Nowadays, most girls have a skewed perception of what beautiful is. Do ad campaigns featuring retouched supermodels affect this perception?  Or is this distorted perception based on our own insecurity? Regardless of the answer, it seems like major retailers are starting to lean towards more natural photos of models.

American Eagle is featuring a new campaign called “Aerie REAL”  will not Photoshop the pictures that are to run in their ads. They are trying to represent the true body shapes of their customers. “Aerie REAL” will not be using supermodels, airbrushing, or photo retouching of any kind so their customers have the chance to see what girls their age really look like.

Aerie states that they believe “…it’s time for a change. We think it’s time to GET REAL and THINK REAL… NO MORE RETOUCHING OUR GIRLS, AND NO MORE SUPERMODELS. Why? Because there is no reason to retouch beauty.”

Is American Eagle one of the first of many retailers to turn back to a more natural look? Or are they alone in this quest? Verily Magazine recently banned the use of photo retouching throughout their magazine, as they want to return to a more natural look. Additionally, Dove  launched a campaign in 2004 for “real beauty”. Through these actions, the beauty and fashion industry is challenging the media perception of ideal beauty.

Although many people agree that models give off a skewed version of reality, many major retail companies have not made the simple step that American Eagle or Dove have taken. Victoria’s Secret, for example, notoriously Photoshops their models.With girls looking at these model’s bodies in underwear and bikinis, they have a warped perception of what they should look like. Although some have taken a step in the right direction, we as a society still have a long way to go.