Plus point for Debenhams

Amazing!! My favourite UK Retailer,  Debenhams used a more ‘real’ advertising approach in their latest catalog back in June. Debenhams vowed to stop using airbrushed models in their advertising campaigns and have now taken it a step further in their latest catalogue, using unconventional models - with disabilities as well as customers, older models and plus size models. They believe they can sell their clothes using real people and they are very serious about it, even to the extent of being one of the first retailers to have larger, curvier mannequins in their stores. They're also telling rivals that they have a "moral obligation" to follow suit.

The Telegraph UK reported that Debenhams‘ main goal in making these advertising changes was due to several studies claiming that airbrushed images of supermodels and celebrities were affecting the self-esteem of young girls. No more using techniques such as arm slimming, thinning legs, whitening the eyes and teeth or "enhancing" the cleavage. Like all DI's for any photoshoot.

Sharon Webb, Debenhams head of lingerie buying and design, told The Telegraph UK:“We want to help customers feel confident about their figures without bombarding them with unattainable body images.”

For this I applaud them. Keeping it real for their real consumers. I guess this is why Debenhams is one of my favourite retailer. Here are some of the images that are available in their catalogue:

I hope other retailers will soon be as real too. Stick thin models only bring out the worst in people and they definitely influence the youth self-esteem. I have witnessed myself how a 9 year old refuses to eat as she thinks being skinny is the way of life. Being healthy is one thing, but skinny? Again, I do not condone being obese. But not everyone is lucky to have the skinny genes. And instead of encouraging us big girls to lose weight, some have resorted to mocking us, even ridiculing us. These images are the real story, and we just want to look good too.

2 thumbs up to Debenhams !!!