Just… no.
A US brand named Wish decided that they would very much like to stock some plus size tights upon the discovery that women come in a number of different shapes and sizes.
They were off to a good start.
They then uploaded some product shots onto their website and… we have no idea what’s going on.
It was our understanding that clothing brands use models to illustrate how a garment will look on a person when they buy it.
If I’m buying a bikini, I have little need to see what it looks like on, say, a potato.
If I’m purchasing a handbag, I don’t need to see it being worn as, say, a hat.
If I’m interested in a pair of heels, I don’t need to see them on a two-week-old baby.
LISTEN: The problem with saying ‘summer bodies are made in winter!’ Post continues below.
It’s unnecessary and distracting.
But Wish appears to have missed the memo and there has been a very unfortunate misunderstanding. Because these plus size tights are being worn by thin women as some sort of… body suit.
It is a well known fact that when you are literally making fun of your consumer they are, um, significantly less likely to purchase your product.
No plus size woman is going to come across an image of a woman half her size, pulling a pair of tights up over her neck with a confused “WTF am I even doing right now?” look on her face and think; “GET IN MY BASKET – I’ve been SOLD by the woman wearing tights as a life-size condom!”
As if that isn’t bad enough, they’ve also advertised their ‘Sexy plus size women’s skinny tights,’ by having a thin woman stand in just one of the legs.
The more time we spend looking at these images, the less we understand what’s happening.
Rather than put a small woman in one leg of a plus size pair of tights, it might be a good idea to just… you know… hire a model who better reflects your target audience.
Just maybe…