Just when we thought beauty standards were broadening, it seems like the industry is going back to a narrow ideal of beauty. The “clean girl” aesthetic may look effortless and empowering, but behind the slicked-back buns and glowy skin lies a toxic revival of impossible beauty standards that are helping to push body positivity back into the shadows.
To achieve this look you need a slim, toned body. Not too muscular and not too curvy, just the right amount of “pilates lean.” Your skin? Glowy and poreless. Hair has to be sleek and polished, either slicked-back or in effortless waves (which, ironically, take a lot of effort). The makeup is all about looking like you’re wearing nothing, while actually using a ton of high-end tinted moisturizers, brow gels, and lip tints to get that “natural” glow. And don’t forget the accessories: gold hoops, neutral-toned outfits, matcha lattes and green juices.
Just as past aesthetics defined their time, such as the “messy chic” of the early 2010s, the “clean girl” aesthetic isn’t just a style trend. It’s a cultural shift that excludes diversity of skin types, body shapes and lifestyles.
I’ve seen a lot of people criticize the “clean girl” look for things like cultural appropriation and even the term itself – implying that anyone outside this aesthetic is somehow dirty. What I find most damaging is how the seemingly harmless trend pushes a body type that feels way too similar to the early 2000s, when size 00 jeans and thigh gaps were everywhere.
Victoria Roso, a senior majoring in business management and finance says, “On campus, it’s hard not to see how the ‘clean girl’ look is all about being super thin, like that’s the only way to be ‘effortlessly’ perfect.”
Ariel Tunnell, a celebrity stylist who has worked with Camilla Cabello and Rachel Bloom, points out that options for styling bigger bodies have become limited in recent years.
In addition, Vogue Business examined every runway show from New York, London, Milan and Paris for the Spring/Summer 2025 season, analyzing the looks on Vogue Runway to track the number of straight, mid, and plus-size models. They found that less than 1% of the more than 8,700 models were plus-size, while over 94% were between a U.S. size 0 and 4. Considering that the number of plus-size models that walked the runways increased from 0.1% to 2.34% from spring 2016 season to fall 2022 season, we are back to the years when there was no inclusivity in the industry.
In the celebrity world, it’s hard to ignore how Kim Kardashian, once famous for her curves, went to extreme lengths with her weight loss and body transformation. She starved herself to be able to attend the Met Gala 2022 with the same dress Marlyn Monroe wore to sing “happy birthday” to John F. Kennedy Marlyn Monroe in 1962.
The rise of Ozempic as the go-to weight loss drug has completely changed the game. The medication was originally made for diabetes but it has blown up as a weight loss drug because it curbs appetite. At some point, everyone wanted accentuated curves. Now, people are going on extreme lengths to be thin regardless of the side effects.
At the same time, figures like Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and Bella Hadid have become the unofficial “clean girl” icons, pushing this tall, model-ish, naturally slim body ideal.
Laimitri Stramieri, a Brazilian model, shares that “If we focus on brands and the big international fashion shows, the thinnest [body standard] still prevails.”
It’s heartbreaking to watch how a movement like body positivity, which, at its peak, was strong enough to take down the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, fading away in the name of an unattainable idea of perfection.
The drama involving Victoria Secret started when Ed Razek, former chief marketing officer, told Vogue that they weren’t interested in casting plus-size models. His excuse was that the show was supposed to be a “fantasy” and plus-size models didn’t fit into that idea. After five years, we saw the comeback of the show in October 2024.
After all the controversy, you’d think the show would return with a more inclusive representation of different body types, but that wasn’t the case. Alex Light, a journalist for Elle Magazine pointed out that the 2024 show still stuck to the same narrow standards, showing just how little it had changed despite talks of inclusivity.
“There was a token attempt at showcasing body diversity with the inclusion of Ashley Graham and Paloma Elsesser, but both models are a very palatable take on ‘plus size,’” said Light in her article. “What’s more, both models felt more covered up than their thinner counterparts: Paloma wore a dress and Ashley wore a corset under a lacy robe. Their outfits seemed in contrast to the midriff-baring string two-pieces worn by the other, straight-size women.”
The show sparked a wave of eating disorder jokes on TikTok, with users posting their “ meals” of ice cubes and water after watching, a reflection of the insecurities the show fueled about their bodies.
The obsession with being thin isn’t new, but it’s now disguised as “clean living” and “discipline” while celebrities and influencers are on medication, secretly or openly.
On one hand, the lack of transparency leads young women struggling with self image to believe extreme thinness is naturally achievable, fostering unrealistic expectations and a false sense of what’s naturally possible.
On the other hand, a booming market of weightless drugs encourages spending vast amounts of money and ignoring potentially harmful side effects all in the name of being skinny.
I really don’t know what scenario is worse.
The “clean girl” aesthetic may have started with good intentions, promoting health, simplicity and self-care, but it’s quickly become just another toxic beauty standard. It doesn’t take a genius to see the link between the aesthetic and the return of the thinness movement.