0:00:00 > 0:00:03# Oh yeah, Oh-oh-oh, oh yeah
0:00:03 > 0:00:04# Oh-oh-oh, oh yeah
0:00:04 > 0:00:08# My body, your body, Somebody, everybody. #
0:00:20 > 0:00:23I'm Amber Butchart, and I'm a professional fashion
0:00:23 > 0:00:24and beauty analyst.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I've loved fashion for as long as I can remember,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30and I study trends, both past, present and future.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31I'm Raphael Babalola.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I run my own male lifestyle company, and I help guys find
0:00:34 > 0:00:37the balance between looking good, feeling good and being healthy.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40One of the things I love about fashion is that it's such
0:00:40 > 0:00:43a vibrant and creative industry, with new designers constantly
0:00:43 > 0:00:45making innovations.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47But something that I'm less keen on is that
0:00:47 > 0:00:50in such a cutting edge industry, there's a real lack of diversity
0:00:50 > 0:00:53in the models that they use to advertise their products.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55So we've come to Cardiff to investigate.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Today, I'm going to be a modelling scout with a typical
0:00:58 > 0:01:00brief from a company that's looking to advertise
0:01:00 > 0:01:02clothing in a glossy fashion magazine.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09- All right, Raphael. Here's your brief.- Great.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12So, "Wanted: Female model for Everywoman Inc.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14"Must be over five foot nine."
0:01:15 > 0:01:18- That's about... My height? - It's quite a bit taller than me.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22I think the average is about 5'4", 5'5". So, 5'9".
0:01:22 > 0:01:24"Must be size 6-8."
0:01:24 > 0:01:25SHE LAUGHS
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- "Must be blonde." - "Must be blonde." OK.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32- "Must be Northern European."- OK.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And "must be aged between 16-18." Don't fail me now.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38- You've got to get this right.- All right.- Got to stick to the brief.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40- I'll try.- All right then. Good luck.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Raphael? Wait! This might help you!
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I thought being a model scout would be the best job in the world.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53This doesn't seem too easy.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03You're not tall enough. Sorry.
0:02:05 > 0:02:06- How old are you?- 29.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18I think I spotted one!
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Right height, blue eyes...
0:02:21 > 0:02:23but you've got red hair!
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Well, they may be called Everywoman Inc,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35but they certainly aren't looking for every woman, are they?
0:02:35 > 0:02:37I mean, there's just nothing more I can do.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40You may not be human, but do you want a modelling job?
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Now, there's a reason that Raphael has found it
0:02:50 > 0:02:53so difficult to find his model.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55It's because most women aren't naturally the size
0:02:55 > 0:02:59and shape of the models that we see selling fashion and beauty products.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03So what IS the average size of women in the UK?
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Is this, a size 6-8?
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Or maybe this is more like it, size 10-12?
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Or could it even be this lady, a size 14-16?
0:03:14 > 0:03:18- What dress size to think most women in the UK are?- I'd say about 8.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19No idea!
0:03:19 > 0:03:20About 16.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22- It's...- 12, 14.- ..a 16.
0:03:22 > 0:03:2310-12.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25I'd say a 12.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Probably about 10, 12.
0:03:27 > 0:03:3010, 12, 14. Somewhere around that.
0:03:30 > 0:03:3310, 12.
0:03:33 > 0:03:348-10.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Only 5% of women over the age of 16 fit THIS body shape.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41So even though this is the size that we see all over the media,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44it's actually completely unattainable for most women.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51In actual fact, most women in the UK are this size, size 14-16.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54And I've seen lots of beautiful women of every size,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56colour and shape here in Cardiff today.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58So why does the fashion and beauty industry use models
0:03:58 > 0:04:01that are up to five times smaller than the average British woman?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Each week, the fashion and beauty industry bombards us
0:04:06 > 0:04:08with thousands of photoshopped,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12flaw-free images of fantasy men and super-skinny women.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14They call these images aspirational,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16but studies have shown that these sorts of images
0:04:16 > 0:04:19make most people feel bad about the way that they look.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22And believe me, that includes the guys, too.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25So why would the beauty and fashion industry want consumers to feel bad?
