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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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There are several women at the gym who are quite overweight and for anyone who wants to abuse them for it, I have to say...they’re at the gym. Where the heck are you? A couple of friends have been working out together for a couple of years, and they’re there at least three times a week. Over that time, they’ve each lost over 100 pounds (as one put it, I lost a whole person!), and one of them has become a power lifter. ...///... I wish I was as dedicated.
I think it's an effective way to encourage people of all sizes to exercise more. I don't see anything normalizing here, just an attempt to help obese people acknowledge their problem and do something about it without feeling ashamed. This way, sport and sportswear may become more inclusive.
who down-voted this comment ??? what's with the people??
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If you are going to work out, and work out hard, you're going to want attire that supports your body and is really comfortable. I don't exactly know what these dipshits are criticizing. That someone who has realized that she is ready to take her health into her own hands is going to want something comfortable to wear 6-7 hours a week? But then again, people who criticize have no concept of understanding.
They are criticizing the fact that no woman would want to ever touch them because their outsized arrogance is inversely proportional to their penis size.
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Being overweight has also made me develop social anxiety. I feel like I get judged for what I wear and what I eat or when I work out. Ordering at a restaurant gives me so much anxiety no matter if it's a salad or a desert. I don't even bother going into regular clothes stores because I know that my body type isn't represented in the sizes. I like this. It doesn't promote obesity, it makes me as an overweight person exited about being able to work out in clothes that fit. It promotes that no matter what size you are you can get the proper clothes for your needs, and damn I think that mannequin looks good!
Ppl will judge no matter what. Fat,slim,short,tall,there will always be something that others wont like on you and will judge :)
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Okay so people are complaining about overweight people but this mannequin is showing exercise gear for plus size women. So are overweight people not allowed to exercise to benefit their health, are we not allowed to find work out gear that suits our bodies to make positive changes. Things like this is what puts me off from going to the gym for fear of being shamed and having photos taken of me and put online for everyone else to shame me. This is absolute bs.
This. People of every size need to exercise to be healthy and have a right to wear clothes that fit them for that purpose. And why not have the option to see how the clothes fit on someone not already thin and muscular, and maybe that's you? The purpose of a mannequin is to give you an idea of what's available and what it might look like not on a hanger, there's no need to make it a social controversy. And there's no shame in doing something that can benefit your health, wherever you happen to be on the scale to begin with. Also, people need to stop being so judgmental and worry about their own weaknesses and quirks.
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I applaud Nike for this as it shows everyone, every size has access to workout clothes. Why shame a store for displaying something they sell? You shame people for being fat and then shame them for buying workout clothes? Wtf do you want from us
NEVER make fun at someone trying to improve their physical and mental health, that's just so uncool.
Lol how is this Nike supporting overweight bodies? OK so if someone is bigger than a regular mannequin wears than what should that person wear? .. A size 18 isn't gonna fit in a size 10, a 12 won't fit in a 10 as it is so a perfect mannequin for that situation would be one that wears the clothes you need to wear. This isn't that deep and shouldn't be this deep. It's a mannequin, there's people of so many sizes, body shaming is ridiculous, stop feeding your brains with instragram bodies and standards, some people have narrow bone structures, some wide, some are have a generical propensity to being overweight, read about these things, look up the statistics, most people shop online because they're overweight. Those people exist no one is empowering obesity, if anything they're showing they shouldn't be unmotivated to lose weight, exercise is for everyone and no one should feel ashamed of their weight.
The stark division between criticism and appreciation seems to be along gender lines. Nike should shut up the idiot male loudmouths by installing a plus size male mannequin with a very small genital bump.
Seriously stupid!!! So if a larger person wants to lose weight they aren't allowed to find clothes that fit them or what??? So rather than having appropriate sporting gear to their size, people would rather see them in huuuge t-shirts and too small leggings so they'd have something else to mock them with?? I think Nike did a good thing! And it's not because someone is larger that they don't exercise!!!
So people are mad at a mannequin for showing the sizing of clothing? Really? They realize these are just for aesthetics they are to also show the clothes on the shape of the person Lmao
A clothing retailer expands its customer base. I'm absolutely not at all shocked. Wow.
Whether or not you like it, a lot of people are far and but clothing ! Hey maybe if people feel encouraged to buy fitness clothes they might actually feel comfortable working out. So if you don't like it, too bad. Deal.
Omg. Even this stupid autocorrect changed * fat* t o " far". Point taken?
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There is nothing "right" about being obese. It's unhealthy and unattractive. Stop trying to glamorize people with issues. What's next ? The glories of being a drug addict? Because fat people have addictions. To food.
