It all started when Laura Berry went to buy a pair of jeans at Topshop, in Bristol. But she soon noticed one of the shop mannequins and was shocked by its heigh and how skinny it was. So she left the store without her jeans but with the firm intention to share her indignation about this unrealistic image and the impact it may have on younger girls. "I'm old enough and wise enough to know I will never be this size, but as we've all been impressionable teens at one point, I'm fairly certain if any of us were to witness this in our teenage years, it would have left us wondering if that was what was expected of our bodies" writes Laura, commenting on the picture she posted on Topshop's Facebook page.
Her post got hundreds of likes and replies, including comments from Topshop, justifying themselves: "The overall height (187cm) is taller than the average girl and the form is stylised to have more impact in store. As the mannequins are solid fibreglass, their form needs to be of certain dimensions to allow clothing to be put on and removed easily; this is therefore not meant to be a representation of the average female body." Still, Laura put quite a pressure on the brand and they announced a few days ago that they won't be using that kind of mannequins anymore. Similar remarks were posted by customers on Twitter last year, criticising brands such as Topshop (already), Primark or La Perla.
Photo: Eastgate Basildon
News in the same category
At first read, the headline seems to bode more gloom and doom for the UK retail sector, but all is not as it seems. M&S are in the midst of a major restructuring programme, which has already seen the closure of 35 stores in 2018.
For any Irish person living in London and missing their favourite foods, the Irish Centre recently opened it new Irish Shop 'An Siopa' - which means that you don't have to wait until your next trip to the Emerald Isle to get specific brands that you love.
Starbucks has just announced its launch in Colombia, the country which has supplied its Arabica coffee since 1971. With a first store opening in Bogota in 2014 and 50 before 2020, the local Juan Valdez chain sees the arrival of a formidable competitor.
The UK’s Ocean City of Plymouth is set to get its first zero waste store following a successful fundraising campaign. Jar have confirmed the store will go ahead soon after 276 people backed their fundraising efforts, raising £23,000 in just 28 days.
