Umm, excuse me? Is this Target model for real?
Umm, excuse me? Is this Target model for real?
Was browsing some new spring bikinis and found this awesome leopard print 2-piece! Let me share with you my magical shopping experience.
It’s 11pm on Monday night March 10th, 2014. I’m taking a break from work and am on the Target website, juniors swim section.
1. Oh look! OMG such a cute swimsuit. Let’s zoom in on that print!
2. Oooooohhh leopard print! Love!!! Mint, lavender…wait…why’s there something sharp under her armpit?
3. Oi?
4. Wait, do you see what I see?
5. Umm it might just be me, but her crotch has a square shape cut into it and there’s a growth out of her side hip.
My expression at this exact moment of realization that
THIS
IS
PHOTOSHOPPED.
Target, really? Which design intern did you hire to alter the shape of this beautiful model? And why? I mean…I don’t support photoshopping a woman’s body to sell beauty and beautiful things, but really, if you were gonna do it, could you have at least hired someone more qualified for the job?!!??
All jokes aside, I am actually glad they didn’t get an experienced photoshop artist to touch up this photo. It lets us all know ONCE AND FOR ALL that someone out there is calling the shots on what the standards on beauty are supposed to be in fashion and media. This is simply demeaning to women everywhere. I just wrote a blog post about how social media sites like Tumblr and Pinterest are helping to battle the ED craze by posting warning messages when you type in “skinny” and “thigh gap” into search. Progress. Good. But it’s sooooo sad to see big powerhouse companies like Target who have SUCH an influence on young people everywhere FAIL at using their power in a positive way.
Why Target? Why?
But you know what…I have a conspiracy theory. Maybe the artist who did this disaster of a photoshop job was actually REBELLING by doing such a horrendous touch-up. Maybe it was a hidden message to us all! Ha, wouldn’t that be something?
What are your thoughts on this? I’m curious to hear your opinions.
<3 Cassey
Images courtesy of Target.com.
307 thoughts on “Umm, excuse me? Is this Target model for real?”
There are 307 comments posted by our users.
Hola! Alguien de mi grupo de Facebook nos compartio esta pagina para que la vieramos y me ha gustado mucho.
Un blog fantastico y un diseño fabuloso. Un saludo.
still photoshopped, but a better job of it in the new photo.
I see three mistakes on this picture because the picture was not edit correctly and body parts are much smaller than other body parts and are a little out of place.
http://www.target.com/p/junior-s-monokini-animal-print/-/A-14870873#prodSlot=large_1_12
CASSSSSEY! I found another one. Looks like they got lazy on that invisible thigh gap. NO ONE has such a triangular thigh gap..please..that’s just sad!
New News … Ellen DeGeneres invited the model to check if it was really photoshopped 😉
Hilarious!! -> http://www.ellentv.com/videos/0-22civl8e/
Target must’ve seen your comments, because when I went to check out the site today, they fixed all the tell-tale signs. Still —- Tssk,tssk … shame, shame Target!
OMG! I’m with you on the conspiracy theory! Hahahaha! Now, I must say, that I’m not totally against Photoshop. I just disapprove of it being use to create unrealistic images of natural beauty.
http://Www.mstylefiles.com
This girl is very beautiful and I do believe this is her natural body. Please don’t talk about her like she’s not reading these comments. I think the bottoms are too big for her. I’ve had this happen to me before and I’m pretty sure this is not photo shopped. Please some posting rude comments. Just talk amongst yourselves. I wonder if everyone tried on this bikini how it would fit you. I modeled a long time ago and you do the runway and change in 5 second and do it again so she probably didn’t think to check and make sure it was on correctly. Some of those bikinis make the material really thick so you won’t see camel toe on the beach or on a 12 year old girl.
Did you even LOOK at the picture? Part of her body is missing! I doubt she has part of her body missing in real life
People aren’t commenting on her body but the poor photoshop/editing being done.
the model went on ellen about it… it was confirmed!
Bahaha omg, this is nasty shit Target!
This kind of stuff is everywhere @blogilateshttp://hellogiggles.com/hollister-stupidly-promotes-disastrous-thigh-gap-then-takes-it-back?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=HGFB&utm_campaign=post
If you guys go look at the new picture of this swimsuit, you can tell it is NOT a “thnning” photoshop job. They were obviously trying to removedthe background and make it white. They weren’t trying to create a “thigh gap”. It’s people who post about this who even make a “thigh gap” newsworthy. It was never a problem before.
Please stop posting rude things about the model’s arms. Maybe she has long thin arms? Ever think of that.
Seriously, if this community was all about positively no one would be judging her for being thin.
I agree with the background comment, but they obviously WERE trying to create a thigh gap. It is physically impossible for the bottom piece of a bikini to hug the inner thighs like it does in the picture. Also if you also look at it closely, the shadows on the bottom piece look very odd. All around, it was terribly photoshopped.
Actually no, they weren’t.
First up, how do I know? Because I’m a photographer and photoshopper. Admittedly I refuse to do this level of airbrushing (hands up, I have removed zits, unreddened a sunburnt nose etc when the model has asked me to, but never altered body shape) but I have removed a lot of backgrounds from people, objects, pets etc…
So, with some competence and experience I can say this is not possible from simply removing the background. That would be done with a simple lasso tool or selector, the way those work wouldn’t allow for either the jagged cuts at shoulder and hip and the thigh gap. Even the most cluttered background wouldn’t cause this and as the shot is professional, they will have used a background more suited for purpose.
The side has obviously been badly cut inwards, leaving her natural armpit and hip as spiky echoes of their former selves with her real shape a couple inches or so wider than it’s pictured there, you can also see from the shape of the left breast that it’s either been compressed or moulded, it’s not a natural shape.
As for the thigh gap, that’s even less likely to be a background removal job. Let’s be honest, unless the photographer has a light pointing near straight upwards the natural shape of our bodies makes the crotch an area of shadow, that design on the swimsuit added to the inevitable shadowing in the groin means there is zero way any selector or lasso tool went on a weird journey around her mons. If (and we’re talking astronomically unlikely numbers here) one had grabbed some of her crotch it would have grabbed wide areas of the bottoms, you wouldn’t get a thigh gap shaped vagectomy like that with obvious curves meant to indicate the natural widening of thighs as they leave the confines of their clothes.
So no, it’s not “obviously” a background replacement, it’s obviously not a background replacement…
PS, I know this is old and the person who wrote it is probably wondering why the heck I’m even here to comment (web machinations, a related post that led to a post about this with a link) but hey, more people might have found it like me and I didn’t want others buying in to the idea of this being the work of an inept background remover when it’s clearly the work of an inept airbrusher instead.
Apparently Target “fixed” the image. If by that they mean photoshopped it better… The model still looks inappropriately thinned out.
It’s rude to say she looks inappropriately thinned out because it may be her actual body with no retouching.
I hate that its become acceptable to judge thin girls/models (like the one in the Hollister ad that had some controversy) but say one thing about someone a little larger and it’s rude. We shouldn’t be judging anyone’s bodies. Some people are naturally very thin. Some are naturally bigger. Stop focusing on everyone else and just be healthy and happy with yourself.
I really don’t think that it is her actual body without ANY retouching, because honestly, no one’s skin is that perfect and air brushed. The bathing suit doesn’t dig into her body at all. Look at Katy Perry’s face- it has texture and imperfections. The model’s does not. Also, we as consumers would not want to buy something if what we saw was a completely average looking girl without retouching.
Sad, but true.
…bathing suits aren’t suppose to dig into your body. A lot of people do have beautiful skin. Have you ever seen a model in real life? Their job requires them to have great skin.
And actually a lot of companies do use real women without retouching and are successful at selling their products. Maybe YOU wouldn’t buy something on a “completely average looking girl” (not that anybody looks “completely average”) but a lot fo people would, and do!
Last I checked we have freedom of speech. How bout you stop harassing people for commenting on an article? People can say whatever they want about her body since she has decided to expose so much of it to the world. When you model, you are being paid to be an object for people to state at and judge. It’s the truth whether you like it or not. Besides, I don’t particularly care about the feelings of someone who exposes their body for money. If she doesn’t want to be judged she should have chosen a different career.
I thought this site was for positivity and building community. Your rude comments aren’t welcomed.
I can’t believe that everyone is so focused on their outsides…
But I love the katy perry,taylor swift and niall picture you included!!! I’m such a directioner and I’m so in looooove with that niall pic <3 he once said that it's okay to be different. <3
when i see the pic, my eyes goes straight to her bra. Am i wrong that she wore 2 bra ? That bra looks stacked. Or the design is just like that ? did you buy them ? i just wonder.
