What were they thinking? This swimsuit from Target is featured on their site with some of the worst Photoshop "slimming" you will see today:
That's right! Really, really poor job at cutting into the waist and arm, as well as a hamfisted attempt at cropping out an artificial thigh gap on the model.
If it weren't part of an ongoing attempt to mould unrealistic bodies in fashion marketing, it would almost be funny.
H/T Photoshop Disasters (@adamzea claims credit for tipping them off.)
More awkward Target PSed thigh gaps here, here and here.
Update: After this was shared on Jezebel and Buzzfeed, target pulled this picture and apologized. (You're welcome!)
see also: http://www.target.com/p/xhilaration-junior-s-hipster-swim-bottom-bird-print/-/A-14906136?reco=Rec|pdp|14906136|PurchaseCP|item_page.horizontal_1&lnk=Rec|pdp|PurchaseCP|item_page.horizontal_1
ReplyDeleteAs a father of three young women aged 25 to 31, I am glad that not one of them became overwhelmed by the super thin, emaciated look I see on run ways. I thought the days of whale boned, wasp-wasted, bound-foot geisha's was behind us in this so-called civilized world.
Deletethis was photoshopped to remove the background. Not to make her look thinner. I can't believe someone would be so ignorant to think they did it to make her look thinner. I think they need to get a better web dev though...
DeleteIt's not just the crotch. Her waist and left breast have been contoured, and her arms lengthened (they're completely asymmetrical). Look at the other links at the bottom of the post and you'll see that "shaving the thighs" is a bit of a trend.
DeleteThere are two issues here. One is hilariously shitty photoshop. The other is an industry-wide problem with trying to "perfect" the female body. Both deserve mention.
My bigger question is, why try to defend somebody's shitty work?
"why defend shitty work" its not shitty work we are defending, its just that the facts "shitty work" that are plain to see are is what has happened, we are defending that position because to run on a platform that's it something more contrived is plainly just wrong and delusional in itself, this model is slim to start with and believe it or not there is healthy girls like this as she does exist, but a bad cropped job with errors and you could led to believe its make her look thinner, but ask yourself this question, If this was their mission "trick girls to think this how should be look" do think they would done a better job, or do think young girls are that stupid, mmm you think yes I would say. a 12 year old would look at the photographs and fog them off as bad cropping and move on while patronising adults all think its the world as we know it, you know designers, illustrators and advertising have done this for the 100+ years in various ways, its seems its just a new thing for you guys that have just learnt this industry term in the last 10 years 'Photoshop' kids get taught to them school, done. defend to the truth... damn right!
DeleteYou're trying way too hard.
DeleteI work on these images. The first step is to make the basic cuts in the image, and then go back later to finesse everything to make it look real. This is not shitty work, just an image that got published before it got finished. That was the mistake. Just a tight deadline and not enough time to get everything done.
DeleteI promise you, almost every photo in the fashion business goes through this process. Everything you see in magazines is a lie. Wake up.
You know, as a designer, the more I look at the mistake, the more it looks like an actual accident. It looks like a hurried, unobservant editor made a clean white layer on top and accidentally budged it before saving. I've made similar mistakes. Just a theory.
ReplyDeleteMy exact thoughts. Magic wand gone awry, I don't think this was some diabolical attempt to make these models more attractive somehow
DeleteI don't buy it. Look where the "accidents" were, and compare that to the body parts fetishized by anorexia boards.
DeleteI buy it. The misplaced layer was probably just to lighten up some sections. No slimming intended. Then that layer got bumped underneath By accident and saved with the error.
DeleteI agree. This was a rushed job by an overworked retoucher who was probably doing 200 images that day. This model is in the same pose for every suit as well, so I wouldn't be surprised if they were attempting to comp an image of another suit with an image where her smile was better (for instance). Shoddy retouching work to be sure, but probably not an attempt at altering the model's natural look.
DeleteBUT IT DOES MESS WITH THE NATURAL LOOK!!!
Deletelook how sharply cut her shoulders are. of course there slimming. if you think they're not you're delusional.
Deleteit's okay to be skeptical. But if it is, it's minimal, because she's also a runway model. You can't photoshop real life. http://smudailymustang.com/Images/2008%20Fall/A&E/fashion7.jpg
DeleteAny graphic artist realizes that this was a mistake, not an attempt to slenderize or devaginalize the model. Sloppy proofing to be sure, but that's it. Don't make it something it's not.
