Plus Size Baby, an online clothing retailer that specializes in larger sizes, is being slammed for its advertising tactics. The site uses thin models to showcase its products, including lingerie, swimwear, and ready-to-wear—and one shopper is voicing her frustrations.
According to the Daily Mail, Kristin Russell, a 31-year-old mom from Falls City, Nebraska, was shopping online for clothes that fit her size 24 frame when she came across plussizebaby.com. Unlike most plus-size clothing stores, which use models that fit the clothes they’re selling, the site shows petite women modeling plus-size underwear and leggings, using their arms to stretch the products to demonstrate the full range of size. To make matters worse, in one image, a slim model can be seen fitting both her legs into a single pant leg of a pair of plus-size leggings.
“I was looking to buy some nice lingerie, and I do prefer buying online as it can be difficult to find nice plus-sized underwear in stores,” Russell told the Daily Mail. “I saw one of their photos of a stick-thin model wearing a pair of underwear and she was stretching it out with her hands as far as it would go.I thought it must have been a mistake. I didn't think anyone would advertise that way.”
But using ill-fitting models isn’t the only bizarre sales tactic the brand employs. A message on its homepage claims to support body positivity and lists reasons why being plus-size is “cool.”
“Plus size models promote the beauty of the female body as it is and prove that ladies do not need to starve to death to look sexually appealing. If you belong to those who are proud of their bodies without dieting, you have come to the right place. We are glad to welcome you to our new online store: at http://plussizebaby.com/, you will find everything you need to emphasize your beauty,” the site says.
Yet, Plus Size Baby completely disregards its own statement by not embracing and featuring models who represent the women shopping the site. “Since the 1970s, fashion designers have turned their attention to skinny models,” the site says, despite the fact that the website itself uses thin models to display their clothing. It’s hard to credit Plus Size Baby for celebrating body positivity when the site doesn't live up to its own beliefs.
“You want to feel sexy when buying lingerie, regardless of what size you are,” Russell shared with the Daily Mail. “But sadly, nothing about their website made me feel good.”
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