The more I look at this picture the more I see all the photoshopped parts of her body ! Her right wrist is … ?!! Weird! Her left arm is 2x longer than her right arm, her left hand is too big… What is the point?!
They wonder why girls have body image issues? If Target and a lot of other places stopped photoshopping and airbrushing photos all the time maybe they wouldn’t feel like they have to look like something that isn’t even real.
Good on you Cassey for promoting health, fitness and a positive body image!
What about where her wrist meets her left (our right) thigh? Yikes!! What a photo.
I, too, think this was done or purpose. The only other explanation is if Target thought its audience was too ignorant to realize the horrible photoshop job. I took multimedia for one year in hs and I could have done a better job. I want to post this everywhere for everyone to see how fake these beauty standards are!
Unfortunately this is not a real picture. Here is the link to the target website – http://target.scene7.com/is/image//Target/15033653?wid=410&hei=410 – which has the real picture and it does not look like the above picture.
“Click on this old screen shot of the photoshopped target model. They now have a new version of her online where the ridic one used to me. Hopefully it is the untouched version. She looks perfect as is!”
Since Cassey says it an old screen shot, I’m guessing they updated the photo on the site 🙂
It was the picture that was up there when she posted this, target took down the picture and replaced it. The bad photo-shopping was done on other swimwear photos as well.
It is a real picture. I saw it on Target’s website before they took it down to replace with the one they have now.
Cassey is the one that found the picture on Target’s website in the first place, anyway, and do you really think she’d lie to us??
Here’s the real picture – not sure where they found the one above, but this is what is on Target’s website.
http://target.scene7.com/is/image//Target/15033653?wid=410&hei=410
I wonder what exercise will square my crotch like that?
lol. Maybe if you put a block in between your thighs and walk around like that, it will train your crotch to be square. I warn you, people will stare at your crotch, and wonder what the heck is bulging out of your pants.
Cassie, if you can remove comments from this page, I suggest you remove citizenjoe’s reply to Christina (March 11. 2014 at 6:02) because he was very rude and personally insulting to her. I know you don’t want that kind of negativity on your blog. Thanks!
I’m so glad you posted this. I wish they taught “debunking standards of beauty” class in middle school for girls so they can see that even models aren’t really what they seem.
That is such a great idea!!
Why only girls though? I think young men and women would all benefit from a class like this.
I think people need to get a grip. If you look at the image as a whole, it looks like the re-toucher (photoshop artworker) was cutting the model out to stick her on a plain white background. Judging by the other areas on the models arms, this layer seems to have slipped upward slightly giving you the image above so did NOT occur because a thigh gap was tying to be created.
ANYONE who uses PS regularly can tell you this.
If companies stopped photoshopping and “normal,” non-photoshopped models of any shape and size can wear a bikini and flaunt it and look gorgeous…
won’t it be better for business since it targets everyone? And people won’t think, “oh, I HAVE to be that size to wear that?”
,… just a thought.
Yeap, I first notice the extra fabric on the sides and wondered if it was the underwear design but then noticed the square crotch. Ridiculous.
Someone else photoshopped this because on the Target website, it does not have anything this girl claims.
It had it on the website the other night when Cassey first posted about it. Target fixed it because of how much bad press they were getting.
The pictures Casey posted were actually on Target.com. After this caught on in the media, Target removed the images immediately. That’s why if you look on Target anytime now, you’d be unable to find the images that Casey is referring too. Just because it’s not there now, doesn’t mean it wasn’t ever there.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2014/03/target-apologizes-for-thigh-gap-photoshop-fail/
Target since removed and replaced the photoshopped image.
Maybe they’ve since corrected it but it was all over the news so…
Thanks for bringing this to light. SO many girls feel insecure enough at this age…actually women at ANY age have to work hard to have a healthy mindset with their bodies. I’m glad you are opposing photoshopping. Let’s get HUMAN!
I hate to see this 🙁 It makes me not want to shop at Target!
Buzzfeed stole your post!! The day after you posted it!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/target-poorly-photoshopped-a-higher-thigh-gap-onto-a-juniors
Nevermind, they did cite you in the pictures. That’s cool, spreading out over other blogs!!
cookie ice cream sandwiches!!
This actually cracks me up. I think we are all well aware that this is obviously happening in all of the magazines/ads alike, but to not check your work for such obvious errors! Lol. I hope women can take this and laugh and think “Yea I look better than her and her square crotch!” 🙂
My fav cheat Meal isquest bars…wait they aren’t real cheats lol. I guess then they’d have to be anything peanut butter and chocolate!!
I would love to see her beautiful untouched body. I’m sure she is beautiful!!! Thank you for finding this and speaking your mind!
my fave yolo meal of all time is a cheesy burrito <3 mmmm
I am in total agreement that the photoshop job is horrible, but I’m 99% sure she looks “skinnier” because the white layer that is around her is offset, and not because they wanted to make her skinnier. Think of it as a puzzle piece, it’s hard to see though because it’s white on white. Look at the space between her left arm and side (our right looking at her) if you move the oddly shaped white mark to the right a tad, it would fit perfectly under her arm pit which should then reveal more of the outside of her arm and her wrist (which is currently being covered by the offset white background). Same goes for her thigh gap. If you move the oddly shaped white space down a little, it would fit perfectly in place. If the all those white pieces were properly placed (not sure why they weren’t) it wouldn’t look like they were trying to make her skinnier.
Yea, it’s just a photoshop masking error not a “make the girl thinner” error.
I totally agree. How it managed to slip past their QA process is ridiculous… but yes, it does seem to be a PhotoShop layer slip as opposed to someone trying to give her a “thigh-gap”
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto
a coworker who had been doing a little research on
this. And he in fact ordered me breakfast simply because I found it for him…
lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the
meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to talk about this matter here on
your web page.
I feel bad for the model. I know she saw this and is now so embarrassed or worse. My heart and mind goes out to her. The photo shopping IS definitely fake, but the person, whose modeling, isn’t.
I’m sure the models know what they are getting into. Do you honestly believe this is the only company that photoshops? The botching of it is no reflection on her! I’m sure she is photoshopped every shoot!
You forgot about the extremely long thin arm front that has a big dent in it near the wrist. Horrible! And I’m always self-conscious of my arms… Because it is impossible to look like those.
Looks like they had the intern do that photoshop.
I’m more likely to believe that the model had oil on her to look better for the photograph and that the green screen she was standing in front of probably reflected off of her body and so the amateur PhotoShop artist was trying to remove the background and awkwardly cut into her hips and armpit using the color cut. I’ve seen it happen before, but it is always possible that it really is Target trying to downsize the model on purpose.
Sorry for the double post but the reason I believe this also lies in the fact that the hand was cut into and so someone was probably just powering through a large amount of edits before the addition of a new product to the website.
I use photoshop daily as a graphic designer. I don’t usually have to touch up people but the person who did this has no idea what they’re doing. There was no green screen reflection mishap going on here. The photoshopper just did a crappy job.
Also the long, thin, alien like arm was clearly photoshopped too. Pretty bad haha.
Cassey, this was on TV! I don’t remember which channel, but it was one of those entertainment channels that talk about celebrity gossip and stuff- ET maybe? I’m not sure, but wow, I can’t believe it.
Le Sigh!
I don’t see why the feel the need to photoshop regardless, take people as they are. But major fail on Targets behalf!
Cassey,
I completely agree with your horror. However, I think you should revise your video “POP Pilates Inner Thigh Insanity.” I LOVE LOVE LOVE the workout and it makes me burn so good but you call the last move the “thigh gap.” Not every one can have the thigh gap, so I think you should reconsider the message you send. It was from a long time ago, and of all your videos, that’s the only one I’ve ever seen anything wrong with.
Thank you so much for being awesome!
hahaha I didnt even look at the pics before I commented on what you wrote – those are so obvious hahaha! it makes me think, someone photoshopped them, but someone else printed them..that had to pass a couple pairs of eyes at least before it got to yours…I’m sorry to laugh but that’s actually hilarious.
