Ralph Lauren has owned up to a Photoshop faux pas that whittled its model down to impossible proportions, but not before throwing its, er, weight around.

Blogger Xeni Jardin first brought attention to the retouched photo when he reposted it on Boing Boing with a new caption: Dude, her head’s bigger than her body. A simple “oops” might have done, but Lauren opted to slap the Web site with a cease-and-desist for copyright infringement instead. Boing Boing was indignant, and with good reason—fair use protects the reproduction of an image for comment or criticism.

So the blog called B.S. and Lauren changed tack, releasing the following statement yesterday: “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. We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the caliber of our artwork represents our brand appropriately.”

Humiliated prep realizes his shortcomings and apologizes in front of the whole school? It’s almost cinematic. Except Lauren listened to his PR team, not his conscience.

Compared to an older photo of model Filippa Hamilton, the ad in question seems even more like a caricature. But to the 10-year-old me that used to stare adoringly at the glossy magazine advertisements I tacked on my wall? She looks like a role model.