'heroin chic' is always the fall back on the catwalk.

The trend of promoting a size zero body as the ideal began in the early 2000s. It reappeared in 2010s and now it's back again.

This trend was fuelled by the emergence of waif-like models on runways and in fashion magazines, and by the popularity of celebrities who were known for their skeletal frames. 

Kate Moss was one of the most famous and influential models of the time. Her waif-like frame and androgynous look helped to popularise the size zero trend, as with Gisele Bundchen, Agyness Deyn and Karlie Kloss. 

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But in positive news, all of these models have since spoken out about the pressures they faced to maintain an extremely thin physique and have advocated for a more diverse and inclusive standard of beauty in the fashion industry.

Yay!

Size zero ideals were criticised for promoting an unrealistic and unhealthy body image. Rightly so. Since then, there has been a push towards promoting a more diverse and inclusive standard of beauty that celebrates different body types.

It's time to look at the fashion industry and ask why it's "you can't sit with us" exclusivity is OK when we're supposedly living in an era of body acceptance. 

The trend of idealising a size zero body as the standard of beauty can be extremely dangerous for women's body image.

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This trend promotes the idea thinness is the only acceptable body type, and it can lead to several negative consequences for women's physical and mental health.

One of the main dangers of the size zero trend is that it can contribute to the development of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

When women are bombarded with images of extremely thin models and celebrities, they may feel pressure to achieve this unattainable body type, even if it means restricting their food intake to dangerous levels or engaging in other harmful behaviours to lose weight. 

This can have serious long-term consequences for their health, including malnutrition, organ damage, and even death.

In addition to the physical risks, the size zero trend can also have negative impacts on women's mental health.

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Many women who feel pressure to conform to this ideal may develop low self-esteem, negative body image, and even depression or anxiety.

They may feel that they are not good enough or that they do not fit in because they do not look like the women they see in the media.

It's important to remember women come in all shapes and sizes, and there is no one "ideal" body type that everyone should strive for. Promoting a single body type as the only acceptable standard of beauty is harmful and unrealistic. 

Instead, we should celebrate diversity and encourage women to love and accept their bodies as they are. This can help to promote better self-esteem, improved mental health, and a more positive overall body image.

I, for one, am sick of having the same battles every 10 years. It's a dangerous and unnecessary form of torture for women worldwide.