What’s a sign that a brand is fully embracing body inclusivity? Answer: Plus-sized mannequins.
Niketown recently reopened its flagship store in London and it reportedly has a “tech-enabled women’s department.” According to Essential Retail, it’s “effectively a celebration of women’s sport, with international footballers and sportswomen from an array of disciplines appearing on signage across the department.”
As mentioned earlier, you’ll also find plus-sized mannequins—a first for Nike.
The use of such mannequins is important because, as the now-defunct fashion website Racked noted, “underweight” mannequins show impossible beauty standards. “The mannequin study is part of something bigger, of course—the way we glamorize ultra-thinness as a society is very damaging to body image,” researcher Eric Robinson, Ph.D. told the site. “Mannequins are one example of something in the environment that reinforces this ‘ultra-thin idea.’ We need to remove the ultra-thin ideal from society.”
Plus, it’s also important to show that even plus-sized women can wear athleisure and play sports if they want to. It won’t make them feel alienated at all.
If only more fashion brands would utilize mannequins of various body types and weights. That way, everyone can have an idea of how certain ensembles will look on them.
[Hypebae and Essential Retail]
Photo courtesy of Hypebae’s Instagram account
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