With the recent rise of Ozempic in the early 2020s and the influx of gym content on TikTok, I started wondering if skinny is the new trend. Thus, I did some research. Turns out, skinny is not a new trend, but a trend that has returned. In this blog, I explain some of the history of the skinny trend, and the ways it has changed throughout the years.
History
In the early 2000’s nobody could deny that skinny was the standard. Every celebrity was criticised for how their bodies looked. Magazines and tv shows promoted an ultra skinny lifestyle. Terms like “heroin chic” were so normalised. This lead to widespread body dismorphia, shame and lack of inclusivity for different body types.
While low rise jeans were popular in the 2000s, the 2010s brought high waisted jeans. Slowly, the culture shifted to a more body inclusive trend. The body positivity movement called for the fashion industry to start incorporating more larger sizes to their range. At the same time the slim thick trend was becoming more and more popular. Even though this trend was seen as a positive change in comparison, this did not solve the issue of body dismorphia. In reality, the hourglass body craze led to an increase in plastic surgery. Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) became a new standard.
In the early 2020s, there was a new craze for the skinny lifestyle. This period was called the “Ozempic Era”. More and more celebrities started reversing their surgical enhancements, turning away from curvy and towards becoming skinny. Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications seemed like a magic pill.
These days, it seems like skinny really is the new trend. It has been reported that the fashion industry have recently started to decrease their representation of mid-sized and plus-sized bodies. Additionally, retailers are seeing a downward shift in size demand.
The skinny trend
With GLP-1 medications and other medical interventions, being skinny is starting to feel more and more attainable. Yet, due to a combination of prohibitive costs, medical exclusion, severe side effects and social stigma, many still find becoming skinny unattainable.
Skinny has undeniably re-emerged as a trend. While the same early 2000s trend has returned, it is now powered by medical technology rather than just diet culture. Skinny is “in” again globally, but it’s more controversial, expensive and medically complex than it was 20 years ago.