A fashion company was slammed for misusing the term "body positivity" for its latest ad campaign featuring models that don't exactly fit the description.
Fashion Nova is a fast fashion retail company that started in Los Angeles and whose success relies on affiliate marketing on social media sites like Instagram.
In advance of summer's beach season, the brand recently posted a carousel of photos touting their latest swimwear, worn by female models within the same range of body types.
"Breaking News," the fashion line teased in the headline of the first slide, adding:
"Fashion Nova's body positivity campaigns are going viral."
The sizzling campaigns went viral all right, but not the way Fashion Nova had planned.
Buzzfeed noted that the main image used for the "body positivity" campaign featured the "Aubrie Gems 2 Piece Bikini" ranging from XS to XL.
According to Fashion Nova's swimwear + lingerie size guide, the XS to XL size range was the equivalent of 32A to 40D, which does not constitute a plus size.
Fashion Nova
The outlet also pointed to an article reminding readers that the average American woman today wears a size 16 to 18 and asking why, in many cases, a size 16 and above is referred to as a plus size.
And while the largest model in the post was seen sporting 1X in two different bikini styles, those specific pieces she was modeling were only available for sale in sizes XS to XL on Fashion Nova's website.
Here is a screenshot from the post of the model wearing the orange "She Sells Seashells 2 Piece Bikini" in a 1X.
fashionnova/Instagram
Here are the available sizes on the website, indicating there is no size above an XL.
Fashion Nova
Buzzfeed staff writer Natasha Jokic wrote:
"As someone whose clothing size fluctuates between straight and plus sizes, I cannot emphasize enough how frequently brands will use images of bigger models in their campaigns just to have comparatively few plus-size options available."
They added:
"Fashion Nova does offer some clothes in a 3X, but it totals to around three pages of clothing...— a drop in the ocean for the fast fashion brand."
Consumers seeing Fashion Nova's ad wondered where the representation they were touting was in its digital catalog.
fashionova/Instagram
fashionova/Instagram
The Shade Room Instagram account shared Fashion Nova's post where the brand was slammed for its deceptive advertising.
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
Some users noticed other missed opportunities.
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
@theshaderoom/Instagram
Fashion still has a ways to go for everyone to feel seen and represented.
Let's do better.