I obviously disagree with the whole photoshopping thing, but when you asked “why would Target do this?” it’s because they’re marketing. They’re trying to sell. They’re a business and they want to make money – the way they feel they make money is by advertising clothing (bathing suit) on a body/figure so that it looks appealing to the eye, so that people will want to buy it it, indirectly causing them to envision themselves as the model or looking ‘as good’ as the model. Of course it’s evil, and I don’t agree with it. You’ll also notice that the ‘plus size’ models are not ever really what realistic plus size people look like, or if they are, they are also photoshopped or girdled to the max (an example I always think of is queen latifah here, shes larger and lovely, and she looks great when she wears her evening gowns, really inspiring that bigger women do look awesome, but you’ll notice everything is perfectly positioned and supported, nothing out of place, it’s a bodice and she may or may not be very uncomfortable) – however much truth there is behind it, companies don’t feel they can sell their product if the model (male or female) is sporting extra lumps, or scars/stretch marks or tattoos even (yep, even they get photoshopped out too sometimes). Think of any food advert – the display – you know someones hands have been all over it to make it look appetizing or presentable – same with something like a fast food commercial, using red lipstick to enhance the look of a tomato…all these things are lies, or fake just to entice you in to buying. It’s sad, if we’re not all out battling, all we can do is be aware, or not spend our money on certain products.
Hey Cassey,
They just posted this on CNN.com
http://www.hlntv.com/slideshow/2014/03/11/target-photoshop-bikini-thigh-gap-fail?hpt=hp_t3
Look at that “thigh gap” haha
AND they credited you! woo!
I think this photoshoping women is ridiculous and so unnecessary. It looks so fake…!!! I always thought Target was better than this.
That is… absolutely sad. Not even the skinniest models are good enough. Wow.
I’ll take being fit and healthy instead…. thnxverymuch
<3
Hey Guys, don’t take this all out on the “photoshopping” in general. I make my living through photoshop and I don’t make women look unreal thin. It’s possible to have some work ethics! We’re not all how you seem to think and it’s really affensive to blankly hate photoshop and the poeple making their living with it!!
WOW…. JUST.. WOW… They thinned out her arms to the point they look uber fake and alien-like, then they give her a THIGH GAP… WHAT?!
Here’s what I found out from a DOCTOR.
In an article he should the hip bones, one of the hip sockets were pointed downards, and the other was pointed horizontally.
YEP GIRLS. A thigh gap isn’t excess fat for everyone. It depends on your BONE STRUCTURE.
Does your hip sockets go out or in? So I’m a pear shape. That means I’m tiny at the top but bigger on the bottom. I can never have a thigh gap, as much as I lose weight I cannot… it’s my bone structure.
I know this because when I was in the 11th grade, I was borderline anorexic and weighed 95lbs, STILL wanting that STUPID thigh gap, and still never got it… I would have to weigh like 80 pounds or something just to achieve it– if I didn’t die by then.
Are you daft?
You’re surprised that a major retailer is using questionable techniques to sell their product?
This should NOT come as a surprise. Advertising is evil.
OMG, This is really disappointing that they actually have to Photoshopped! I love target so this is sad to see!!
ohthatnana.blogspot.com/
OMG THIS MAKES ME SO MAD! Love the funny way you told i though 🙂
Check the posting times – this one went up later than the others.
Awesome post! Clothing companies seriously need to stop doing things like this.
Hope to see our faculty site, thanks in advance
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Simply ridiculous. Not just the fact that their photo editor is so horrible, but that they chose to alter the body of an already beautiful model, to fit some ideal that suggests “the skinnier, the better”.
Guys, email this blogger: http://workthatmatters.blogspot.com/2014/03/targets-photoshop-pathetic-disaster.html?showComment=1394596470730#c2093671838286127785
He’s been credited on other sites for finding this first. Ask him (politely- we don’t want people thinking Popsters are rude) to cite blogilates as the one who found it.
Actually, the author of Blogilates opens with “11pm on Monday night March 10th, 2014. I’m taking a break from work and am on the Target website, juniors swim section.” (https://www.blogilates.com/#SRe9w2pem7G4y4qo.99)
Whatever timezone Cassey is in (Pacific) that’s **after** it appeared on Jezebel, and many hours after I posted this around 2 pm, EDT.
Who is stealing from whom, I wonder? Now please stop harassing me.
Is it possible he noticed it as well? I saw someone else credited on jezebel but their article was up before Casseys. It’s a weird coincidence but could have happened
He doesn’t need to cite blogilates for this. Lots of people saw the same thing and posted images directly from the Target website. Also, if you look at the times, Cassey made this post after it was posted on Jezebel. I’m not saying she stole it either. I’m just saying that this was noticed by a lot of people on the same day so we can’t say that everyone is stealing from Cassey. (Even though we love her.)
I don’t get why everyone is assuming other cites are stealing from Cassey. Some of the other stories broke before she posted this!
Wow! I just went to this guys blog and some of your are being pretty harsh! Not just asking him to credit Cassey (even though his post was first!) but also saying he is stealing, etc. Without any proof as to what happened why do you think you can do that to someone else? If he came over here and did that to Cassey, you would all be down his throat!
Turns out this guy was the original source for Photoshop Disasters (which I sourced): https://twitter.com/adamzea/status/442662366065754112
I added a credit (“H/T” means “hat tip,” short form for “source”) on my original post: http://workthatmatters.blogspot.ca/2014/03/targets-photoshop-pathetic-disaster.html
My blog doesn’t have any ads, since I have a full-time job as an advertising Creative Director myself. But I always give credit to my sources Every once in a while, a post goes viral, because while my following is not massive it includes major advertising, social science, and culture bloggers in my circles of interest.
That said, I was really disappointed to see readers of this commercial blog, which derives ad revenue from the number of people who click on it, harass my not-for-profit blog and accuse me of “stealing”. Not only were they wrong, but they also appeared to have mounted a campaign to get this post linked to mainstream media posts about the issue. If you did this for blogiates, you should demand your share of the ad revenue generated 🙂
HHAHAHAHHA HER ARM LOOKS ALIEN
I love this post! But I hate that everyone is taking it from you! I’ve been sending EVERY website that says “I was looking…” & don’t credit you your link. Because YOU found it. You go girl! Spread the news & don’t let anyone take your work!
I’ve noticed that she’s not being credited too. We are probably more upset about it than Cassey even.
Please see my comment above.
Did you ever think more than 1 person noticed? A LOT of other bloggers posted about it before Cassey. Just because she has a larger audience doesn’t mean she saw it first
Because she isn’t the only one who saw this!
I just went on Target’s site for a little online-pre-bedtime-window-shopping and I saw this same image still up on their website. Except instead of the whole body where you can see the bottoms that match the top of the swim suit you can only see her from the waist up. It’s funny because we can still see the horribly photo-shopped arm area that looks like a jagged edge. Bad, Target, bad.
That’s unacceptable! This beautiful woman does not need to be photoshopped! I don’t support photo shopping and I also don’t support unhealthy overeating, how do we stop all this craziness?? Just shows that you cannot trust the media!!
Hey Cassie, I have never posted any comment on your website or your youtube videos but I have been following you for 8 months so far and I just wanted to thank you girl for everything not just the workout, before meeting you, I wasnt overweight but I kinda hated exercise and everything related to it. It was hard at the beginning but it was so worth it. Thanks to you, now I just LOVE working out, love the feeling of getting in shape, doing something for your body and energy, going to the gym, dancing and my fav of course , pilates. Plus, love your recipes and love the lack of guilty feeling whenever I try those. In addition, I love the kind of person you are, how you encourage us to improve our selfesteem, love ourselves and actually do workouts and eat healthy for own our benefit. Thanks Cassie , you are truly amazing. I know it soooo long hope I didnt bore you 🙂
Greetings from Peru, and please please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes!
Thank you for bringing attention to these important issues, Cassey, and look how many people are following in your footsteps. You are such an inspiration. I love you!!
If you notice, they also shrunk her waist in as well….she has another jagged edge on her right hip. So sad, the girl is already in great shape!!
Look at her arms. No tell-take spikes but pretty clear that they, too, got skinnied. Look at the line of the edge of her left arm (right side of picture). Uneven. Dimensions of both arms space-alien thin. Apparently nothing about this lovely girl was good enough. Only way to get the scrawny-with-boobs look desired is to take a gal with curves then peel her down like a carrot.
I could care less what the model looks like. If I like the item then I will go try it on for myself. The could model it on a toothpick or Shamu, either way if I think it is cute I will try it on my body and see if I still think it looks cute. Nobody wants to see a shirt that shows rolls upon rolls of fat,so they show the short on a thin person who does not have rolls upon rolls of date. They show the item in the most positive light they can. No big surprise there,so why is everyone acting like it is some horrible thing?
you are what is wrong with the world, not that you personally would ever know it.
