Oh Polly criticised for using mannequins with ‘unrealistic’ bodies to sell dresses
Fashion brand FAST, Oh Polly, has been criticised by shoppers for promoting ‘unrealistic’ body standards.
The British brand shared a video of a mannequin wearing the new £120 Aurora Embellished Bandeau Mini Dress.
But fans were quick to point out that the headless statue had an “impossible waist-to-butt ratio.”
Attached to a metal pole, the mannequin resembled a real hourglass.
Oh Polly’s social media team dressed it in the new mini dress.
The caption read: “Birthday, holiday or special occasion?
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“We have the Aurora HOTFIX Mini in pear green for you.”
However, the promotional clip prompted a flood of disinterested and shocked reactions.
“Who has such a small waist?” one critic asked.
“It would be nice if the mannequin was realistic,” added another.
“Honey, if you think my waist looks like this, you’re wrong,” a third responded.
According to Oh Polly bosses, the mini dress has a “scene-stealing silhouette”.
An advertising text states that the dress is “lined with a double-layer mesh lining for enhanced coverage.”
It’s also “crafted from figure-hugging power and 20D mesh into a bandeau silhouette and comes with detachable camisole straps for extra support.”
However, buyers are not convinced that the so-called ‘figure-hugging power’ will even remotely mimic the body shape of a mannequin.
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“What the f**k is this mannequin?” asked one critic.
“That’s an impossible butt-to-waist ratio,” said another angrily.
Oh Polly was criticised in 2019 for creating a separate Instagram account for its plus-size models, which shoppers described as “segregation”.
The company initially defended the decision, saying on Twitter that the account was created to “honor a broader group of people in our community.”
However, bosses soon reversed their decision and apologised for “a serious error of judgement” after deleting the account.