Mannequin Legs Topshop: ‘Stick Thin’ Legs On Mannequins Spark Complaints From Topshop Customers
Mannequin legs at Topshop are quite thin… and that has some people outraged. According to Mail Online, the mannequins used to display clothes at various Topshop locations have extremely thin legs — and people are now calling for a change. The London flagship store claims that the mannequins were based on a woman’s “size 10,” but it is clear that something got lost in translation.
The controversy started when 23-year-old Becky Hopper posted a photo on Twitter. The photo was viewed well over 9,000 times.
The girl on the left is a size 8/10. #Topshop#poorbodyimage#irresponsible#fashion#highstreetpic.twitter.com/mYbCZMYeSI
— Becky Leigh Hopper (@BeckyLHopper) October 27, 2014
The mannequin legs at Topshop has captured the attention of eating disorder charities as well. Susan Ringwood, chief executive of Beat released a statement about the photo posted by Ms. Hopper.
“Our bodies are naturally a wonderful variety of shapes and sizes, and we encourage everyone in the fashion industry to reflect that glorious diversity. One tiny size doesn’t fit all, and it’s so out of touch with what customers want. We can think it’s our fault if the clothes don’t look as good on us as they do in the store.”
So now, hundreds if not thousands of people are speaking out about the picture and asking that Topshop change the sizes of their mannequins to reflect a more universal size — or all sizes in general. No two bodies are the same, which is what Becky Hopper wanted to express by posting the photo.
“We’re overwhelmed by the response. We aren’t out to shame skinny girls – far from it. We’re hoping to encourage Topshop to show a more diverse range of mannequins. All sizes should be celebrated. Many girls can be healthy while looking similar to this mannequin. However, most cannot. Teenage girls are Topshop’s target audience. We owe it to young girls to be more responsible with how we portray body image.”
The mannequin legs at Topshop have caused quite the discussion online. However, it doesn’t sound like the company is about to make any changes any time soon — but they have defended their mannequins.
According to The SpreadIt, Topshop released a statement about their “models,” saying that they have to be small in size otherwise it would be difficult to dress them due to the nature of the fiberglass that they are constructed out of.
“The mannequin in question has been used in stores the past four years and is based on a standard UK size 10. The overall height, at 187cm, is taller than the average girl and the form is a stylized one to have more impact in store and create a visual focus. Mannequins are made from solid fiberglass, so in order for clothing to fit, the form of the mannequins needs to be of certain dimensions to allow clothing to be put on and removed; this is therefore not meant to be a representation of the average female body.”
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Victoria’s Secret has also come under fire for their new ads showcasing “the perfect body.” The models in these ads are all very slender, which is causing more body image chatter.
[Photo courtesy of Becky Hopper/ Twitter]