I used to be a plus size as well. I was 115kg 2 years ago. Now I am at 75kg, but am still considered being obese! When I started with the excersice program I was so concious of my body and only wore biiiiig t-shirts to cover all the bumps. Now that I am a lot skinnier than then, I still wear big t-shirts to hide the loose skin!!!
Fat people needs workout cloths too so they can stay fit. Its like they have to start somewhere, shopping for workout gear is excellent Start. Well Done NIKE!
Oh my f*****g god. People are so f*****g dumb sometimes. Nike is doing a good thing. They are not "normalising" obesity because people who are fat know that they are fat. Other people and society in general does a pretty good job at informing fat people that they are fat. They just have problems losing the weight. But as soon as nike does a good thing, all of you dumbass internet troll go and attack them. A lot of people are fat. Get the hell over it. Many oversized women are afraid to go to these stores and stuff because they might get ridiculed over being fat! this is good. Awesome job nike.
The media has made society such a judgemental and unhealthy place. People on social media flaunting washboard stomachs and this following through magazines, tv programmes etc has made people think they should be like that and is so bad for some peoples mental health. Being obese, as C.S says, its a medical term .. its also due to the modern world of technology and how we live - alot of work is office based now and people have more access to food so sitting on your a*s all day at a desk and being able to eat what you want is not always a good combination. Nike actually realising that not everyone has washboard stomachs and are a plus size is great. Its called accepting people for who they are and it allows for plus sized people to go into a shop and not feel judged. If they are going to go into Nike they are obviously wanting to exercise and this will allow thm feel better about the situation and more motivation to exercise. Why does everyone have to be so bloody critical all the time
If that lady mannequin is obese, I'd love to buy this a*****e a ticket to America. Or Newfoundland.
Most people (real people) are a larger size than earlier years. Could be due to computers and less physical fitness but, The size the mannequin they have is normal. Yes NORMAL ladies and Gents. It's the obsessed that find it unappealing. The obsessed are not real people. They are plastic people who try to run everyone else's life so they can be comfortable. Stop judging other people. We are who we are and that is that. Educate yourself. Stop being stupid. You may find that the gal or guy that is overweight sitting next to you is someone whom you would want to be in your life. Overweight and large people do not down the skinny mini's out there so why do that to us. We have never done what thin people do because we know it would really hurt them and we have a heart unlike some of the comments below, We accept people for who they are, not who you want them to be. Open your eyes skinny world, we are the true leaders because we strive to be. There is more than exercise out there.
I think it's great. Could the staging be a bit different...maybe, but I'm not sure how well the picture actually captures the actual layout. It does appear a bit like they're making a comparison but even then, I'm somewhere in between those (probably more heading to the larger one) and I don't take offense at it. How about we do the same with MEN's clothes? Let's show some mannequins in real man size, because those mannequins aren't exactly realistic either...even in the BIG and TALL store. I don't say that to be saying they're doing this to women they should do it to men, I'm saying let's all be a little more realistic for everybody.
- no "plus size mannequins" - complains :v - have "plus size mannequins" - still complains :v geez~ 😑
GOOD JOB NIKE!!! Its about time that retailers accept that there are fat people in the world and we would like to be able to purchase their products too. Not everyone who shops in sporting good stores is a size zero!! Kudos to Nike.
Please tell me "to represent a wider part of the population" was pun intended
There are women in a variety of sizes in my super intense workout classes. Some of them are overweight but can totally kick my butt with their strength and endurance. Also, I'm not overweight but my stomach has never recovered from my C-section so it's nice to see workout gear made for women of normal proportions.
Way to go Nike - there are a lot of "larger women" out there who are fitter than half the dumb asses passing such derogatory remarks. I'll bet half of them have had a weight issue themselves - but are now "their perception of perfect"! Go for it - it's people like the ones making the horrible remarks who keep the larger sizes 'OUT OF THE GYM' for fear of being embarrassed by THEIR TOTAL ABSOLUTE IGNORANCE
Thank you, Nike. Good job. And if you have a problem with it, it is your problem, not other people's problem. stop whining.
Nike does not care about the health of people! They just want to sell as much s**t as possible. Just like with their hajib thingy...
Most hijabs are not built for exercise. Nike made something that let people run while still maintaining religious traditions. Whether their reason for making it was money or not, they did a service. Granted, of course, such a product may already have existed, but still
Load More Replies... If an overweight person wants to get back in shape, they should go to the gym, among other things. Gym requires gym clothes, ... duh . And also, I wonder why there are only pics of female gym gear, like? no fat dudes at the gym, in their tightest tights?... someone must be kidding us, or has never been to a gym ?
Wow, not all Americans are the lazy good-for-nothings some people perceive us to be. Stop generalizing people just because of the country they were born in. Although I will admit that a number of Americans are overweight, a lot of them are also trying to get their life together and people like you aren't helping.
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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.
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.
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.
