Eating disorder campaigners have criticised a mannequin manufacturer for bringing out a super-skinny male model that they say could encourage vulnerable men to starve themselves.
Next month Rootstein, a British firm, will unveil its Young and Restless collection, which includes a mannequin with a 35in chest and a 27in waist, 11in smaller than the average British man.
The company says the mannequins were modelled on teenage boys who were not anorexic, but were perfect for modelling the skinny jeans and slim tailoring made popular by stars such as Russell Brand. But eating disorder charity Beat said more men were suffering from anorexia and bulimia, and that the mannequins portrayed an unrealistic and unattainable image.
It said: "We are certainly aware of more males seeking help for their eating problems and it is recognised that they are more likely to develop an eating disorder as a result of trying to achieve a certain body shape and size.
"Men nowadays are subject to the same insecurities around their body and self-image as women are. Unrealistic images in the fashion world – such as these mannequins – and in the media still abound and the pressures they bring can lead to low self-esteem in often young and vulnerable people."
Kevin Arpino, creative director at Rootstein, who designed the Young and Restless range, rejected any suggestion that his mannequins could fuel eating disorders.
"It is a collection dictated by current fashion trends for skinny jeans and very tight tailoring, as seen everywhere from Topman to Gucci and in the edgier fashion magazines like Numéro.
"None of the boys we used [as models for the mannequins] were remotely anorexic. They were just teenagers – the oldest one was 20, I think – so they were pubescent really.
"It's a trend which you can see in celebrities and rock stars – Russell Brand has a little bit to do with it. But I am sure that muscle boys will have their time again."
He said the measurements for last season's mannequins were bigger, with a 38in chest and 30in waist, but that there was increasing demand for smaller models.
Dov Charney, chief executive of youth clothing brand American Apparel, has said his firm struggled to find mannequins to fit his brand's clothes. "All the mannequins out there are these beefcakes, and we can't even fit our largest size on them," he was quoted as saying in New York magazine.
According to the latest NHS statistics, the average British male takes a 38in waist trouser.