It’s great that you don’t let this new weight trend or size affect your view on shopping or beauty however many people out there aren’t as unbiased as you are. Little kids as well as older people look at this model and think that for them to be beautiful, they must be the same size as the model. With this beauty image in mind, it ostracizes those not in this size range or without a “thigh gap” which can erupt to depression and eating disorders especially but not limited to adolescents which is exactly the “Junior” age range. A popular campaign, I forget the name, is trying to spread the idea that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. That you should feel confident and beautiful under your own skin and the fact that Target is trying to photo shop this model tells people that this model was not “beautiful” enough to be in the catalog and that she needed a little “help” therefore makes a larger range of people including those with a healthy weight, to feel fat and maybe even the model herself.
I actually think this is great. It shows people that models don’t look like their photos.
It would be nice if they could show a variety of models in the same clothing. UK retailers do a good job of lisitng the models measurements to get an idea of how it would look on you if you have similar measurements
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/target-model-airbrushed-photo-designer-xhilaration-swimsuit-183337366.html
i was just on EONLINE and this is one of the major topics. it mentioned that this was first noticed by Cassie Blogilates. You go girl. You make a huge impact and speak for girls health and empowerment. you are such a role model. Love you girl and keep being our advocate.
I agree with nearly everything you are saying and think that you are doing an amazing job of combating false imagery and ‘thin’ stereotypes, but I just wanted to point out that the use of “ED craze” sounds a bit harsh especially when its a mental illness and not something that should be considered a “craze” as it cannot be helped nor does it spread like a craze. It is simply just becoming more talked about and acknowledged. Eating disorders are not something that people chose to follow or join in as the term craze would suggest; they are serious mental illnesses that affect thousands of people in the world and sadly has the power the ruin and destroy lives. This may just be in my opinion, and if other people disagree with me then that’s okay as everyone is entitled to an opinion, but the use of ‘craze’ is quite derogatory and insulting to people with eating disorders or people who are recovering from an eating disorder.
Wow Cassey this really got a lot of exposure! Way to get people talking about body image. Have you seen.? You’re on eonline.
http://www.eonline.com/news/519820/target-is-now-in-the-lead-for-worst-photoshop-job-ever-with-this-horrifying-thigh-gap
As much as I hate to say this, as much as we all love Target (yes I’m a huge Target fan) perhaps its time to stop shopping there. Between the credit card debacle and this… too much.
But, in all honesty, I’m sure all stores are doing this! Do we punish Target just because they do it bad? Or do we stop supporting all stores? I don’t know…Tough call…
I think as a Canadian, I’ve done my part – apparently since they’ve opened up more stores here, they’ve lost billions…hahah..actually it’s because they only carry a fraction of what US Targets carry, so everyone just shops elsewhere. But yeah like the other person said…other stores are doing it too…but seriously Target, just…how’d you over look this…
I think that putting a “real” model on their website would be much better than putting a “skinny” photo shopped model. People often don’t feel confident about their bodies, but they would feel better if models weren’t so skinny.
Who the hell cares? It’s not about the model, it’s about the clothes. People get worked up over nothing important.
There’s more important shit to worry about in this world than to worry about a photshopped model from Target.
This is going to support Aerie’s Real campaign where they don’t retouch the models. I’d love to see more places using models that are more “real.” I’d be more likely to support their brand and buy their clothes.
I just stumbled across this and wanted to share it on here. Aerie is changing the way they market to young girls. They have pledged to not Photoshop their models’ pictures! It’s pretty cool! http://www.ae.com/aerie/guides/aeriereal.jsp?catId=cat6890055&cid=aerie_OMA_140220_50
Frick frack, this is very disappointing! I wouldn’t be surprised if the girl and the body are wonseperate humans altogether. It’s ads and photos like these that really turn me away from the internet, product advertising, and the art of fashion. It may sound extreme, but I don’t think it’s worth the feelings of low body image that tend to follow upon looking at photos of “perfectly shaped girls,” at least for me.
Cassey, I love you. Thank you so much for posting this. I respect you so much.
This looks like the layer this person was working on got moved and didn’t notice before posting it. I mean, after having to photoshop this model over and over in various swim suits you just have to get it right , or at least looking logical. This is me speaking as a graphic designer who knows about photoshop. I frankly feel bad about the person who will be sacked over this but I’m also glad it can be made into a big deal. Thing is, it’s not photoshop’s fault or the designer’s fault, this person gets payed to do this so he/she can eat, and hopefully scale to a better job where she/he can call the shots.
What we need to change society’s thinking in general, and we have to rebel against the need of portraying woman in impossible shapes. I’m glad Pinterest and tumblr show warning signs like Cassey showed us. We need to stop going crazy about this model’s flawless skin or this impossible thigh gap (ha like in the picture!).
Truth is, all of this images are thought out, there is lighting, makeup, camera angles that makes them look great even before the Photoshop gets started. Out of 100 shots 1 gets picked to be on that one we see and feel bad about but no one looks like that in real life! Not even the model picked for this! We just need to love ourselves how we are.
Interesting, glad to have a graphic designers view on this!
I would agree, but there are sooo many pictures on their site with shotty work.. so it wasnt just one fluke.
All in all, I’m no big fan of edited bodies. Maybe photo effects but not the change of a physical body. For all our sake, and young girl’s, I hope this person IS rebelling. I’ll stay hopeful to that.
That’s disappointing =( I am such a biiiiig fan of target. Hopefully this will impact them and change their way of thinking. While it’s not maybe realistic, I am being optimistic!
I agree! We can hope
It’s funny that they did such a poor photoshop job but I’m not in any way shocked that it was photoshopped….We don’t have Target in the UK so I don’t know what type of shop it is but nearly all photos of models are photoshopped in one way or another now, it’s just more obvious in this one! That’s not to say I agree with it, it’s ridiculous that they think they will sell more clothing if the model has half their legs and stomach cut off… I’d rather have more of an idea of what it might actually look like on me, and putting an untouched-up person in a photo wearing the clothes might actually give me more of an idea, rather than someone who looks nothing like the majority of the population…
There is nothing wrong with being skinny, I’m naturally skinny. There’s nothing wrong with being curvy either. I would just prefer to see normal people on those billboards. ‘Normal’ being the range of sizes you see walking down the street.
Is it just me, or is her arm ridiculously long?
I would love to think that the artist who photo shopped this picture is rebelling and trying to show the world that no body is “perfect” (by social media standards) in a natural state. Facelifts, plastic surgery, etc. are all a part of what are considered mainstream measures “The Hollywood Stars” will take in order to get there bodies to conform. But, here’s an amazing and positive thought: what if these powerful women (powerful in terms of their image and how it affects the self-esteem and body image of others) got together and decided they wouldn’t conform. They would remain completely natural and healthy! They would still be confident, sexy role models, but they would also give women realistic goals to aspire to.
Those are my thoughts. Thanks for the interesting blog post Cassey <3
~M~
Hahahaha, I can’t stop laughing at this! You’re so funny, I love the pictures you use to express your reaction, because that’s exactly how I felt too! I have a REALLY big problem with women being Photoshopped to look a lot older and skinnier. It really sends a bad message to ALL women, not just teens and young 20-somethings. It’s sad….
Here’s a question: Do you think the men are photo-shopped too? I would guess because it’s not like you see the average guy in ads either. Isn’t anyone concerned about males body images? I mean, I know why we point out women and there are definitely more things expected of women (like thigh gaps and hip bones…) but there are tons of boys and men with body issues as well.
Not specifically saying Target here (I haven’t actually looked at their male ads) but ads or magazines or whatever…
I am sure they are, but a lot of people don’t think about men as much when it comes to this.
But why not? That’s the same reason many men with eating disorders go undiagnosed and won’t admit to the problem. Because body image issues is a “girl” problem. I feel for them just as much as women. For women, at least the issue is out there. For men, it’s not even touched!
Couldn’t agree more. Once I watched a documentary about a man with an eating disorder, and he went to the doctor and told the doctor that he forced himself to puke and that he starved himself, and he said to the doctor that he might had an eating disorder and he wanted help. But the doctor said he couldn’t have an ED, because he was male. That is so sad!
I think the reason that the effects photoshopping has on young women is talked about more is because it’s more evident – a lot more young women suffer from EDs than young men. That’s not to say that young men don’t have EDs (there have been studies done specifically looking at the effects of photoshopping on young men, and they do have an effect and the number of young men with EDs are growing) it’s just that the numbers aren’t as high.
