'Shockingly thin Topshop mannequin sparks outrage over unrealistic body image'

Shanotheslayer

Was reading this article today and was just curious of peoples thoughts on it,

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/shockingly-thin-topshop-mannequin-sparks-4533843?ICID=FB_mirror_main

Basically the mannequin is smaller then a size 8.

''Becky told us: "We are trying to say let's embrace everybody's shape, we don't want to get rid of the mannequins, we want a more diverse portrayal of the female body.

"Every single mannequin upstairs and downstairs was the same size as this one."

Topshops response was “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 stylised one to have more impact in store and create a visual focus.

"Mannequins are made from solid fibreglass, 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.”

Now to me it seems fairly silly to be moaning about such a thing.

1)Do people really not buy clothes based on a mannequin?
2)Would size 20+ women be giving out if the mannequin was a size 14?

Fair enough wanting more 'diverse' mannequins, but to me it comes across that it's a big thing because it was skinny. No issue would of been made of 'diverse' mannequins had they all been size 12.

*Queue comments based on paper that reported it*

Brussels Sprout

"Shockingly white Topshop mannequin sparks outrage over unrealistic skin tone"

The_Valeyard

How does the mannequin feel about this?

Riddle101

Woman has too much time on her hands if she's complaining about the size of a mannequin.

diomed

Buy these leggings and you will look thin.

Zillah

I'm all for not pandering to fat people, but the mannequin in that first image looks like an underfed 13 year old girl.

foggy_lad

It's a lump of moulded plastic for displaying clothes of all sizes on, do mannequins come in every available size or do larger sizes get put on smaller mannequins if no larger size doll is available?

phasers

Oh my god who cares, a mannequin is basically a clothes hanger with tits. Anyone who looks to a mannequin as a picture of healthy body image needs their head examined. Most of them don't have heads!

ThinkAboutIt

Its a f**king mannequin. Someone tell them it isn't important to find something interesting to do with their lives.

Sir Osis of Liver.

Fcuk that,if she was real it would be like riding a bag of chisels.

blaze1

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

"Shockingly white Topshop mannequin sparks outrage over unrealistic skin tone"

True representation of the Irish skin complexion, just missing a few hundred freckles.

fleet_admiral

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

Fcuk that,if she was real it would be like riding a bag of chisels.

Bet you her tits are as flat as a plate of piss too

Jagdtiger

The_Valeyard wrote: »

How does the mannequin feel about this?

Andrew McCarthy wasn't best pleased when I called to ask.

Areyouwell

The overall height, at 187cm, is taller than the average girl

And the average guy.

Karl Stein

Well I'm a festively plump man and even I can see that almost the entire fashion industry likes to hang its clothes on the figures of what appear to be skinny pubescent frames.

To imagine this does not create an unachievable 'ideal type' in the consciousness of the consuming public would be to ignore the psychology of the human animal.

So, well poisoning aside, would you agree or disagree with the above?

MOD
Quoted uncivil post removed

happywithlife

I saw this and I know AH isn't probably the forum for a genuine debate but yes it should be complained against. I work with teems and you cannot believe the pressure they put themselves under to reach these unrealistic fashion "ideals" it's totally pointless trying to explain to them that such images are "artistic statements" and not meant to reflect actual body sizes
...All they see is a skinny form - human or not - and think this is what they're supposed to strive for
It's the same with airbrushing - editors have been asked to voluntarily denote with a simple logo images that have been airbrushed --- not a surprise that none of them have followed through on it and one editor aimed specifically at preteens came out and said point blank she wouldn't agree to such a measure.
Mannaquin or not it dies send out a message and that message is even a size 8 is too fat these days. Is that the message you want your sister/daughter/loved one to hear?

nokia69

Karl Stein wrote: »

Well I'm a festively plump man and even I can see that almost the entire fashion industry likes to hang its clothes on the figures of what appear to be skinny pubescent frames.

To imagine this does not create an unachievable 'ideal type' in the consciousness of the consuming public would be to ignore the psychology of the human animal.

So, well poisoning aside, would you agree or disagree with the above?

