YSL Advert Ban Due To Model Looking Too Skinny

Model who with a visible rib cage and stick skinny legs advertising for Yves Saint Laurent has been banned, the advert was ban due to the model’s malnourished look.

The advert features a black and white photo of a woman, described by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as "unhealthily underweight", wearing a short black dress lying on the floor with her eyes closed.

It appeared in Elle UK magazine which led to a reader calling it irresponsible for using a model who appeared to be unhealthily thin.

The ASA said YSL "indicated that they did not agree with the complainant's view that the model was unhealthily thin" but did not provide a detailed response.

Elle UK told the watchdog it had no comment to make on the complaint.

The ASA said the model's pose and the lighting drew particular focus to her chest, where her rib cage was visible and appeared prominent, and to her legs, where her thighs and knees appeared a similar width.

It said: "We therefore considered that the model appeared unhealthily underweight in the image and concluded that the ad was irresponsible."

It ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form, adding: "We told the advertisers to ensure that the images in their ads were prepared responsibly."

YSL declined to comment on the ruling.