It’s not that the numbers aren’t high (although I agree not as high) but that men don’t admit to it because it is a “women’s” issue. Just like other things that people think only happen to women (rape, for example). It goes unreported because men are embarrassed, are taught they shouldn’t be like that, etc. In addition, while the anorexia may be a smaller percentage I would venture to guess there are many men who have sort of an opposite view–that they need to bulk up, be stronger and more muscular. This leads to body image issues as well and many problems including overexercising and steroid use. Just another view!
Orthorexia, drug use, and body dysmorphia are also serious issues!!
I’m honestly in shock, why would you do this? The model probably already has a very beautiful body, WITHOUT.photoshop..
http://mividabonitaa.blogspot.nl/
News flash: Every. Single. Photo. You see online or in print had been photoshopped. Even candid shots of politicians- their skin tone has been evened out, or some element has been tweaked. If the photo is a celebrity, the changes could be more drastic. Every photo that has been paid for or published has been altered in some way. This comes from a former model who spent years in the industry. We are chasing an impossible and inhuman ideal.
They cut out the crotch because they can’t have a junior model on their website with a huge camel toe. Ya retards.
They did it on another model too it looks like:
http://www.target.com/p/xhilaration-junior-s-midkini-2-piece-swimsuit-bird-print/-/A-15033654#prodSlot=medium_1_9&term=midkini%20xhiliration?clkid=wVO0Qr167RAuRDSRvwwlzSwGUkTWlFwpz3Mz2Q0&lnm=Online+Tracking+Link&afid=Skimbit+Ltd.&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0002
If you click the link above – and check out the back view – it’s as bad as the samples shown in the blog! LOL – she’s got a chunk of her backside missing!
She doesn’t look real.
If you go to the back shot the “thigh gap” looks like someone litterally bit a chuck out off her butt
Dear Cassey,
Thank you for writing this post! you are brave and the messages you send out via workouts and this blog is only reflective of practicing self love and positive body image- i love that.
THANK YOU!!! GIRL POWER!!
There’s more! Every swimsuit model photo I go to on target.com has evidence of photoshoppedness – here’s another… (http://www.target.com/p/mossimo-women-s-mix-and-match-coral-sugar-collection/-/A-14946840). It’s pretty obvious when you look closer at the “thigh gap” and the waistline that they’ve been photoshopped skinnier. Then you realize, Yeah, no real human female looks like that. The proportions are all off, and so why do we figure we need to live up to looking like that fake model’s body shape? People are beautiful the way they are – just be healthy, and don’t worry about the shape!
They photoshopped her entire body, you can even see it in her arms. This is disgraceful and I’m a target employee! Thank you so much for bringing this attention. Woman are made different sizes because we are all made uniquely and beautifully the way we already are, no adjustments needed. Such a shame this is happening all over the world
What’s funny is Target had no shame in altering the models body in private, but they were shamed enough to take it off their site after it was discovered publicly. We have sense enough to know that no model is portrayed how she really looks (in print), but young girls don’t… And this bathing suit was in the juniors section. It makes me mad!
that model has been photoshopped poorly left and right! search two piece swimsuits on the target website and you will see. check this link, and if you scroll to the shot of her backside, her hip and up her crack have been photoshopped horribly! http://m.target.com/p/xhilaration-junior-s-midkini-2-piece-swimsuit-bird-print/-/A-15033654 maybe they took one picture down, but there are more.
Thank you, lilian, for posting this link. I would like to point out that if you scroll down to related products they still have that swimsuit that casey orginally wrote about up but you just can’t see the bottom portion of the image. You can, however, see the photoshopped arm and armpit. And dont you just love the butt cheek gap?!
They have taken that one down now as well. It’s so sad that they can’t even own up to what they are doing.
I hope this doesn’t get taken the wrong way, but I’m almost glad that something like this was posted. All these standards have been set for women because of media, and due to technologies, such as, photoshop, these standards have become nearly unattainable. Personally, I forget sometimes that people are able to do such deceiving things with photoshop. So, it’s almost refreshing to be reminded that the idea of “beauty” set by the media is even unattainable by these beautiful girls they use as models.
I’m glad you’re posting this Cassey. We need more outrage over things like this and this botched photoshop job demonstrates its not just subtle lighting they’re photoshopping, not just awkward angles. They are literally removing chunks of a woman’s body for no reason other than to perpetuate the idea that impossibly small is the only way to be beautiful.
You could also say that society is sort of skinny shaming naturally skinny girls. We’re all focused on “curves are beautiful, not boney skeletons!” Don’t you think that’s kind of hurtful to skinny girls that were born like that?
Be a bit more considerate…
I agree! So much is said about “fat shaming” but what about girls who are naturally skinny and get told skinny isn’t sexy! Not everyone is born with curves!
Actually this proves ONCE AND FOR ALL that this one photo was photoshopped. It SUGGESTS that Target photoshops more of their photos and it OPENS UP THE POSSIBILITY that other people photoshop. You act like this is cracking open some big conspiracy but not only does this NOT definitively prove anything, but even if it did it would be proving something that everyone (but you, apparently) already knew. It’s cool that you think everyone is equally beautiful. That’s very noble. I’m not so easy, nor am I so dishonest with myself. If Selena Gomez or Halle Berry offered to go on a date with me in a skimpy dress and some overweight woman offered me a date at the same time in the same dress, I would not choose the overweight woman.
You can call me superficial or whatever title you feel like giving me, but in truth I’m a realist. It’s human nature to be drawn to what’s most pleasing to look at. When you’re drawn to something you’re more likely to spend money on it. When you’re more likely to spend money businesses are more likely to make money. When businesses are more likely to make money then they’re not going to care about something so silly as demonstrating that the smelly homeless woman down the street is just as beautiful as the local girl who jogs every morning and watches what she eats. This model probably signed a consent form before her photos were used. Even if she didn’t, she got paid. You think this photo is going to wreck her life? You know how often I’ve been photoshopped? But I’m still here. You’re raising a fuss about issues that don’t matter when you SHOULD be watching my movies instead. Listen to me, I’m going to be Batman soon. Just keep calm and get back in the kitchen.
is this person on crack?
What?? OK Ben Affleck!! LOL
This person obviously is an employee for Target and trying to get you to not get angry and do something about this! Do not take anything this person says as real. They just told all us women to get back in the kitchen!!!
Obviously the person’s point was to get people worked up. I doubt it’s a Target employee. I don’t think they would want to alienate people further by telling them to get back in the kitchen.
I was actually looking at Target’s website last night for swim suits as well and I missed that unfortunate mishap. I’m sure lots of other websites Photoshop, but you’re right: they should hire a more qualified person! Haha.
Disgusting! And I seriously. ….am bewildered at the photoshopping skills too. Target….smh!
Wow, that is unfortunate. I went to their website to see for myself… And it looks like a lot of the juniors swimsuits are shopped. But mostly I noticed hers were more noticeable than others. Do the models ever ask for this specifically? Or is it only the companies who have a say?
ahahahaha omfg I always knew that online shops photoshop the models thinner that they are, but this is embarassing because that’s too much and that’s really bad!
While it is appalling that people still feel the need to photoshop women’s bodies to such an extent, I do worry that this post may have cost that graphic designer his job… Considering he was only doing it under orders, not really fair…
a) probably not a graphic designer doing that
b) if that’s the kind of work they do, they don’t really deserve that job. You can’t expect to keep a job where you do shoddy work like that!
If that’s what this “graphic designer” decides to publish on a popular company’s website, he shouldn’t be hired at all. A 10 year old could do a better job. I could do a better job, and I’m nowhere near a graphic designer. The altering model’s bodies topic aside, this editing job is a horrible one, clearly, I don’t know who would hire this graphic designer with this “skill.” If you’re going to do a job, do it right or not at all. It’s not his fault that he did it under orders, but the editing hack job is definitely his fault.
I feel like at a company like Target there is probably more than one guy doing this. I am honestly surprised that it wasn’t caught by someone before it was put up!
Really Maxine? You think this should be swept under the rug because the guy who did it was just fallowing orders? This whole situation and everyone involved needs to be put under scrutiny. He should have thought about his job, livelihood, and his name before he did something like this in the first place. If he did and he went to his employer before hand then he should be covered.
