Ralph Lauren admits it needs Photoshop lessons

I've never seen Ralph Lauren in real life, but when he appeared on "Friends" a few years ago, he looked somewhat diminutive and not entirely in the first bloom of slenderness.

So I wonder what he might have thought when a recently produced Ralph Lauren ad seemed to feature a model who last ate in 2004 and clearly enjoyed the attention of a plastic surgeon whose diet consisted entirely of mushrooms from the magic department of his local supermarket.

Those assiduously nourished people at Photoshop Disasters were rather taken with this image, in the way one might be taken by e-coli.

Then the no doubt body-conscious folks at Boing Boing joined in the dissing of the disproportionate.

Please, take a look at the picture and consider how it is that the model in question seems to have as parents a cabbage and a centipede.

It seems Ralph Lauren's first reaction was, as with all power-dressers, to go for the DMCA takedown. Threats were tossed like post-party purses at dawn.

However, now I am delighted to report that substance has finally won over style.

According to those perfectly proportioned playthings at Extra, Ralph Lauren has gurgitated a mea gulpa: "For over 42 years we have built a brand based on quality and integrity. After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body."

Which still makes one wonder what processes, mental as well as organizational, were enjoyed in the production of this piece.

Still, the Ralph Lauren spokesmodel continued: "We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the caliber of our artwork represents our brand appropriately."

I am very much looking forward to that, as I need new underwear and a jacket to ward off the coming rains.

The thing is, though, I'm not so fond of those large logos. Perhaps Ralph Lauren could make them a little smaller?