Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Online fashion twice as ‘racy’ as High Street

Online fashion stores are more likely than traditional ones to use images seen as "racy".

Google uses the term "racy" to describe skimpy or sheer clothing, strategically covered nudity or provocative poses.

One of the companies analysed, Missguided, said its site reflected what appealed to its customers.

The findings come as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned adverts from Missguided and Boohoo.

The ASA said the Missguided advert featured "highly sexualised" images and "objectified women", while it told Boohoo to make sure its advertising was "socially responsible".

The BBC's research found that on a typical UK High Street fashion retailer's website, 8% of women's modelling images were "racy", compared with 16% for online-only sites.

The online-only sites analysed were: I Saw it First (21% of images were "racy"), Asos (7%), Missguided (16%), Boohoo (16%), Pretty Little Thing (22%) and Nasty Gal (11%).

More traditional retailers covered were: Topshop (9%), River Island (7%), New Look (4%) and Urban Outfitters (25%).

Missguided said: "Our website reflects what appeals to the young women who love to buy from us - sassy, empowered, unafraid of what others think.

"We run our website for them, not an artificial intelligence algorithm."

The images analysed were posted in the "new in" sections of retailers' websites.

Seven of the companies analysed also had men's sites. Of the 6,200 images gathered from these, only 2% were classed as "racy".


Social influencers


Online-only sites may have racier content because they use social influencers to promote their clothes, suggests Lexie Carbone, who works for Later - a US company which advises businesses on how best to use the photo-sharing app Instagram.

She says brands invite influencers to formal photo shoots, and these produce a different kind of picture, more reflective of different body shapes and skin-tones, but also potentially in more provocative poses.

"For the audience to be able to look at that influencer and imagine themselves in that outfit and kind of aspire to be living that life, it's really captured in a different way than maybe a still traditional model pose."


Clothing design


Martha Poole, managing director of the Manchester-based modelling agency Industry, thinks the main reason for the difference is the design of the clothes.

"In a dress that's slashed from the neck to the navel, you don't really have to stand provocatively, the dress itself is provocative," she said.

However, Martha agrees there is a big difference in the appearance of influencers and the 'traditional' model which her firm represents.

She says that unlike many influencers, her models don't have any visible physical enhancements such as fillers, as she wants her male and female models to look classically beautiful. "They have to be a certain height, have beautiful skin… and that hasn't changed since the 1940s".


Shopper reaction


Natalie Aitchison, 24, David Poucher, 19, Rhys Blanchard, 20, and Rebecca McGrath, 21, are all students at Salford University.

They were given two different sets of photos - one batch from online-only sites, and one from High Street sites. The students had no difficulty telling the difference.

Natalie said the online-only models "just look like Instagram influencers, with the sleek long hair, and the style of the dresses - it's just very night out and looks like thin material, like skimpy material, off-the-shoulder. I can just tell."

Rebecca said: "It is more sexy… these will probably all be thong style [the swimwear], you can just tell by looking at them."

Rhys said he could spot the High Street styles. "The dresses look much better quality, looking at the material and looking at the cuts of the dresses… The fast fashion ones look cheap."

But he also thought there was a big difference in the way the online-only models were posing: "It's almost a little bit inviting, I think it's more provocative."

David said: "When you have people posting stuff on Instagram, they use a lot of filters and highlighter is used to accentuate different features, so like breasts and thighs, so I think that adds to them looking more provocative."


'It works!'


But all the students agree the racier images aren't necessarily a bad thing, because online-only fashion sites are more likely to use models of different body shapes.

"I buy it, so it works!" Natalie laughs. "It is empowering because you can feel sexy, whatever your body type, and that is the message being brought out to younger girls and it works. I know that I'd buy it."

Dr Antonis Kousoulis, Mental Health Foundation director for England and Wales, said: "The trouble with fashion advertising is that it is ubiquitous, it uses models who represent a very narrow stereotype of 'beauty' and it often targets young women."

He added: "Fashion imagery can make many people feel worse about their bodies and themselves."

A Government Equalities Office spokesperson acknowledged there was pressure on young people to achieve an idealised image which could affect their mental health. "We want all people to grow up feeling comfortable and confident about their bodies," they said.


What is 'racy'?


Google's software scores images from one to five in terms of how likely they are to be, what they call, "racy".

It is part of their "Safe Search" tool, which detects adult, spoof, medical, violent and "racy" images.

The BBC's analysis only counted images with a score of four ('likely racy') or five ('very likely racy') as "racy". For comparison, the average picture in lads magazine FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" 2005 edition had a "racy" score of four.

While having more underwear or swimwear on a site will affect the score, the score is also influenced by the way in which the clothing is modelled.


How were the images analysed?


The BBC's analysis looked at 18,000 images containing a female model from the "new in" sections of 10 fashion sites, posted in June to July 2019.

The sites were chosen because they are popular with women aged 18-24, according to internet research company SimilarWeb. Six were online-only and four were High Street stores.

Two other High Street brands, H&M and Zara, were left out of the analysis because the BBC was unable to gather images from their websites in a comparable way.

Only Missguided chose to comment on the BBC's findings.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
×