But we should think about the moral connotations associated with this idea of carrying out orders and doing someone else’s bidding (insert 10 examples here). It’s a dilemma, right? If this goes unnoticed, the graphic designer will keep at it and perpetuate the problem. And it’s a pretty nasty one, too. Target wouldn’t be held accountable. However, if the outcome of this body- alteration outcry causes the person who did this to get the can, it brings this issue to light and therefore exposes Target’s corporate intentions. Ideally this person wouldn’t lose a job, especially if the corporate execs decide to hire a better Photoshop designer. But if this situation isn’t stirred up, I don’t think the problem would be addressed.
** And yes, completely appalling!
Jezebel and cosmo have also picked up this story. I’m glad it’s getting the attention it deserves but I’m sad if they got the article from you because neither of them gave you any credit!
Jezebel listed another source and I believe it was published before Cassey’s. Seems like Cassey and the other source probably came across it at the same time!
I. am. Speechless..
Saw that picture before but I didn’t think of anything bad. Well. This world is so cruel and I hate being told how I suppose to look to fit in the shape of the society. Bah. It’s just so disgusting. 🙁
Thank you so much for sharing it with us! <3 YOU are a real beauty!
Dear Cassey,
The fact that you made this post even though your Blogilates DVDs are carried at Target really speaks to your integrity and the fact that you hold our health at heart first and foremost. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Not only are you speaking up about this in a super public way that we all appreciate, but you might be putting yourself on the line as well. You continue to be an inspiring businesswoman in the fitness world, and an inspiring individual all around.
Much love!
So so true! One of the many reasons I adore Cassey, she is strong, beautiful, amazing at what she does and pushing you to do the same and she has integrity which isn’t that easy to find anymore.
That’s interesting. I’m not sure if she considered the implications before this post, and if she did and posted it anyway; even better! Perhaps Target will pull her DVD from the shelves b/c of this, but that wouldn’t be a very good PR move.
Even if that is a crazy consequence, I think it’s for an incredibly important cause (eg. awareness).
I was thinking the same thing!! Good for you, Cassey, for standing up for what’s right!!
Actually the model In question wasn’t altered the mistake made was the selection of the model from whatever background she was on . What I see is bad selection not really altered body but I may be wrong(Photoshop can and does wonders in the right hands so we can never tell ).
It’s funny cause I actually mentioned to my sister yesterday that I wouldn’t take any ad of a normal priced product serious if the model used is a high profile celebrity(I’m suppose to believe Eva Longoria uses L’oreal Home coloring? Really?) Put someone on there That I can actually see in the mall then I will believe its real…..in whatever alternate reality that will happen :).
That’s exactly what I thought the problem was. It looks as though someone was trying to clean up the image to make the background solid white, but did not do a perfect job.
This person was skinny to start with so she shouldn’t have been photo shopped.
I really don’t mean to start a fight, but this is the kind of pervasive thought that is part of the problem- that skinny or slim bodies don’t need fixing, but other body shapes do. Beauty is not determined by the shapes of our bodies!
I agree with you. I just don’t agree with photoshopping for anyone.
This is a different Amy than posted that! Just wanted to say, I agree with you! First of all, skinny doesn’t mean perfect either. But why should anyone need to be photoshopped??
That’s shocking! Not only because it is a terrible attempt at Photoshop, but that girl was bloody gorgeous before someone decided to hack off her sides and a chunk of her vajayjay. I kind of expect some Photoshop from high end brands, but Target aiming itself at the majority? It’s disgusting.
http://www.ceejayell.blogspot.co.uk
I was at the Georgia Pulica Health Association Conference yesterday and a group of students and a professor did this great research which measured BMI and compared that with adolescents rating themselves as overweight, underweight, or just right. The findings did not test anyone underwieight (it’s a hard group to find and also was not their target) but the findings were very neat. Most youths at a normal weight saw themselves as just right compared to 10years ago when a larger proportion self-rated themselves as overweight. The findings the research team were interested in was there was an increase of girls overweight and obese who were self-rating themselves as normal. This ranking can be bad because it’s an indication of a social norm change and the population, at least down here in the Southeast, is beginning to compare themselves more with people who are overweight and obses than people of normal weight. I loved this research because to me it indicates a perfect time to start campaigning “normal” bodyweight like the DOVE commercials . I would love to hear your feedback for two reasons: your California culture is going to be very different from the Southeast and. You are a fitness icon so tailoring your market to this area with a some tweeking to fit this culture would be great to see (or maybe some help on building a large market)
Call it, call it so hard when you see it. This is just lazy!
I am pretty sure I could have photoshopped that photo better and I know NOTHING about photoshop. This is horrible! And I don’t understand why it is necessary because they use other models that are not as teeny tiny on their website, why did they have to make this one rail thin and disfigured? strange.
When will people learn that regular people are beautiful, just the way they are?
A society that teaches that real women aren’t beautiful enough is a society that has succeeded in subjugating women. I’ve stopped buying magazines all together or looking at their websites. In Europe, there are laws against this type of misleading manipulation. The model already looked thinner than most women and even some women at their fittest don’t have this body frame. Let’s be real: the lies are harmful in a very real way, especially to impressionable young women.
I think she is beautiful and there’s no need to photoshop. Companies like Target are desperate to “try” to sell the image of “skinny”, when they are making thing worse. This is going viral right now. Cosmopolitan already posted the photo
I’m so happy there is such a positive role model like you to support girls on their mission for health, happiness, and well-being.
You are such an inspiration. Thank you for everything Cassie!
There is also a chunk missing from her hip too. Not cool!
wow, i speculated about stores like Victoria’s Secret photo-shopping their models but never target!! I read this yesterday and i am still stunned… why target whyyyyyyy?
I’m glad websites like Tumblr and Pinterest are trying to raise awareness about issues like this. Unfortunately, all the big companies want to do is make a profit from girls’ insecurities…
Stuff like this adds such a large contribution to why so many girls like myself have eating disorders.
I really hope that conspiracy theory of yours is accurate..
I just want to say, to the people who are saying the artist should be fired, or the people who let this through. You are allocating blame to entirely the WRONG people. They are just doing their job- badly, but it is their job. They need to eat too.
The only people who ought to be fired are sitting in the corporate office, instructing that the models they use be photoshopped. Since this one was badly done, you can assume that every model on the site is photoshopped in one way or the other.
The employees in question aren’t don’t that of their own volition, they are doing it because their employer told them to.
So the only people who deserve the sack are those who are dictating that models should be made to look a certain way and who want this image promoted.
Don’t just blame the small guy, blame the people actually responsible.
retail is tough as it is… clearly they made some cutbacks in the wrong department. I see “FIRED” coming on thick.
This is terrible image. I just sent a complaint.
So did I! I encourage others to do the same. Here’s the link to the item: http://www.target.com/p/xhilaration-junior-s-midkini-swim-top-leopard-print/-/A-14905168_201403061036. You’ll have to have an account to post a review.
It looks like Target isn’t accepting any of the reviews. I just wrote one as well, and it still says that this item has not been reviewed yet. :-/
I have heard they took down the picture and are now only advertising the top but I haven’t checked for myself!
Uhm what?! I think photoshopped like this she looks a bit unhealthy. When I forst saw this I thought she looked strange… awkward! Companies nowadays should support normal, healthy girls with a healthy weight as their models. In our age of ana this is horrible to see!!!
Her “thigh gap” is enhanced too, you can see where they raised the crotch up and left swimsuit as thighs. It’s just sad.
My letter to target:
Junior’s midkini 2-piece swimsuit, leopard print
I am very disappointed that Target would use photoshop to make their swimsuit model smaller, there something sharp under her armpit? Is that supposed to be skin? There is also a large square cut out of her crotch area??? Way to promote eating disorders target, at least pintrest took a stand, if you type in thigh gap into their search a warning about eating disorders pops up, way to help out the youth target, by making a model’s thigh gap unnaturally large, you should be ashamed! Why can’t we have real un-photoshopped models? I understand a touch-up, removing red-eye or a blemish, but cutting parts of her body off is NOT acceptable. I will not be shopping with your company if you are going to be promoting unhealthy body image in young girls, SHAME ON YOU!
My only question is, do you think Target’s the only one? I mean, I would guess almost everywhere you shop is doing it. They just got caught!
I can’t stand industry photoshopping models for a number of reasons. One, models are either already fit or thin or work very hard at their bodies to be that way. I’m sure at times they feel pressured and discouraged when a company photoshops an already fantastic body. Two, I consider photoshopping to be a false advertisement. They are still altering an image, they should be forced to state that the image may not portray the actual person. Many people go just by what they see without asking questions. And women are especially pressured to be ‘perfect’, ‘fit’ or ‘thin’ because they think what they’re seeing is how that person actually looks. Just like commercials they should have a disclosure so people know that someone has been photoshopped and that the model doesn’t actually look the way they are portrayed. Three, if Dove and Aerie by American Eagle can use real women, models and girls without photoshopping then what is stopping other companies from doing the same?
