Amazon Fashion Europe Is the Latest to Promote Body Positivity
Amazon Fashion Europe is the latest force to throw itself behind the body positivity movement — with a “Say Something Nice” campaign that strives to combat outfit shaming, and relies on the help of a few key influencers. According to WWD, the initiative comes with a short video in which a group of stylish women recall the times when they were criticized for the way they dress.
“An off-hand comment can stick with us for a lifetime,” designer Hana Tajima explains in the video. She, along with influencers including consultant Freddie Harel, fashion blogger Susie Bubble, fashion blogger Gala Gonzalez, and fashion writer Samar Seraqui de Buttafoco explain the effect outfit shaming has had on them, and how they decided to not allow the negativity to stop them from expressing their uniqueness. “Fear of judgment does not change the way I dress, clearly,” Bubble offers.
The U.K. has always been slightly ahead of the curve in comparison to the U.S. when it comes to promoting positive body images. London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan recently announced plans to ban body shaming advertisements in the city’s transportation network. There’s also the Advertising Standards Authority, which held its first meeting in 1962 and which has allowed people living in the U.K. an outlet for complaining about ads that don’t sit right with them for whatever reason. Ads have been pulled for reasons ranging from super-skinny models to having depicted young girls in dangerous situations. The authority has been criticized for sometimes being too nitpicky, but at least consumers know they have a place to go to report problematic advertising.
Here in the States, brands like ModCloth are working to get legislation passed to put in place some kind of standard when it comes to the ads we see. Last week, the brand held an event on Capitol Hill in support of the Truth in Advertising Act, urging consumers to write their congresspeople and ask them to back the bill that wouldl put pressure on the Federal Trade Commission to “develop regulations for over airbrushing, photoshopping, or altering the appearance of people in advertisements.” Hopefully we’ll be able to catch up to our friends across the pond!
Watch Amazon’s #SaySomethingNice video above.
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