There’s Controversy Surrounding Nike’s Plus-Size Mannequins and Social Media Is Not Having It

Updated on June 10 at 8:30 a.m.

The debut of plus-size mannequins at Nike's London flagship store was rightfully celebrated by many. However, a recent editorial from The Telegraph has many scratching their heads, as the publication questions whether the mannequins are "selling a dangerous lie."

In a piece published on Sunday, June 9, one writer theorized that the inclusion of plus-size mannequins was the brand's way of highlighting a "fat-acceptance movement...that is no friend to women." In another section, the decision to include the mannequins was called "terrible cynicism": "The new mannequin is obese, and she is not readying herself for a run in her shiny Nike gear. She cannot run. She is, more likely, pre-diabetic and on her way to a hip replacement. What terrible cynicism is this on the part of #Nike?"

Many have responded on Twitter and called out The Telegraph for "completely missing the point," including the following: "Having mannequins in the store in different shapes sizes is more representative of real people. You don't have to be any specific size shape or age to go to the gym or to wear fitness clothing." Another follower shared their own story, saying, "I look like that @nike mannequin, and I’ve done a 10k, a half, & a marathon this year. And there’s another 10k & a half coming up. If you think obese women can’t run you’ve clearly been living under a rock."

As brands like Gabbi Fresh and Universal Standard continue to offer clothing in all sizes, it's great to see Nike taking that a step further and making shopping inclusive, too. As so many on social media pointed out, there's truly no one size fits all in fashion, and it's best to celebrate the diversity of body types instead of tearing them down.

At least once every few months I apologize to a mannequin for walking into it, which is weird because mannequin’s look nothing like actual human bodies. They’re freakishly tall, skinny, and often don’t have a head. This is why we think it’s pretty cool that Nike is now using mannequins with more realistic proportions in their London flagship store. As of this week, the mannequins include para-sport and plus-size bodies that are closer to real life than usual mannequins.

The plus-size mannequins do a good job of advertising the fact that Nike carries sizes for a variety of bodies. “With the incredible momentum in women’s sport right now, the redesigned space is just another demonstration of Nike’s commitment to inspiring and serving the female athlete,” said Sarah Hannah, Nike’s GM/VP for women in EMEA. Their plus-size designs go up to 3X (size 16) and they’ve recently collaborated on a campaign with the body-diversity advocate and fashion Instagrammer Chloe Elliott. Very cool.

Of course, Nike isn’t the only brand to feature a broader range of sizes. Brands such as Girlfriend Collective (which carry up to size 6X), Universal Standard (up to size 4X), and Superfit Hero (up to size 5X), are all inclusive places to buy plus-size workout gear. We love that their product shots and campaigns feature an array of sizes, giving us an idea of what clothes look like on a variety of body types.

Major kudos to Nike for bringing plus-size mannequins into their stores. We hope they continue this representation with human plus-size models in their mainstream campaigns, and that other retailers will soon follow suit.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue