The shifting aesthetic of fashion advertising has significant impacts for brands. A new wave of body positivity and inclusivity is coming to the fore, with the media brand heat’s Style Book at the forefront of this shift.

The image of women presented in advertising is increasingly out of step with society at large; 72% of women in the UK still don’t feel represented in media and advertising, according to Dove’s Project #ShowUs. The project is aiming to shatter beauty stereotypes by collating the world’s largest photo library created by women and non-binary individuals.

Getty Images are a partner on the project and their Head of Creative Insights Dr Rebecca Swift is adamant that challenging the status quo when it comes to visual representation, starts with media companies and brands taking action: “You have to step up and make a decision. You can make waves and challenge inequality, or you can do nothing.”

With the launch of heat Style Book, the first standalone fashion and beauty title dedicated to celebrating inclusivity and diversity, Bauer Media have chosen to do something. The magazine’s content will include aspirational advice and tips for women of all sizes and shapes as well as skin types and tones.

In Spring 2018, heat pledged to make their style section reflect a more inclusive range of people and bodies. This announcement received a swell of positivity from readers and so, naturally, led the magazine to look into whether a publication that truly reflected our diverse society could stand alone.

It feels slowly like the worlds of media and advertising are aligning in their messaging and in the world they choose to portray to their consumers. A recent ad for Sainsbury’s TU clothing range, #TUWorkIt created by Portas, features on the pages of the magazine. The ad, which celebrates the working woman, showcases a cast of 15 women from all different walks of life, ability and backgrounds, encouraging them to dress in workwear that only serves to amplify their confidence.

Laura Puddy, heat Style Book’s editor believes that the magazine is a move away from the traditional fashion publications of old because of its focus on “confidence boosting.” The magazine aims to champion a new aesthetic in fashion, from the content it chooses to publish to the advertising featured on its pages. It’s part of a powerful wave of communications designed to accurately reflect a woman’s actual life and her actual experience.

The first heat Style Book issue hits newsstands on 9^th October 2019.