Mannequin legs at Topshop cause controversy. Two friends shopping at a Topshop store, shared a photo that showed a mannequin with very skinny legs. The picture has gone viral and many are slamming the company for using anorexic looking dummies.
Photo of thin mannequin legs at Topshop store, creates PR nightmare for the brand. Last week, two friends, Becky Hopper, 23, and Georgia Bibby, were shopping in a Topshop store located in Kingston upon Hull, England, when they noticed the matter.
Miss Bibby who is a size size 8/10 in the U.K. or 4/6 in U.S. stood next to a mannequin and took a picture. The pair were stunned to see how skinny the mannequin’s legs were compared to Bibby’s.
The students decided to share the photo on Twitter to blast the company for body shamming “real women, with real curves.” The post rapidly went viral and over 7000 people have re-tweeted the picture of the Topshop mannequin with the “super-skinny” legs.
Most of them supported Bibby and Hopper for calling out the brand for using dummies with unrealistic and unattainable features. Via her blog, Hopper explained that she shared the picture hoping that the owners of Topshop will understand that they must have “diversity” at their stores. She explained:
“‘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.”
Miss Hopper went on to add that it’s wrong to give young girls the impression that super thin is the only option, she said:
“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.”
Topshop tried to squash the skinny mannequin legs controversy in a statement that explained that it is not their fault if the dummies are made of fiberglass and therefore appear more lean than a human being:
“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.”
Topshop has recently announced a new partnership with Beyonce that will start in the Spring of 2015.
Hopefully, Beyonce who is famous for her bootilcious curves will convince Topshop to stop using mannequins with crazy thin legs.
