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This story is part of CNN Style’s ongoing project, The September Issues: A thought-provoking hub for conversations about fashion’s impact on people and the planet.
Avatars are nothing new — and nor is the idea that we care about how we look online.
As the drive towards immersive virtual worlds, or “metaverses,” gathers pace, personalized digital avatars have become more pervasive thanks to games like Fortnite and Roblox. But on the online platform Second Life, users have been able to create and customize their own digital appearances for almost two decades. And it was here that, in 2017, a body-shaming scandal laid bare an uncomfortable truth: Our real-life beauty standards will, invariably, follow us into the metaverse.
The incident began when an in-game fashion brand allegedly sent out offensive fat-shaming messages on a group channel. The label then embarked on a bizarre crusade against plus-size women. At its virtual store, which sold digital…
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