Sophie Dahl slams fashion designers for forcing models into 'children's clothes'

The media world is often blamed for fuelling the fashion industry's obsession with ultra-thin men and women.

But now Sophie Dahl, previously one of the world's most famous plus-size beauties, has slammed designers for encouraging the size-zero look.

The 34-year-old mother-of-one said that many models have no choice but to be thin because the items supplied by fashion labels for editorial or catwalk assignments are the equivalent of 'children's clothes'.

The granddaughter of Roald Dahl revealed that often 'sample' wares are several sizes smaller than shop versions.

Speaking at the Words in the Park literary festival in London, where she was promoting her new cookery book From Season to Season, she said: 'The small sample thing is ridiculous.

'They are too small.

'They are like children's clothes.'

The editors of Vogue magazine recently agreed to a pact where they they will only work with 'healthy' models to encourage a healthier approach to body image.

In 2009 UK editor of Vogue magazine, Alexandra Shulman, agreed that sample sizes were often too small for many models to wear and that she was frustrated that the industry hadn't acted.

'Nothing has changed monumentally about sample sizes and I am disappointed as it would be a good starting point,' she said.

Dahl, was discovered by Vogue stylist Isabella Blow, in 1995 and has since appeared in campaigns for brands including Versace, Alexander McQueen, and Pringle.

Despite receiving dieting tips from Blow, she gained weight during the early years of her modelling career.However during her twenties she noticeably slimmed down.

Dahl, who is married to musician Jamie Cullum, has since written a number of books and has also branched out into cookery writing and television presenting.

A recent study by Canadian researcher Ben Barry found that women are more than twice as likely to purchase clothing when it is modelled by a woman who is the same size as them.

He claimed female 'purchase intentions' increase by more than 200 per cent when a brand's ad campaign features a model who is reflective of themselves.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk