Models Direct was pleased to hear Debenhams vow to ban all retouched lingerie model shots this week. The announcement follows a study by the Schools Health Education Unit which revealed that girls as a young 12 are skipping meals to stay thin.

Research also suggested that an additional 58% of girls aged 14 or 15 wished to lose weight as a result of the impact of airbrushed images.

Lingerie designer Aliza Reger says: “Airbrushing and other trickery are not necessary in order for women to look beautiful.

“Hopefully this act will demonstrate that products such as lingerie modelled by real women who have not been retouched can sell just as well as products advertised with extensive airbrushing, which has become the norm.

“Men and women can feel good about themselves knowing that beauty is not about achieving the unachievable.”

The high street giant has called on others to follow suit with a spokesperson telling reporters: “We want to help customers feel confident about their figures… We want other retailers to follow suit and encourage positive body-image through minimal retouching rather than bombarding them with unattainable body images.

“As well as being a positive from a moral point of view, it ticks the economic boxes as well. Millions of pounds a year are spent by organisations retouching perfectly good images.

“As a rule we only airbrush minor things like pigmentation or stray hair and rely on the natural beauty of models to make our product look great.”

Fashion commentator Caryn Franklin agrees. “Fashion and beauty imagery that is honest, is absolutely crucial for all women to see,” she says. “Retailers have the power to take a stance on digital manipulation, so, I’m delighted that Debenhams has taken the lead here and customer feedback will no doubt validate this important step.”

Follow the link for some examples of real before and after airbrushed celebrity pics.