From Uggs to low-rise jeans, the fashion world is seeing a resurgence of questionable trends from two decades ago. Now, it seems as though the thin, heroin-chic body of the 1990s and early aughts is also making a comeback.
In early October, Bella Hadid closed out Paris fashion week at Coperni, her tiny form nearly naked on the runway as a dress was spray-painted onto her skin. Days later at the Miu Miu spring 2023 show in Milan, waifish girls paraded down the runway with bared midriffs, some of them modeling the “micro-mini” skirt for which the label has recently become known. Meanwhile, supermodel spawn such as Lila Moss (daughter of Kate) and Kaia Gerber (daughter of Cindy Crawford) are further evoking the ’90s with both their famous moms and their supremely svelte figures. Not everyone is happy about the trend.
“Please, I am so tired of this. I know we’re all pretending this isn’t about bringing back thin worship or whatever but I can’t keep doing this,” fashion writer Tyler McCall tweeted in exasperation.
The skinnies sashaying down the runway are a drastic shift from the “slim thick” and body positivity that had been in vogue in recent years with womanly ambassadors such as Lizzo and Megan Thee Stallion putting their full bodies on display.
Even the famously bootylicious Kardashians seem to be turning away from curvy physiques. Kim and Khloé are looking increasingly skinny of late, leading fans to speculate that they’ve reversed their Brazilian butt lifts — though it has never been confirmed either had the procedure to begin with. At the Met Ball in May, Kim boasted her dangerous diet which had her shed 16 pounds in three weeks to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s iconic dress.
Experts say the new obsession with thin isn’t limited to the Hollywood and fashion week crowds.
“Now that high-fashion runway brands are putting skimpy clothes on the runway for restrictedly scrawny and bare women, it trickles over to fast-fashion brands in the matter of days or even hours,” high-fashion blogger Hunter Shires, a k a High End Homo, told The Post.
“The next minute, the clothes that suit lanky girls are all over your ‘For You’ page, Instagram feed and Twitter timeline.”
The new ideal has some flocking to Pilates studios.
Tara Gordon, the owner of 212 Pilates in New York City, told The Post that she’s seen a continuous rise in class registrations since COVID restrictions were lifted, with her class last week doubling in size as more women seek out the “long, lean, look.”
Others are turning to more questionable lengths to quickly shed pounds with suddenly trendy diabetes drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, supposedly popular with celebrities dwindling in stock.
On Instagram and TikTok, the hashtag #thinspo has been banned and now redirects users to mental health and eating disorder resources, but similar hashtags such as #fitspo, #whatieatinaday and #bodychec abound. Studies have found that eating disorders, particularly among adolescent girls, spiked during the pandemic and a recent study found that TikTok promotes “toxic” diet culture and “glorifies” extreme weight loss.
Whether the ideal is thick or thin, the constant is a focus on size.
In 2017, Emma McClendon curated an exhibition titled “The Body: Fashion and Physique” about the “idealized fashionable body” at the Museum at FIT.
McClendon told CNN of the show at the time: “Whether it’s contemporary or 19th century … We as a culture, as a society, are obsessed with size. It’s become connected to our identity as people.”
If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, you can get help. Call the National Eating Disorder Association helpline at (800) 931-2237 or visit nationaleatingdisorders.org.