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A Nike Store In London Received Backlash After Installing Plus Size Mannequins
Controversy is nothing new when it comes to discussing women’s bodies. Whether they’re too fat, too skinny, too short or too tall – an attempt of inclusivity is almost always bound to end in a heated discussion over what’s normal and what’s not. In the fashion industry, women have been fighting for more inclusiveness and normalization of all kinds of bodies for quite an amount of time now, however, it seems that we still have a long way to go. Recently, the sports attire brand Nike introduced plus-size and para-sport mannequins at their store in London and naturally, a discussion ensued. The newest addition to Nike’s flagship store in Oxford Street is dedicated to “celebrating the diversity and inclusivity of sport”.
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Not only has the sports brand introduced a plus-size mannequin, but they have also redesigned the women’s floor in the flagship store and created a dedicated space for women. The space is called Expert Studio and it offers services such as sports kit customizations for teams, a leggings adjustment service, and bra fittings. “With the incredible momentum in women’s sports right now, the re-designed space is just another demonstration of Nike’s commitment to inspiring and serving the female athlete,” explained Sarah Hannah, Nike’s vice president for women in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “This is more than a shopping experience, it’s a destination to celebrate sport just in time for an incredible summer of football, netball, athletics and more.”
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However, there’s always two sides of the story and there were many people who weren’t there for the movement of inclusivity. Steve Miller, author of weight loss book Fatnosis and TV personality, shared his feelings by saying that the mannequin is normalizing obesity and added that it’s “not a good move, but seems the U.K. loves to be in denial of fat.” Another user who goes by the username Papa Trump, congratulates Nike for doing a great job (“Great motivator to get people to buy workout gear”) and reimagines what their slogan should sound like – “Buy our stuff and workout or you’ll be unhealthy and overweight like this mannequin.” One particular tweet received over 14,000 likes – “Class from Nike showing fat customers how awful [you] would look if [you] purchased these items.”
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Nevertheless, it’s no surprise that a lot of people on Twitter were celebrating Nike’s initiative and were glad to see a mannequin that’s ought to represent a wider part of the population. One user wrote, “[I don’t know] why but this Nike mannequin makes me feel so empowered.” Another one commented that Nike took “a big leap in history by introducing plus-size mannequins.”
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What do you think ?
Paper A 5 years ago (edited)
No idea why people are upset about it. This welcomes those who are overweight into the fitness world. Where one is often excluded as a big person. Also no one needs to read extra messages into it haha. This is saying to big girls 'hey, we have your size, feel free to shop here.' I know its shocking but the world doesn't revolve around you and how you feel about clothing sizes that have nothing to do w you.
Merty Robinson 5 years ago
Good. Plenty of larger women at the gym, some carrying fat, some carrying muscle, all of them trying to improve their bodies and in need of the right clothes. Some of those big girls are strong as and deserve massive respect. I have no time for body shaming, spend a lot of time exercising and the people I respect the most are those recovering from strokes and those who have the furthest to go, it's easy to show up and show off when you have a gym bod, much harder when you have to work like an athlete and don't even get to look like one.
C.S. 5 years ago
I'm not sure a mannequin "normalizes" obesity. Fat people know their fat. Society does a pretty good job making people feel like c**p about it. I would hope that it's general knowledge that fat/obesity is unhealthy, causes a slew of health issues that get worse over time. I DO think people who are obese need to stop getting upset about being called obese by doctors and such. It's one thing to be bullied, another to get upset at doctors and such for using correct medical terms.
Tony Moon 5 years ago
I am a 250 lb (113.4 kg) 6'1" (185 cm) tall muscularly built, morbidly obese male. For the longest time I fought with the doctors about the moniker "morbidly obese" because I had always been healthy otherwise. Now my blood pressure is through the roof, and there is no reason for it except that I AM morbidly obese. We need to stop taking offense at what others say, and start taking control of what we are.
Load More Replies...
Paper A 5 years ago (edited)
No idea why people are upset about it. This welcomes those who are overweight into the fitness world. Where one is often excluded as a big person. Also no one needs to read extra messages into it haha. This is saying to big girls 'hey, we have your size, feel free to shop here.' I know its shocking but the world doesn't revolve around you and how you feel about clothing sizes that have nothing to do w you.
Merty Robinson 5 years ago
Good. Plenty of larger women at the gym, some carrying fat, some carrying muscle, all of them trying to improve their bodies and in need of the right clothes. Some of those big girls are strong as and deserve massive respect. I have no time for body shaming, spend a lot of time exercising and the people I respect the most are those recovering from strokes and those who have the furthest to go, it's easy to show up and show off when you have a gym bod, much harder when you have to work like an athlete and don't even get to look like one.
C.S. 5 years ago
I'm not sure a mannequin "normalizes" obesity. Fat people know their fat. Society does a pretty good job making people feel like c**p about it. I would hope that it's general knowledge that fat/obesity is unhealthy, causes a slew of health issues that get worse over time. I DO think people who are obese need to stop getting upset about being called obese by doctors and such. It's one thing to be bullied, another to get upset at doctors and such for using correct medical terms.
Tony Moon 5 years ago
I am a 250 lb (113.4 kg) 6'1" (185 cm) tall muscularly built, morbidly obese male. For the longest time I fought with the doctors about the moniker "morbidly obese" because I had always been healthy otherwise. Now my blood pressure is through the roof, and there is no reason for it except that I AM morbidly obese. We need to stop taking offense at what others say, and start taking control of what we are.
Load More Replies...
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