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
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