Wanting to be thin is OLD-FASHIONED: Victoria Beckham

Known for her self-restraint, she favours steamed vegetables even when she eats out.

So it may come as a surprise that Victoria Beckham has declared that it’s no longer de rigueur being skinny.

The Spice Girl turned fashion designer, 48, said: “It’s an old-fashioned attitude, wanting to be really thin.”

“I think women today want to look healthy, and curvy. They want to have some boobs – and a bum.”

What is less surprising is that Mrs Beckham has a new clothing line to plug – which might have informed her change of attitude.

Referring to her shapewear range, she added: “The curvier you are, the better my VB Body dresses look.”

The mother of four said she has been inspired by the women she sees in Miami, where she and husband David have a £20 million penthouse.

She told Grazia magazine: “There are a lot of really curvy women [who] walk along Miami beach with not a lot of clothes on and they look fantastic.

“I found both their attitude and their style really liberating.

“As a mother, I loved the fact that [daughter] Harper was around women who were celebrating their curves.”

She added that men – including her 47-year-old husband – “love to see a bit of shape”.

Mrs Beckham has previously faced questions over her choice of models for her fashion shows, with Piers Morgan among the critics suggesting that some were “painfully thin”.

In February, Beckham spoke about his wife’s disciplined diet, saying she that “very rarely” deviates from her regime of 25 years – grilled fish and steamed vegetables.

Grazia’s Luxe Issue is on sale from today.