Fashion's Body Ideal Remains Thin and White, Study Finds

The dominant body ideal in the fashion world remains largely unchanged over the past 25 years, according to a comprehensive study involving Austrian researchers.

Despite a greater variety of models appearing on magazine covers and runways today, these diverse representations are considered mere "outliers." The core ideal persists: predominantly "white" and comparatively "thin" individuals, a standard that has remained constant.

The findings stem from an extensive image and data analysis recently published in the journal "PNAS." Researchers examined nearly 800,000 images spanning approximately 25 years.

While acknowledging that more diverse types and origins of models are visible now, the study concludes that these are not indicative of a fundamental structural shift. The underlying aesthetic preference within the industry appears to have resisted significant evolution, maintaining a narrow definition of beauty.

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More symbolic, not structural change is to be observed.