In 2018, the fashion retailer Revolve caused consumer outrage after selling a sweater on their website that read: “Being Fat is Not Beautiful, It’s an Excuse” worn by a sample-size model. Tess Holiday, a body positive model, shared the image on her social media, prompting many to criticize the brand for creating the article of clothing that used body-shaming language. Revolve addressed the public concern,  deleted the images, and explained that the clothing was released prematurely and with little clarity on the intention behind it.

discussion

What’s the first thing that jumped out at you or surprised you about the image? 

Some of the discussion around the shirt’s controversy was tied to Revolve’s choice to use a relatively slim model for this product. Do you think this controversy would change if  a plus-sized model wearing the shirt?

Revolve clarified that their intention with this line of clothing was to highlight and critique body-shaming and offensive language (based on feedback from a group of women they partnered with on this line of clothes). Would the campaign have been better if audiences understood Revolve’s intention? Why or why not? 

The fashion and modeling industries have been consistently called out for their lack of inclusivity and contribution to unattainable beauty and body standards. What kinds of representation have you noticed in these industries? Why do you think they might remain so rigid in their casting?