For the longest time, there has been a peripheral stigma around the idea of stretch marks. Why? It’s like any normal feature of a body which is uncontrollable. If you don’t know how or why stretch marks exist, let me educate you. Stretch marks are fine lines on the body which are generally caused by the rapid growth or stretching of skin. While skin is usually quite elastic, when it’s overstretched, the normal production of collagen (the major protein that makes up the connective tissue in your skin) is disrupted causing lines like stretch marks to form in your skin.

Now, in recent years, as stretch marks became more talked about and the stigma broke little by little, the topic of body positivity came hand in hand. Afterall, your body has been created the way it has and there’s no reason to point fingers at others for the type of body they have because it’s not about what the scale says, it is rather about how happy you feel and how comfortable you are in your own body. Just a daily reminder. Until these were brought to light, several fashion companies used photographs of picture perfect models which undeniably created this idea of a perfect woman in society. However, they quickly decided to change things up and bring on board models who embraced their stretch marks in order to fit the trend of ‘body positivity’.

Now you’re probably wondering why this shouldn’t be considered a good thing since fashion brands are trying to diversify. Here’s why. This is their marketing tactic; they manipulate female insecurities by trying to prove that they accept all body types and support body positivity. While it is a step in the right direction, there is still a lot left to achieve which companies such as Boohoo and Missguided need to prioritize equally. What about acne, body hair, hip dips and squinted eyes? These are all a part of learning to respect the human body but alas, brands seem to only jump on board whatever is being talked about, such as stretch marks, and photoshop all other presumed ‘flaws’ which exist.

Let’s take a look at Missguided. They were accused of editing stretch marks on the model’s bodies as part of their marketing techniques after they saw other companies receiving positive praise for portraying unedited models. This is a clear example of how companies are manipulating us into believing they’re all for the body positivity movement when in reality, they’ve targeted our insecurities and are shooting right at them.

There are certain companies genuinely trying to make an effort though. For example, In 2004, Dove marked new territory when it

became the first brand to show women of all shapes and sizes with no editing. The “Campaign for Real Beauty” was later followed by “Evolution,” a time-lapse video which highlighted different marketing companies’ efforts to convince us that flawless skin and a small frame are the essentials to looking beautiful.

Fashion companies are constantly gaslighting us to make us believe that they are embracing body positivity through the display of stretch marks. However, displaying a scar or stretch mark on images which are otherwise evidently photoshopped is not the end of the road, there is still a long way to go.