I agree we can't all be models

thats life

Jagdtiger

Jagdtiger wrote: »

Andrew McCarthy wasn't best pleased when I called to ask.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j46N_aMlXH8

nokia69

happywithlife wrote: »

I saw this and I know AH isn't probably the forum for a genuine debate but yes it should be complained against. I work with teems and you cannot believe the pressure they put themselves under to reach these unrealistic fashion "ideals" it's totally pointless trying to explain to them that such images are "artistic statements" and not meant to reflect actual body sizes
...All they see is a skinny form - human or not - and think this is what they're supposed to strive for
It's the same with airbrushing - editors have been asked to voluntarily denote with a simple logo images that have been airbrushed --- not a surprise that none of them have followed through on it and one editor aimed specifically at preteens came out and said point blank she wouldn't agree to such a measure.
Mannaquin or not it dies send out a message and that message is even a size 8 is too fat these days. Is that the message you want your sister/daughter/loved one to hear?

if so many teens are striving for the skinny form why is obesity on the rise

we have a problem with too many fat kids not skinny ones

Summer wind

My niece and her best friend are both size eight and think they are obese. It's crazy they look at clothes displayed on the models on the shop floor and say they won't bother trying them on cos they won't look the same on them.

Frigga_92

I think the problem people have with using a mannequin of this size is that it does not represent the average woman. Yes, there are women who are that skinny naturally and there is nothing they can do about it but they are in the minority. Using mannequins of this size makes it seem as though this size is the norm and therefore that the vast majority of people are not normal. That's what messes with impressionable people.

Holsten

Newsflash: Mannequins are not representative of real life humans.

Shanotheslayer

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

I think the problem people have with using a mannequin of this size is that it does not represent the average woman. Yes, there are women who are that skinny naturally and there is nothing they can do about it but they are in the minority. Using mannequins of this size makes it seem as though this size is the norm and therefore that the vast majority of people are not normal. That's what messes with impressionable people.

If the mannequins were size 20+ nobody would be complaining...

Standman

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

I think the problem people have with using a mannequin of this size is that it does not represent the average woman. Yes, there are women who are that skinny naturally and there is nothing they can do about it but they are in the minority. Using mannequins of this size makes it seem as though this size is the norm and therefore that the vast majority of people are not normal. That's what messes with impressionable people.

But then you'll be "shaming" the poor minority of women who are naturally that skinny. Do their feelings just not matter? What's the solution, having one mannequin on display for each possible body size & skin colour?

Or what about this - people could just get on with their lives and see mannequins for what they are; glorified clothes hangers.

Karl Stein

Karl Stein wrote: »

Well I'm a festively plump man and even I can see that almost the entire fashion industry likes to hang its clothes on the figures of what appear to be skinny pubescent frames.

To imagine this does not create an unachievable 'ideal type' in the consciousness of the consuming public would be to ignore the psychology of the human animal.

So, well poisoning aside, would you agree or disagree with the above?

I love this description.

All the unrealistic ideals surround us like white noise, after a while you stop noticing how pervading it is and only when it stops do you realise how it was affecting you.

Frigga_92

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

If the mannequins were size 20+ nobody would be complaining...

Yes they would because that also wouldn't represent your average woman.

catallus

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

If the mannequins were size 20+ nobody would be complaining...

I would.

Standman

Standman wrote: »

Or what about this - people could just get on with their lives and see mannequins for what they are; glorified clothes hangers.

Problem is, Topshop is a mecca for teenage girls and their body image is so fluid and malleable that this kind of thing does have an impact. Probably for boys too, if the situation was in a male context. When every 'ideal' image is of a seriously underweight figure, underweight starts to look normal and desirable.

Size ten dummies would be fine, but the shop wouldn't be able to display it's wares with the subliminal message that if you wear this outfit, you'll look this thin.

I'm guilty of this stuff myself, I love fashion magazines and do think clothes look better on tall, very thin girls. I don't think the girls look better though, but not everyone makes that distinction if they're young and insecure as most teenagers are.

Pwindedd

Topshop clothing - for the most part poorly made and hideously overpriced - the mannequins are the least shocking thing in there IMO.

Deenie123

Candie wrote: »

Problem is, Topshop is a mecca for teenage girls and their body image is so fluid and malleable that this kind of thing does have an impact.

This is part of the problem. If it was Wallis or somewhere... I'd say no biggie. But 12 year olds love to traipse around in Topshop. A 12 year old who's adjusting to new curves and a new body shape is in no position to be saying "Oh well that's clearly not a realistic body shape". They're just thinking "I'm not that thin..."

I love how they claim the mannequin is based on a size 10... As in.. Taller and thinner and looking nothing like a size 10...

Duff

What a time to be alive.