There is a lot to be done regarding body image! They should ban the use of photoshop for campaigns! They make people want unrealistic body types, leading to eating disorders and depression!!! Love this post!
While I agree photo-shopping can lead people to set unrealistic expectations for their body, I think it is not entirely true that it will lead to eating disorders. Eating disorders are usually much deeper rooted than an image in a magazine. Do they use as a goal? Sure. But some with an eating disorder’s view is already skewed. When I had an eating disorder I remember thinking fairly normal looking people (famous people and people I saw everyday) were so much skinnier than me. I was so much tinier and that was the goal I was going for.
Shopping for clothes, esp swim wear, is difficult enough! Having an ED, with body image issues, makes it even more difficult. Add that nasty photoshop in, it’s just not right!
Let us think…. What is square and attached to every article of clothing in a store? :O these square things are on the same side….. Holy cow batman the tags are still on. If this was Photoshoped and the person was as bad as you say they are then the models hair would not blend in properly with the top.
wow…just wow! I get the point of “the models are already skinny so how must they feel when they see they were photoshopped even more”…that def sucks, but what also sucks is that plenty of girls look at these models (and those in other magazines) and post there pictures on “fitspiration” boards they may have…I certainly did that in college! And yet…what they are aspiring to be isn’t even real. Thanks Cassey for bringing this to light and showing people how photoshopped what they see in a magazine can be!
I guess they took down the picture because I went to Target.com to try to find it and couldn’t. But the other pictures of swimsuit models are still up and even though they aren’t as bad of a photoshop job as this one- they still don’t look right. For example, often one breast is larger than the other (as mentioned by another commenter) to create a boob shadow on the model’s left arm in many pictures.
This picture also looks for suspect in terms of its inner thigh gap: http://www.target.com/p/junior-s-2-piece-triangle-top-swimsuit-geometric-print/-/A-14905126#prodSlot=large_4_9
I wish they would take them all down and just have the pictures of the swimsuits without models until this can be fixed once and for all. Thank you Cassy for posting this. I believe it can make a difference.
I found the top here still: http://www.target.com/p/xhilaration-junior-s-midkini-swim-top-leopard-print/-/A-14904310#prodSlot=medium_1_0&term= leopard print midkini
This sort of thing REALLY bothers me. No wonder so many people have body image issues when there’s companies giving us false ideals to base ourselves on.
RAGE!
Penny xx
http://www.lilliesandlove.co.uk
EWWWW!!!! That’s disgusting! Shame on Target!
If you’re going to do unnecessary Photoshop on a model, at least do a good job. She probably didn’t even need Photoshop in the first place.
This is nothing more then a bad cut out job. Probably sent it off to some cheap firm in asia. They didn’t intentionally change the models shape. Get real people!
This is really ridiculous. I know that almost every image you see, in webshops but also in magazines is actually photoshoped. I live in the Netherlands and we actually had a documentary about this, about what the impact is on people, and especcially young girls. But also what people who make the magazines think the impact is. Let me tell you, it is shocking! It’s too bad the documentairy is in Dutch, otherwise I would have posted it.
Yes I am so glad they did an awful job! That just helps show us that not all models look like that, like some are photoshopped! Although it is sad that they have to photoshop beautiful women just because they don’t have a high gap, or just because they don’t look like they have an eating disorder! I am so disappointed with Target! And you know a lot kore companies pronanly do the same! Why can’t we just stop photoshopping amd stop trying to put picture perfect girls in for modeling! Why can’t we just use giirls that actually have meat on their bones?? I mean seriously it would stand out and maybe even prevent girls from having eating disorders! Because if companies like Target had models that had meat on their bones it wpuldn’t make girls feel so self consicious and it would probably give out a message you don’t have to be skinny to be beautiful
There’s more: http://target.scene7.com/s7viewers/dhtml/images/spacer.gif (http://www.target.com/p/xhilaration-junior-s-midkini-swim-top-bird-print/-/A-14904321#prodSlot=large_1_3), weird thing coming out of her back.
I was very shocked at first but now these just make me want to laugh. I hope as many girls get to see them as possible, so maybe everyone would finally see just how much pictures and models are edited.
Email sent. Agreed, I will only buy swim at aerie now.
How the hell and I supposed to buy something if you show some unrealistic stick figure wearing it? I want an idea of how it’s going to look on me, not some half starved imaginary waif. I pass over a lot of clothes these days because if I see a stick figure wearing it, it will probably not look good on me so I just look elsewhere. I have curves and yes, my thighs are larger than my calves. My biceps are also larger than my forearms. For shame! These people need to grow up and start being realistic and not so ridiculous. If I was that model I would be angry that they were messing with my picture.
Sick. And look at how much skinnier her right arm is than her left. Surely they photoshopped that too. Why must they do this?? This girl is pretty (and skinny!) just how she is! As a graphic designer myself, this photoshopper should be fired. Horrible job!
Wow that is terribly done.
Check out Aerie! They’re latest thing is #AerieReal .. “no supermodels, no retouching, because THE REAL YOU IS SEXY” & I LOVE that Aerie is a company geared toward teens and young women and promoting the such a positive message. A company that I already loved & now love 10 times more because of this. Although their swimsuits are a little more expensive than Target, I’d be willing to spend the few extra dollars to support a company like this! Don’t get me wrong, I love Target too, but this is kind of pathetic.. That image had to pass through several checkpoints before it was published to the site and NO ONE caught the terrible editing aside from the fact that this model likely already has a beautiful body!
Love this (AERIE) and the girls they have do look normal!! Thanks for pointing it out! I would love to see a few girls who are a little bigger as well to really get the point across to girls that any shape is okay!! 🙂
I LOVE AERIE!! even if some people say that they are only doing their #AerieReal campaign to get more business, I don’t care, they will definitely get my business and places like Target will lose my business! We need to start supporting companies like Aerie and boycotting places like Target.
It’s almos better that they are doing it to increase business because it will show other companies like target or Victoria’s Secret that not photoshopping won’t hurt sales and if anything may cause an increase in sales. I especially love that you can see Aeries bras on girls with your cup size. It makes online shopping sooo much easier!
Yes they do look normal, & while they may look “bigger” than this Target model who’s been photoshopped skinnier, Aerie’s models look like an average, typical body. Something I can relate to when I shop, instead of feeling like “geez if I want to look good in that bathing suit I’d better drop a few pounds first”. And I am in no way, shape, or form affiliated with Aerie it’s just really nice to see a company stand up for what’s right and be different than what everyone else seems to be doing.
I LOVE the Aerie campaign so much. It’s empowering and shows that you don’t have to retouch a girl for her to be beautiful. We are all naturally beautiful without someone slimming our things and tucking in our waists. I applaud Aerie for the approach they are taking to making women feel confident in themselves.
Totally agree with all of you! Frankly, they DESERVE to get more business because they are promoting the right things! Real girls and positive body image instead of the skinnier the sexier… Aerie’s models are already slim and beautiful. I’ve shopped at Victoria’s Secret for years and have already gravitated more towards Aerie .. I love their bras and undies! (:
As a photographer I know how easy those touch ups would be, so very shotty job target. Also you go Cassey for exposing it!!
Wow, they sure Photoshop to the core, and they didn’t even do a very good job at it!
I hope they learn their lesson after getting complaints.
I’m a german Graphic Designer and i can say that most of us haven’t a Choice. There are Marketing People behind us who say what we should make and in which time we should finished with our work. So bad photoshopped pictures with a mad statement be generated and all the doubtfuly womans and young girls see it and think they are to fat. It’s totally sad.
I like the Rebellion idea 😀
I hope they get lots of complaints and learn their lesson. I am working on an email I’m gonna send.
Cassey, I’m a teenage girl and I’ve been a fan for an extremely long time. I am sooo glad that you wrote this artitcle. This is not just ridiculous, but it also show how the matter of body image is still not regarded as a serious issue. I go to school every day with girls who skip lunch because they want to look pretty, and it makes me so sad. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of support from companies who never say that normal is beautiful, yet they have the time and energy to photoshop a perfectly good model into making her more unrealistic. While I still believe that we should regard the women around us as beautiful, no matter their size, I still feel that these companies also need to unite on this idea.Thank you soo much for writing this, and for just being you!!! 🙂 🙂
This makes me just sick, society makes girls want to be thinner and ‘beautiful’ instead of healthy and embracing what beauty you already have. This is why girls in second grade are trying to lose weight but starving themselves and taking such drastic measures to fit in. Everyone is beautiful no matter the shape, size or color you are. Everyone is beautiful and that’s what they need to focus on, not being a size 00..
