Surprise! Victoria's Secret uses heavy retouching techniques on their photos. Now tell me something I don't know.
Recently, Refinery 29 conducted an interview with someone who used to retouch photos for Victoria's Secret (aka VS). She unleashed some dirt that was expected, but some that was informative on how the retouching industry actually works behind the scenes.
The first thing we learn is that Victoria's Secret uses a little bit of Photoshop. Who knew?
One of the other things she points out in the beginning of the article is that retouching existed before Photoshop. This is something that I am personally glad that she touched (pun intended) on. Photos were always retouched in some way or another, and they have been since the 1500s. It's not a new thing. But now, retouching has been taken to the extreme, to the point of being really noticeable.
She talks about how sometimes color-correction is required in many photos because the model's hands and feet are discolored. This is not a big problem, color-correction is probably the one of most ethical retouching practices (it's pretty much the only type of editing allowed in photojournalism). But she goes on to say that she was also required to remove hair and stubble from armpits and pubic areas because the models would either not shave at all or not shave very closely.
We are accustomed to seeing these models in their retouched photos without hair. So, it begs the question: why take the hair out if it's there already? It's not a sin to have it, everyone does. Models in ads for stores like Victoria's Secret set expectations for how women "should look." Removing hair further expands these societal expectations.
Another lesser-known fact that the retoucher brings up in her interview is that the swimsuit models have padding sewn into the tops they model and wear push-up bras under their bathing suits. It's hard to believe, right? Well, not really.
Victoria's Secret is known for having bombshell models, so they want their models to look as busty as possible. It's consistent with their brand to do it this way.
It's also efficient for the editor, as well. The bras are probably not all that difficult to remove in Photoshop, especially when there's plenty of skin nearby to color-match with. There is a tool in Photoshop specifically designed for this type of thing, and it's called the spot healing brush. Watch this video on removing acne from photos to get an idea of how it's done (the spot healing brush in action starts around the five minute mark).
As the retoucher brings up in the article, gravity doesn't work like the way you see in the ads, especially with strapless swim tops. Unless you are wearing a pushup bra underneath your swim top, it's impossible for your breasts to be lifted so much. Face it ladies, your time on the beach is not the time for great cleavage.
One of Victoria's Secret's major competitors, Aerie, started a campaign two years ago called "Aerie Real" where they leave their photos untouched (besides from the usual color correction, I'm sure), and they have had a positive response. So, why can't VS do the same thing?
Well, according to their former retoucher, they tried. She says they hired several models who did not have the "typical" VS body type. What happened was that sales weren't great. So, they did what was best for their wallets and got rid of the models.
So, why can this type of technique work for Aerie, but not for Victoria's Secret? It's because of their reputation.
The brand has always been provocative because it started as a men's store. Yes, most of the early Victoria's Secret customers were men. They were much like the store's creator: men who wanted to buy lingerie for their wives without being embarrassed. The models in Victoria's Secret ads have always been "eye-candy" because they wanted to sell to men. Using sex appeal in advertising is one of the oldest tricks in the book.
But, as we all know, Victoria's Secret is not a store geared towards men anymore. What was the reason that VS became geared towards women?
Surprise! It's money. What did you expect?
The company was going to go bankrupt until it was bought out by the owner of Express and The Limited. By switching their brand to be more appealing to women, they saved themselves. Women did feel empowered by the ability to buy lingerie at this time, a time where the underwear they purchased was not considered to be fashionable.
But now, things are different. We are all used to seeing stores like Victoria's Secret. They are now marketing to women, but in their advertising, they are still making them seem like they are objects to men by distorting their bodies to what is "sexy." We are aware of the problem that advertising and expectations have on young girls. Yet, VS still is retouching their models in unrealistic ways and giving people unrealistic expectations of what women look like.
Aerie, on the other hand, is aware of what's going on. Yes, they are a company as well and they are also trying to gain sales, but they are doing what they can to stop contributing to this problem. They know about the health issues that can arise from the societal expectations that are caused in part by extreme retouching. They even partnered with the National Eating Disorder Association last year.
After reading the confessions of the former retoucher, you have to wonder why Victoria's Secret does all of these things for their ads, especially when other brands are doing so well without Photoshopping their models. The answer has to be sales. VS is scared to change their marketing technique because they don't want to lose sales.
It is hard to avoid the Photoshop that Victoria's Secret does. The former VS retoucher admits that even she falls into the trap that the brand sets.
“I ordered a Victoria's Secret swimsuit this summer. And then I got it and, of course, it wasn’t as cute as in the photo. I'm the one retouching this stuff and I'm still not immune to marketing. It's incredible.”
But, it's not just on VS to change the way they photograph their models. It's on us to respond to their change. If VS were to try hiring models with different body sizes again, they would probably keep it up if the response was good. But, as long as the Photoshopping is going on, buying their products is only encouraging them that customers are happy enough with the advertising to keep buying their products.
You can write them as many angry letters as you want. They aren't going to pay attention. The only effective way that they are going to change is to hit them where it hurts: their revenue. If you're really mad about this, you need to stop shopping there.
More and more people are starting to catch on. Victoria's Secret is losing customers from this, but they just haven't lost enough yet to catch on. In the first quarter of this year, they had $1.74 billion in sales. It's going to take a lot of money for them to notice that they're doing something wrong.
There are other ways to sell. This retouching needs to stop. The day that Victoria's Secret follows in Aerie's footsteps will be a huge accomplishment for their brand.