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... There are several women at the gym who are quite overweight and for anyone who wants to abuse them for it, I have to say...they’re at the gym. Where the heck are you? A couple of friends have been working out together for a couple of years, and they’re there at least three times a week. Over that time, they’ve each lost over 100 pounds (as one put it, I lost a whole person!), and one of them has become a power lifter. ...///... I wish I was as dedicated.
I think it's an effective way to encourage people of all sizes to exercise more. I don't see anything normalizing here, just an attempt to help obese people acknowledge their problem and do something about it without feeling ashamed. This way, sport and sportswear may become more inclusive.
who down-voted this comment ??? what's with the people??
Load More Replies... If you are going to work out, and work out hard, you're going to want attire that supports your body and is really comfortable. I don't exactly know what these dipshits are criticizing. That someone who has realized that she is ready to take her health into her own hands is going to want something comfortable to wear 6-7 hours a week? But then again, people who criticize have no concept of understanding.
They are criticizing the fact that no woman would want to ever touch them because their outsized arrogance is inversely proportional to their penis size.
Load More Replies... Being overweight has also made me develop social anxiety. I feel like I get judged for what I wear and what I eat or when I work out. Ordering at a restaurant gives me so much anxiety no matter if it's a salad or a desert. I don't even bother going into regular clothes stores because I know that my body type isn't represented in the sizes. I like this. It doesn't promote obesity, it makes me as an overweight person exited about being able to work out in clothes that fit. It promotes that no matter what size you are you can get the proper clothes for your needs, and damn I think that mannequin looks good!
Ppl will judge no matter what. Fat,slim,short,tall,there will always be something that others wont like on you and will judge :)
Load More Replies... Okay so people are complaining about overweight people but this mannequin is showing exercise gear for plus size women. So are overweight people not allowed to exercise to benefit their health, are we not allowed to find work out gear that suits our bodies to make positive changes. Things like this is what puts me off from going to the gym for fear of being shamed and having photos taken of me and put online for everyone else to shame me. This is absolute bs.
This. People of every size need to exercise to be healthy and have a right to wear clothes that fit them for that purpose. And why not have the option to see how the clothes fit on someone not already thin and muscular, and maybe that's you? The purpose of a mannequin is to give you an idea of what's available and what it might look like not on a hanger, there's no need to make it a social controversy. And there's no shame in doing something that can benefit your health, wherever you happen to be on the scale to begin with. Also, people need to stop being so judgmental and worry about their own weaknesses and quirks.
Load More Replies... I applaud Nike for this as it shows everyone, every size has access to workout clothes. Why shame a store for displaying something they sell? You shame people for being fat and then shame them for buying workout clothes? Wtf do you want from us
NEVER make fun at someone trying to improve their physical and mental health, that's just so uncool.
Lol how is this Nike supporting overweight bodies? OK so if someone is bigger than a regular mannequin wears than what should that person wear? .. A size 18 isn't gonna fit in a size 10, a 12 won't fit in a 10 as it is so a perfect mannequin for that situation would be one that wears the clothes you need to wear. This isn't that deep and shouldn't be this deep. It's a mannequin, there's people of so many sizes, body shaming is ridiculous, stop feeding your brains with instragram bodies and standards, some people have narrow bone structures, some wide, some are have a generical propensity to being overweight, read about these things, look up the statistics, most people shop online because they're overweight. Those people exist no one is empowering obesity, if anything they're showing they shouldn't be unmotivated to lose weight, exercise is for everyone and no one should feel ashamed of their weight.
The stark division between criticism and appreciation seems to be along gender lines. Nike should shut up the idiot male loudmouths by installing a plus size male mannequin with a very small genital bump.
Seriously stupid!!! So if a larger person wants to lose weight they aren't allowed to find clothes that fit them or what??? So rather than having appropriate sporting gear to their size, people would rather see them in huuuge t-shirts and too small leggings so they'd have something else to mock them with?? I think Nike did a good thing! And it's not because someone is larger that they don't exercise!!!
So people are mad at a mannequin for showing the sizing of clothing? Really? They realize these are just for aesthetics they are to also show the clothes on the shape of the person Lmao
A clothing retailer expands its customer base. I'm absolutely not at all shocked. Wow.
Whether or not you like it, a lot of people are far and but clothing ! Hey maybe if people feel encouraged to buy fitness clothes they might actually feel comfortable working out. So if you don't like it, too bad. Deal.
Omg. Even this stupid autocorrect changed * fat* t o " far". Point taken?
Load More Replies... There is nothing "right" about being obese. It's unhealthy and unattractive. Stop trying to glamorize people with issues. What's next ? The glories of being a drug addict? Because fat people have addictions. To food.
