Fashion Forward: Forging the “Pinclusive” Path to Inclusive Style Inspiration with Pinterest
As you eagerly flip through fashion magazines and scroll through endless online platforms as a plus-size individual or not fitting unrealistic model standards, the initial thrill gradually transforms into a challenging adventure. The glossy pages and digital screens showcase models whose body shapes seem a universe away from your own. What began as an exploration of trends becomes a maze of frustration, intensified by the internet's tendency to feature fashion results tailored for thinner individuals predominantly. The fashion industry, tethered to conventional standards, presents a unique set of obstacles. Seeking inclusive and trendy clothing becomes a journey through a labyrinth, further intensified by the absence of relatable style icons reflecting your body shape.
Enduring the constant saga of scrolling through endless "fashion inspiration" hashtags, videos, and pictures, envisioning how each would translate on a larger scale, exacts a toll on users' mental well-being. Recent research underscores a persistent lack of body diversity in the media, with a modest 42 percent noting some improvement in the past five years. Astonishingly, three-quarters admit to steering clear of mirrors due to negative body image. An MIT study reveals disconcerting gender and skin-type bias in commercial artificial intelligence systems, exposing an error rate of 0.8 percent for light-skinned men and a staggering 34.7 percent for dark-skinned women in facial-analysis software.
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To alleviate exclusion and promote inclusivity, plus-size people, and people in general, require a non-discriminatory, inclusive, and diverse technology to help find inspiration representative of their identities. Establishing an easily accessible and accurate technology is crucial to cultivate more diverse and refined results.
At Pinterest, we understand the impact of societal beauty norms on representation, and our commitment is to create an inclusive online space for all body types and ethnicities. The "Body Pinclusivity" initiative, driven by advanced AI that identifies diverse body types in over five billion images, ensures users receive inclusive search results, fostering a more representative and welcoming search engine experience.
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Users can now refine searches efficiently, omitting extra keywords such as “plus size,” and embrace fashion that genuinely represents their unique selves, avoiding the pitfalls of body comparisons and fostering improved mental health.
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The next time you feel disengaged and uninspired by media that falls short of representing your identity, remember that Pinterest has a solution. With diverse and inclusive search refinements at your fingertips, we're setting a groundbreaking precedent for corporate responsibility, sparking a revolution in inclusive body representation. We empower users to confidently explore their favorite fashion looks, challenging and redefining the standards imposed by societal beauty norms—contribute to a more inclusive society.