Oh, I was laughing so hard to the Photoshop-skills of whoever has edited that picture.
It’s sad, that even though one is a model, they’re still not good-looking enough for the fashion and marketing industry. But this just proves the fact that nobody is perfect (without Photoshop) when it comes to beauty standards. It’s easier (at least for me) not to be affected by commercials when I know that the flawless skin and overly skinny body is probably made with Photoshop.
This is crazy! I looked through a few more bikini pics on Target and while some have me thinking ‘that’s definitley photoshopped as well” some I wasn’t sure about- but after seeing this pic I just assumed they all were. And when I say ‘photoshopped’ I mean drastically altered body shapes and a whole lot of fake thigh gaps, not just the typical skin tone smoothing/ilght correction etc.
I really think and also hope that this was done on purpose.
the best example of that is Photoshop jet is that she is not wearing a single beauty spot or any mark
This is so disappointing. She’s such a beautiful girl and they photoshopped her to make her look like someone else’s idea of beauty. All other women aside for just a moment, I wonder how looking at this image makes the model in the photo feel. It makes me so sad to imagine being her and being super excited to have just seen my picture on a huge company like Target’s website, and then realizing how much work they did to my photo, I mean you can clearly see how much of her body they took right off.. I can’t imagine how this makes her feel about herself. Then taking it to other women, images like these are extremely dangerous to people’s self worth. Being skinny is fine, lots of women are skinny and thin-shaming is just as bad as “fat shaming”, but photoshop turns people into this unachievable, unrealistic thing that people decide to strive for. It’s so sad that these companies can’t just decide that women are beautiful. All of us. Whether we’re thin or not, none of us will ever look like a photoshopped model, I mean, not even the actual model looks like that! And that’s okay! But so many people will never realize that being themselves is beautiful until the fashion and beauty industries step up and recognize the beauty in real women’s bodies.
I think it’s great that you’ve started using your reach to talk about body image, it’s a really important thing to consider in the fitness world. Just one thing – maybe ‘ED craze’ isn’t the most appropriate choice of phrase.
First of all it is such a pity that a big franchise would use such crappy retouched photos for advertising their product. Second of all, thank you for posting this and showing such beautiful message about body image and that what you see on the internet is not to be trusted
To critique the shabby work, I’d say what most likely happened was the green reflection onto her skin and clothes (if you look closely you’ll find these green spot) that would magically disappear if they use a green backdrop, as most youtubers/filmakers already know. Also their inventory must be ginormous and thus, no one had the time to retouch every single one of the pictures. Hence this tragic accident XD. But thanks to that, we all know it’s all a lie. And such a pity that people who do not know about retouching would believe in this.
As a graphic designer, I was horrified at the shoddy work, however, although it is my job, we have no option but to do this kind of thing. I’m sad to say that when I refused to take part in making a model “industry standard” I got shouted at and failed that project.
It certainly is a tough situation to be in. I’m sure there are so many people in the fashion/advertisement industry who don’t agree with everything that’s going on and feel helpless to cause any change. Even the people in charge are acting based on a demand- sometimes society and media end up in a vicious cycle with one another that really leaves it a bit uncertain as to who is really to blame and who has the power to create change.
It’s hard to be standing behind a different opinion in any work, but I’d like to say to you that keep refusing as much as you can. Remember, dear Ruth, that the majority of normal people outside the industry are standing with you in this. When we all keep raising our voice, something will happen sooner or later!
Sure you weren’t browsing Jezebel? http://jezebel.com/target-photoshops-juniors-swimsuit-model-with-disastro-1540967946
Wow. This is absolutely horrible. As a photographer myself whenever I clone its to enhance what is there not totally remake it. Like a jacket, maybe its wrinkled in a way that doesn’t look “cool”. So I would edit or clone to fix it. But I absolutely think it it so horrible when apparently pros make HORRIBLE mistakes as such. This is unbelievable. I mean photographers have an eye and know how to do things. I am seriously curious if the editor did this on purpose cause this is such a noticeable error for observant people. Still a tad shocked. Thank you Cassey for doing posts like this and for showing teen girls these things. Like even models have their imperfections. No one is perfect. Thank you for being genuine with us. I think the whole world should know this.
I wish Target and every other clothing store would follow in Aerie’s footsteps and stop photoshopping their models’ bodies.
This is exactly why it’s so hard not to be obsessive with body image in today’s society. Since when is it okay to teach women that they have to be stuck thin and men have to have muscles on muscles to be considered good looking. I struggle with obsessing about body image and am so thankful Cassey reminds us not to be absorbed in such a terrible society in the aspect of body image. The struggle is real, and I don’t like it.
It’d be awesome if this was indeed a hidden message! I have to agree though, it’s pretty disappointing that a company like Target is resorting to these kind of measures so as to portray beauty in a specific way. What are they trying to imply? That if you don’t look like the photoshopped version of this model, you won’t look good wearing their products? *shakes head*
Keep doing what you do Cassey! Our generation needs to know that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and not only is size 0 beautiful but other sizes are equally as beautiful ^^
This is so upsetting! There are so many young girls out there that think this is how they need to look. The media has gone far enough by putting out false images of women’s bodies. To see these kind of things makes me really sad. I love Target, but it sucks because I do not approve of this. Geez, can they please just understand that women come in different shapes and sizes. Some girls will have thigh gaps, some have thick thighs! AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT! Yes, we all wanna be fit and healthy, but we have to do it the right way. Ugh. I could go on and on. I am just so upset. Casey, I really hope the photoshop artist did this on purpose to make a statement. I really wanna send an email to target about this.
Once I was browsing online for a formal dress and ended up on this website were the face of the model was photoshopped onto all the bodies. The funniest thing was that the face that they used was the same in every single picture. Just one face, exactly the same facial expression and everything, on 50 different bodies lol
I can’t believe they photoshopped her! She’s a gorgeous woman and shouldn’t have needed any touch-ups. I really don’t understand why people feel the need to airbrush and alter an already-beautiful image. One look at this shot and I knew it was a shop, just by looking at her elbow and wrist. I know some people with pretty small wrists (genetically) and there’s a curve in the wrist where the bone is.
I like Cassey’s conspiracy theory. Either the person is just genuinely not very good at airbrushing, or they botched it on purpose to drop the hint that the model doesn’t actually look like that.
OOOOoohhhh man this make me mad enough to not shop there! Is there something that the general public can do when incidents like this happen?have about corporate shaming, there should be such thing. I’m going to try to send them a message via internet and phone!!!!
This is the sad truth Cassey…. Everything you see on online, billboards, prints ads or anything that in form of image/photo… It’s all photoshopped. In order to convince consumers, everything have to look perfect.
And this designer really have lousy skills. Furthermore as a graphic design work in big company like Target…. I’m speechless
Oh my goodness. What is this. Your eyes are sharp, Cassey! These standards for modelling are totally ridiculous, and very sad. I think it’s damaging for some’s self-esteem and self-confidence. And I think the modelling industry needs more shapes and sizes. They should promote being confident and feeling beautiful in whatever size you are!
Not only is it a bad ( and certainly unneeded) photoshop job, but because of it one boob is basically half the size it should be (I know they aren’t always perfectly equal, if ever, but this is a pretty big difference) and her shoulder looks oddly disproportionate to the rest of her body. And her arm is extra skinny! I really hope your theory is right and the photoshopper behind this was trying to make a statement other than that Target apparently doesn’t hire people that know how to do their jobs properly. Either way, if I were this model I’d be seriously upset and somebody would be getting a piece of my mind!
I’d be upset too if I were the model. If you’re just blotting some red-eye, a shiny spot or a pimple or something, I’d be okay with that. But to practically cut out parts of my body? It wouldn’t even be me in the picture anymore. They might as well generate the body from scratch with a computer program. 🙁
Exactly, girls. When you think of all the hard work a model does to look her best (special diet or workout or just anything) and then they still feel the need to alter her body with photoshop because it is still not good enough for them? It’s just sad 🙁
The models know what they’re getting into though! I mean, I’m sure this is everyday! I doubt Target is the only company doing it!!