I used to be a plus size as well. I was 115kg 2 years ago. Now I am at 75kg, but am still considered being obese! When I started with the excersice program I was so concious of my body and only wore biiiiig t-shirts to cover all the bumps. Now that I am a lot skinnier than then, I still wear big t-shirts to hide the loose skin!!!
Fat people needs workout cloths too so they can stay fit. Its like they have to start somewhere, shopping for workout gear is excellent Start. Well Done NIKE!
Oh my f*****g god. People are so f*****g dumb sometimes. Nike is doing a good thing. They are not "normalising" obesity because people who are fat know that they are fat. Other people and society in general does a pretty good job at informing fat people that they are fat. They just have problems losing the weight. But as soon as nike does a good thing, all of you dumbass internet troll go and attack them. A lot of people are fat. Get the hell over it. Many oversized women are afraid to go to these stores and stuff because they might get ridiculed over being fat! this is good. Awesome job nike.
The media has made society such a judgemental and unhealthy place. People on social media flaunting washboard stomachs and this following through magazines, tv programmes etc has made people think they should be like that and is so bad for some peoples mental health. Being obese, as C.S says, its a medical term .. its also due to the modern world of technology and how we live - alot of work is office based now and people have more access to food so sitting on your a*s all day at a desk and being able to eat what you want is not always a good combination. Nike actually realising that not everyone has washboard stomachs and are a plus size is great. Its called accepting people for who they are and it allows for plus sized people to go into a shop and not feel judged. If they are going to go into Nike they are obviously wanting to exercise and this will allow thm feel better about the situation and more motivation to exercise. Why does everyone have to be so bloody critical all the time
If that lady mannequin is obese, I'd love to buy this a*****e a ticket to America. Or Newfoundland.
Most people (real people) are a larger size than earlier years. Could be due to computers and less physical fitness but, The size the mannequin they have is normal. Yes NORMAL ladies and Gents. It's the obsessed that find it unappealing. The obsessed are not real people. They are plastic people who try to run everyone else's life so they can be comfortable. Stop judging other people. We are who we are and that is that. Educate yourself. Stop being stupid. You may find that the gal or guy that is overweight sitting next to you is someone whom you would want to be in your life. Overweight and large people do not down the skinny mini's out there so why do that to us. We have never done what thin people do because we know it would really hurt them and we have a heart unlike some of the comments below, We accept people for who they are, not who you want them to be. Open your eyes skinny world, we are the true leaders because we strive to be. There is more than exercise out there.
I think it's great. Could the staging be a bit different...maybe, but I'm not sure how well the picture actually captures the actual layout. It does appear a bit like they're making a comparison but even then, I'm somewhere in between those (probably more heading to the larger one) and I don't take offense at it. How about we do the same with MEN's clothes? Let's show some mannequins in real man size, because those mannequins aren't exactly realistic either...even in the BIG and TALL store. I don't say that to be saying they're doing this to women they should do it to men, I'm saying let's all be a little more realistic for everybody.
- no "plus size mannequins" - complains :v - have "plus size mannequins" - still complains :v geez~ 😑
GOOD JOB NIKE!!! Its about time that retailers accept that there are fat people in the world and we would like to be able to purchase their products too. Not everyone who shops in sporting good stores is a size zero!! Kudos to Nike.
Please tell me "to represent a wider part of the population" was pun intended
There are women in a variety of sizes in my super intense workout classes. Some of them are overweight but can totally kick my butt with their strength and endurance. Also, I'm not overweight but my stomach has never recovered from my C-section so it's nice to see workout gear made for women of normal proportions.
Way to go Nike - there are a lot of "larger women" out there who are fitter than half the dumb asses passing such derogatory remarks. I'll bet half of them have had a weight issue themselves - but are now "their perception of perfect"! Go for it - it's people like the ones making the horrible remarks who keep the larger sizes 'OUT OF THE GYM' for fear of being embarrassed by THEIR TOTAL ABSOLUTE IGNORANCE
Thank you, Nike. Good job. And if you have a problem with it, it is your problem, not other people's problem. stop whining.
Nike does not care about the health of people! They just want to sell as much s**t as possible. Just like with their hajib thingy...
Most hijabs are not built for exercise. Nike made something that let people run while still maintaining religious traditions. Whether their reason for making it was money or not, they did a service. Granted, of course, such a product may already have existed, but still
Load More Replies... If an overweight person wants to get back in shape, they should go to the gym, among other things. Gym requires gym clothes, ... duh . And also, I wonder why there are only pics of female gym gear, like? no fat dudes at the gym, in their tightest tights?... someone must be kidding us, or has never been to a gym ?
Wow, not all Americans are the lazy good-for-nothings some people perceive us to be. Stop generalizing people just because of the country they were born in. Although I will admit that a number of Americans are overweight, a lot of them are also trying to get their life together and people like you aren't helping.
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