Two adverts by fashion retailer Zara have been banned after the UK advertising watchdog ruled that the models used appeared “unhealthily thin,” sparking renewed concern over body image standards in fashion marketing.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it received complaints about four images from Zara’s app and website, two of which it found to be “irresponsible” due to how the models' bodies were portrayed.

In one of the banned adverts, which promoted a short dress, the ASA noted that lighting and shadows exaggerated the thinness of the model’s legs.

Her pose, including the way her upper arms and elbow joints were positioned, also made her look “out of proportion.”

The second banned image featured a model wearing a low-cut shirt in a pose that made her collarbones appear “protruding,” which the ASA said had become a “focal feature” of the advert. The watchdog stated that a combination of slicked-back hair and shadowing made the model look “gaunt.”

“The ads must not appear again in the form complained of,” the ASA said in its ruling, directing Zara to ensure that all future visuals are “prepared responsibly.”

Zara responded by removing all the flagged images and said that both models had valid medical certificates confirming they were in good health at the time the photographs were taken.

The retailer also stated that the images had undergone only “very minor lighting and colouring edits.”

Zara added that it follows the recommendations of the 2007 Fashioning a Healthy Future report by the UK Model Health Inquiry, specifically the guideline requiring models to provide medical certification from doctors trained to identify eating disorders.

The ASA investigated two other Zara images but did not uphold the complaints against them. Zara said it had not received any direct consumer complaints regarding the adverts.

This action follows earlier bans on adverts from other fashion brands, including Marks & Spencer and Next, for similar reasons.

In July, an M&S campaign was pulled after the model's pose and choice of clothing, including “large pointed shoes,” were said to draw attention to the thinness of her legs. The ASA called it “irresponsible.”

Next also had an advert banned earlier in the year for using camera angles that highlighted the thinness of a model wearing blue skinny jeans. The brand, however, defended its model, stating that while slim, she had a “healthy and toned physique.”

The ASA’s recent rulings reflect ongoing scrutiny in the fashion industry over how body types are portrayed, with growing calls for brands to adopt more responsible advertising standards.