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Well, they're businesses, after all, with the aim of making profits.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32And they feel that by setting unachievable beauty ideals,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36it's the best way to get consumers to spend more and more money.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37But does that always work?
0:04:39 > 0:04:42There's brand new research in Australia and the USA
0:04:42 > 0:04:45that shows consumers are just as likely to spend the same
0:04:45 > 0:04:49or even more money on clothes and products that they see advertised
0:04:49 > 0:04:51on a diverse range of men and women.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54And what's more, the research is showing us
0:04:54 > 0:04:57that seeing advertisements with average-sized people actually
0:04:57 > 0:04:59makes us feel happier, too.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02We've asked Beautiful magazine, a magazine that uses all
0:05:02 > 0:05:06sizes of models, to create two advertisements for a dress.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07The dress is modelled by Whitney Thompson,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10the winner of America's Next Top Model.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15At size 14-16, she's an average size girl, and this is how she really is.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17But in this mock-up, they've manipulated it
0:05:17 > 0:05:20so she looks like a typical, skinny size model.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23So Raphael is off to see which advertisement is most
0:05:23 > 0:05:25successful in selling the dress.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Which one of these two adverts might make you want to buy this dress?
0:05:29 > 0:05:31The first one because it looks more real.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Picture A or picture B?
0:05:34 > 0:05:35- B.- B.
0:05:35 > 0:05:41- B?- Yeah.- They picked B, photoshopped. Not real. False.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- It's more shapey.- Yeah. She looks skinnier.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47For me, that's more my body shape cos I'm not curvy at all.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48But on the other hand,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51I wouldn't want to look at a dress on a girl that thin, either.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54That doesn't look right. That looks ridiculous.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- Picture A.- Picture A?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- She's got a bit more of a nicer figure.- She's got a fuller figure? - Yeah.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03I think, personally, it looks better on her.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06You see, most of the people decided to go for the beautiful
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Whitney at the size that she should be, a size 14-16.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14So if people would still spend money, why aren't the fashion
0:06:14 > 0:06:16and advertising industries taking notes?
0:06:16 > 0:06:19After all, they're famous for being cutting edge.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21It seems, in this case, that they're just stuck in their ways,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24when maybe they should dare to be different.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27So if women would still buy products advertised on beautiful
0:06:27 > 0:06:31models of all shapes and sizes, how about the men?
0:06:31 > 0:06:35The media does a great job in making girls think that all men want
0:06:35 > 0:06:38tall, Barbie doll types hanging off their arms.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Let's find out if this is true.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43And what are the three things that really stand out for you
0:06:43 > 0:06:46in terms of women, regarding looks and their personality?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48It's just how she is and how she comes across,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50the most attractive thing in a woman.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Just very bubbly, bright. Funny's good.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55I think looks are important to a degree.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Bit of shape, bit of meat to them!
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I think it's a lot to do with looks.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I like intelligent girls.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Of course, men actually like women of all colours, shapes and sizes.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09So it seems Everywoman Inc have got it wrong,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12just looking for one type of model.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Clearly, both men and women are looking for some kind of diversity.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17So who's to blame?
0:07:17 > 0:07:18Ask the fashion and beauty industry,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and they blame YOU, the consumer.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24But ask the consumer, and they blame the industry.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Personally, I think we're all to blame,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and maybe it's time that we ALL made a change.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30And who knows? We might all just be happier.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33And maybe the advertisers would even make more money.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Next time I get a brief from Everywoman Inc,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39maybe I'll have an easier time finding my models.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40- BOTH:- You're all hired!
0:07:40 > 0:07:42# Your body, somebody, everybody
0:07:51 > 0:07:53# Oh-oh-oh, oh yeah
0:07:53 > 0:07:55# Oh-oh-oh, oh yeah
0:07:55 > 0:07:59# Anybody, your body, somebody, Everybody, everybody. #
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd