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The fashion industry is undergoing a much needed shift towards inclusivity and the understanding that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
But there are still companies like US online retailer Plus Size Baby that refuse to accept that times are truly changing and that body shaming of any form is no longer something to be shrugged off.
READ MORE: The minister of tourism in Uganda compares curvy women to tourist attractions causing outrage online
The lingerie online store has recently raised some eyebrows with their “fat-shaming” and "insulting" underwear advertisements online, reports Today.
It all began when they uploaded pictures on their website and Twitter page of slim models wearing and showcasing their plus-size lace panties.
#bigsize #curvygirls Sexy Lace Panties for Plus Size Women pic.twitter.com/md9EUd0Iwk
— Plus Size Baby (@PlusSize_Baby) April 25, 2019
#selfie #cute Oversized Panties with Lace Decor pic.twitter.com/NoQwoB97Rs
— Plus Size Baby (@PlusSize_Baby) April 24, 2019
The snaps depict the models striking different poses and stretching the fabric of the underwear that is too big for them, sparking the obvious question among their customers: “Why couldn’t they use plus-size models?”
y’all HAVE to be joking right? no one thought this was a bad idea? not ONE SINGLE PERSON was like why don’t we just use a plus sized model??
— abby ?? (@AbbyStewart_3) April 28, 2019
Women took to Twitter to call out the online store's bizarre adverts, with one tweeting: “So…you are a plus size company with plus-sized models but not for your lingerie advertisement?”
READ MORE: The #MakeMySize movement calls out fashion brands for not making cute plus-size clothing
Another added: “You literally had an XS girl stretch the material to show how big it is on her. Are you serious?”
The pictures quickly went viral, and the online community are clearly stunned with this depiction of plus-size intimate wear, with some doing more digging on the companies’ unbelievable marketing fail.
"I went scrolling through their website. What a joke," one tweeted, revealing that the company had a petite model squeeze her entire body inside of one leg of plus-size leggings to display their stretch.
Went to the site out of curiosity and found this lovely listing. It's not just lingerie they do it on. Speaks volumes about what they truly think about their customer base pic.twitter.com/J5Ur3rEAyp
— ?? (@SkippingStone94) April 28, 2019
A plus-size woman who slammed the company on Facebook opened up to New York Post about how offended she is by the display of a slim model posing and stretching an underwear that would fit her well.
She told the publication that marketing to plus-size women should not be nearly as hard as this brand makes it seem.
"It’s just bizarre and so demeaning,” she admitted.
In response to all the backlash, the company started posting a series of pictures and quotes telling women to feel positive about their bodies.
However, not everyone is convinced of their sincerity, perhaps they can start by pulling down those "disturbing" pictures?
This is unbelievable. You preach body positivity, but you don’t hire plus size models for your clothes?!
— Meghan Ralston (@MeghanRalston) May 8, 2019
You can change your company purpose or your marketing. - PICK ONE. Because you sure as shit don’t want to sell to real plus size women.
Now that conversations about representation in fashion have gained widespread momentum, we hope Plus Size Baby and similar brands will do better in empowering and championing body-positivity.
Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24.
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