DeleteI'm not buying that they're accidents. I know drunks that can crop better than that.
Deletedevaginalize! love it! Add it to the dictionary for 2014.
Deleteslap my palm to my forehead again! so many people around the planet that have this stupid opinion its a conspiracy to give young women a unrealistic view of their bodies, none of these patronising gits would have ever worked with junior digital artists working under similar pressures that with all their qualifications they'll still do shit jobs on plain cropping, happens all the time, not always on young girls but on more boring things that don't get the headlines. after all girl, bikini, crotch..ratings! its not news guys just a bad job, hope it does not happen to you and you don't get blamed for the fall of civilization in the process. oh yes I am graphic designer and Illustrator, and I know you guys think what we do, that we must be gods but we make mistakes regularly.
DeleteForget the crotch, look at the silly putty-thin wrist compared to her normal sized hand. Look at the right arm compared to the left. If this isn't photoshop slimming and stretching, then she's incredibly deformed.
Deletehttp://www.psdisasters.com/target-beware-of-sharp-edges
Yeah, convinced this is simply a masking f-up with unfortunate and unintended results. Quality control, people!
DeleteBecause Target’s “Xhilaration® Junior’s Midkini 2-Piece Swimsuit -Leopard Print” will help you assert your sexuality and bikini line, as long as it’s all neat and trimmed. Even extraordinarily trimmed. But what do I know about vaginas, they’re something awkward girls have to deal with and make look nice for all the gentlemen in the world…
ReplyDeletehttp://scallywagandvagabond.com/2014/03/target-photoshops-models-vagina/
She has monkey arms! I don't know of anyone that has arms that reach to their knees!
ReplyDeleteThey don't appear to photoshop every model, this girl looks norman and un-edited:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.target.com/p/xhilaration-junior-s-chevron-midkini-2-piece-swimsuit-navy/-/A-14794283
Her SKINNY arm looks terrible! plus the size of the hand! TERRIBLE!
ReplyDeleteI loved our Target when it was here & hate that they've been having terrible publicity for CC and above.
http://smudailymustang.com/Images/2008%20Fall/A&E/fashion7.jpg Apparently her real proportions are like that.
DeletePicture is still there... the just crop the bottom. You can still see the underarm on the right with a way too thin woman body.
ReplyDeleteTHIS ISN'T YOUR POST. THIS IS BLOGILATE'S POST. NOT YOURS. STOP TAKING CREDIT FOR IT. HERE'S THE REAL LINK. BE ORIGINAL OR CREDIT THE PERSON
ReplyDeletehttp://www.blogilates.com/blog/2014/03/10/umm-excuse-me-is-this-target-model-for-real/
Wrong.
DeleteCan you please credit blogilates.com for this find? Sincerely, a blogilates reader
ReplyDeleteI saw it on Photoshop Disasters, and credited them. I don't know if they "stole" it from blogilates, but I had never heard of that blog until you mentioned it just now.
DeletePhotoshop Disasters got it from me. I emailed it to them. Here's the original tweet too. https://twitter.com/adamzea/status/442662366065754112
DeleteOK, Adam. I'll add you to the H/T
DeleteYea nice try on taking the post from blogilates... Find something original or at least mention the credit being to her for this post. You even got credit on an article written, not cool!
ReplyDeleteActually, the author of Blogilates opens with "11pm on Monday night March 10th, 2014. I’m taking a break from work and am on the Target website, juniors swim section." (http://www.blogilates.com/#SRe9w2pem7G4y4qo.99)
DeleteWhatever timezone Cassey is in (Pacific) that's **after** it appeared on Jezebel, and many hours after I posted this. Who is stealing from whom, I wonder?
Does no one see the distinct notches in her left hip and under her left arm? This was clearly an attempt to make her look thinner.
ReplyDeleteHello Tom Megginson,
ReplyDeleteI would like to know if I can use your screenshots for the website I work on, to illustrate this case (with credits to your blog, of course).
Thanks,
Mariana
fsc.mariana@gmail.com
Go ahead! I don't own them. They were taken and posted as "fair use"...
DeleteHere's the actual source from March 9, 2014 10:04am: https://twitter.com/adamzea/status/442662366065754112
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