Wish.com, here’s a tip for you:
If you want to sell plus size tights, the best way to do that probably isn’t having a thin model wear the tights, and stretch them over their entire bodies.
Wish, which sells inexpensive products directly to consumers from Chinese manufacturers, are being blasted on social media for their marketing choice, which is apparently to show just how much the tights stretch.
Amber Riley, best known for playing Mercedes Jones on FOX’s Glee and currently starring in Dreamgirls on the West End, quoted a tweet about the tights, commenting, “How did they think this was ok?!?”
How did they think this was ok?!? https://t.co/CvIdHstRzw
— Amber Patrice Riley (@MsAmberPRiley) December 9, 2017
“What is the point they are trying to make here? That our thunder thighs are so big that their model can fit her entire body body into a pair of our tights?” said Laura Capon, fashion writer for Cosmopolitan. “How about instead of offending us, you just use, I dunno…A PLUS SIZE MODEL. I don’t know if you’re aware but models don’t just stop at a size 10.”
Wish has not commented.
This isn’t the first time a company has done this. In May, Amazon.com had a pair of plus size leggings listed — with a thin woman fitting her whole body in one leg of the pants.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154812098194790&set=a.490116584789.269803.651549789&type=3
Kylie Jenner-endorsed Fashion Nova used size 2 models to represent their plus size and curve line in April.
Courtesy of teenvogue.com, fashionnova.com
Tabria Majors, a noted plus-size model, took to Instagram to comment.
“@fashionnovacurve why do you use size 2 models to represent your plus size line?” wrote Majors, with the thinking emoji, hashtagging “#questionsthatneedanswers”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSJZ-EmARLm/
At first, the company hadn’t commented, until CEO Richard Saghian released the following statement to teenvogue.com:
“We launched Fashion Nova Curve for the curvy and confident woman only 3 months ago. We dedicate the @fashionnovacurve page to re-post all of our customers who wear the term “Plus-Size” confidently. The Fashion Nova brand as a whole believes that all women should feel both confident regardless of today’s body standards. Our curvy Nova Babes have always been re-posted on our @FashionNova page as well as our curve page.
Unlike most companies, the same products that are offered to our straight size customers are also available to our plus size customers and we strongly believe that our clothing empowers women of all shapes and sizes. We launched our Curve line to become more inclusive with all of our styles and are actively strengthening the Collection. That will soon be represented on our website alongside the straight size models. Also, our Plus Size Collection has had an exceptional response from the moment we launched. In fact, we plan to offer a wide range of products in plus by the end of 2017.”
Over eight months later, the website does now use plus-size models.
As a plus size girl, it’s disheartening seeing girls who aren’t my body type wear clothes that are meant for me. Even some plus-size models aren’t my plus size.
So, websites, retailers, and everyone else who sells plus size clothing:
Please, started widening the range of body types you use for plus size fashion.
Also, don’t put a skinny model in plus size clothes.
Simple, right?
Hopefully 2018 will be a better year for plus size women and body diversity.
UPDATE: The advertisement for the tights on Wish are originally for “magic tights” that won’t rip, not plus size tights. Wish took the photo and advertised the tights as plus size. Wish has not commented on this.
