ModCloth Hosts Capitol Hill Event to Lend Its Support to the Truth in Advertising Act

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifestyle brand ModCloth hosted an event on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC today to raise awareness for the Truth in Advertising Act 2016, a bill designed to combat the harmful effects of material photoshopping. The bill asks the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop a regulatory framework for advertisements that significantly change the people in them through image-altering techniques like photoshop.

ModCloth Founder Susan Gregg Koger spoke at the event and was joined by the bill sponsors Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-27), Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA-24), and Rep. Theodore E. Deutch (D-FL-21). In addition to raising awareness on this issue on Capitol Hill, ModCloth is calling on its community of customers to support the Truth in Advertising Act by joining a letter writing campaign started by The Representation Project and I Am That Girl.

In August 2014, ModCloth was the first and only retailer to sign the Truth in Advertising pledge, pledging to not materially photoshop its models. ModCloth has never materially photoshopped and also frequently sources models from its own community of customers to ensure an authentic and diverse portrayal of women. Its namesake label is available in a full size range (XS-4X) to provide an inclusive shopping experience for all women.

ModCloth Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Susan Gregg Koger: "Portraying women in an honest and realistic way is essential to fulfilling our brand purpose of empowering women to be the best version of themselves. It demonstrates to young women that measurements are a fact, not a judgement. We want to lend our voice and the support of the ModCloth community to this movement to stop the extreme and harmful photoshopping of women in advertisements."

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen: "The Truth in Advertising Act is important for so many young women and men who face body image issues due to unrealistic depictions in advertisements. Young women and men are often trying to live up to an unattainable  and unhealthy 'ideal body' instead of a healthy body. All stakeholders should come together and find a solution that respects consumer health and wellbeing while permitting creativity and artistic expression."

Rep. Capps: "What we see in advertisements and fashion magazines colors our expectations, even if those images are unknowingly altered. This especially affects young people who internalize this unrealistic ideal of beauty—leaving them at risk and vulnerable. We must do all we can to ensure that our nation's consumers have the tools necessary to distinguish real life from fiction so that they can form a healthy body image."

Rep. Deutch: "Our culture is so saturated with unrealistic, digitally-altered body images that we hardly notice. When advertisers try to sell these distortions as truth it can create damaging expectations, especially for young people. I'm proud to support the Truth in Advertising Act to bring together regulators, parents, health professionals, and the business and advertising communities to develop a better understanding of the health impacts of altered body images used to sell products, and what we can do together to create a healthier and more inclusive environment for American consumers."

ModCloth is also currently hosting a pop-up shop in Washington, DC as part of its "ModCloth IRL (In Real Life) Tour", a series of five pop-up shop events taking place across the country this summer. The hybrid showroom and store concept disrupts the traditional retail model and brings ModCloth's online community to life.

ModCloth IRL Tour Schedule:
* June: Washington, DC at 1626 Wisconsin Ave NW
* July: Portland, OR at Pioneer Place, 700 SW 5th Ave. Suite 2115
* August: Denver/Boulder, CO (location to be announced)
* September: Pittsburgh, PA (location to be announced)

About ModCloth
ModCloth is a digitally-native lifestyle brand committed to inspiring personal style and helping its community feel like the best version of themselves. ModCloth designs and sells its own exclusive line of apparel in a full range of sizes, and carries a unique assortment of fashion, accessories, shoes and home decor from hundreds of independent designers. Founded in a college dorm room by high school sweethearts Susan Gregg Koger and Eric Koger in 2002, ModCloth has since grown to over 350 employees across offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh. ModCloth investors include Accel Partners, First Round Capital, Floodgate, StubHub founder Jeff Fluhr, and Norwest Venture Partners.

Contact Information
Lauren Whitehouse
[email protected]

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