Fashion retailer Zara has come under fire in the UK after two of its advertisements were banned for portraying models deemed “unhealthily thin” with visible protruding collarbones. The decision was announced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which ruled that the ads breached responsible advertising standards.
Both banned ads had appeared on Zara’s app and website in an image carousel. One image showed a model in a short white dress, where shadow effects made her legs look “noticeably thin.” The ASA noted that the model’s arm positioning and visible elbow joints exaggerated a disproportionate body appearance.
In another ad, the model’s slicked-back hair and low-cut dress drew attention to her collarbones, making them a “focal feature” of the image. The ASA said these portrayals could promote unhealthy body standards and therefore must not be used again in their current form.
Following the ruling, Zara removed the flagged images. The retailer stated that both models were healthy at the time of the photoshoot and that the pictures had only undergone “minor lighting and colouring edits.” It also said it followed the 2007 UK Model Health Inquiry’s Fashioning a Healthy Future recommendations, including requiring medical certificates from models confirming good health from doctors trained to detect eating disorders.
The ASA also reviewed two other Zara advertisements but found no violations. Zara confirmed that none of the banned ads had received direct consumer complaints before the investigation.
This controversy adds to a growing debate about body image in fashion advertising. In July 2025, Marks & Spencer faced a similar ban over an ad featuring a model who appeared “unhealthily thin.” Earlier in the year, retailer Next had an ad for skinny jeans banned for emphasising leg thinness through camera angles.
The ASA’s latest action signals a continuing crackdown on brands that project unrealistic or unhealthy body ideals. As pressure mounts, fashion companies are being urged to ensure their marketing reflects responsible and inclusive representations of body image.
