Nike and their choice to use plus size mannequins

“To celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of sport, the space will not just celebrate local elite and grassroot athletes through visual content, but also show Nike plus size and para-sport mannequins for the first time on a retail space.”

CNN Style

Recently Nike has unveiled a woman’s plus size mannequin located in a new space in London. Nike had launched their plus size ranges above sixe 16 in February 2017. When visiting the Nike website, there is an easy to click link to take you directly to all the plus size clothing and active wear offered. Many folks are used to going into any store, especially ones with active wear, and seeing mannequins that are small, or skinny or considered to have perfect figures. Once you get home and try on your clothing, you wonder why it never looks as good as it does on the mannequin? Because a lot of women are not a size 8. According to a Today’s Show article in 2016, the average size of a woman had gone up from a size 14 to size 16. These mannequins need to revamped to show the average woman and give women the ability to be able to feel like they can compare.

There have been both positive and negative comments on this unveiling. I tend to lean toward the positive size because I am plus size and also work out.

Pros:

• Keeping up with the times: This new plus size mannequin is now showing the average woman. Not just a model with a perfect body. Women don’t want to feel bad when they go in an active wear store to buy clothing and feel they don’t fit.
• Positive Body Image: Nowadays women already feel like their bodies are not good enough. This launch shows women that you can be plus size and still not have to feel like you should be embarrassed to buy active wear clothes along with having the courage to go and work out.
• Inclusivity: We all want to fit in. We don’t want to walk into a store, especially Nike, to look for a size you cannot find. They want to make sure that everyone is included in the journey of becoming active and healthy. Also, Nike is stylish. We all want to be able to purchase and wear stylish clothing. Not offering plus size would keep plus size customers from purchasing items.

Cons:

• Support of Unhealthily Lifestyle: Some articles and journalist have slammed Nike for using plus size mannequins because they believe that it supports an unhealthy lifestyle. One article by Tanya Gold writes “[T]he new Nike mannequin is not size 12, which is healthy, or even 16 – a hefty weight, yes, but not one to kill a woman. She is immense, gargantuan, vast. She heaves with fat.”
• Idea of being unhealthy is ok: Offering clothing of all sizes may support women’s idea that it is ok to be plus size and not feel like that need to loose weight, even though it may be affecting their health.

In the end, I feel like there is way more positive buzz around this. Also being plus size and wanting to wear Nike, I feel like I can see myself in this story. I work out and want to be stylish while I work out as well. Nike wants women (and people) of all sizes to feel comfortable enough to enter their stores, purchase active wear/clothing, and be confident enough to wear it out. They gym is already nerve wracking enough for many people, so feeling comfortable in your own skin and clothing will make a world of difference. With the support of Nike, anything is possible. One Cosmopolitan artcle writes “Because reputation matters” and I truly believe that.

Female athletes come in all sizes. Skinny does not equal healthy, just as plus size does not equal unhealthy. We all want to feel comfortable in our own skin and want to be able to go into a store at any size with confidence and positivity. This is what I believe Nike is doing and we should all jump on this idea of inclusivity. We all matter, regardless of size.

Many people have taken to social media to share their thoughts.

CNN ✔ @CNN · 6 Jun 2019 Nike has introduced plus-size mannequins in its London flagship store https://cnn.it/2IsZdnH View image on Twitter Ian Lee Rockwell @IanLeeRockwell It’s more important to be healthy than it is to be skinny. Anything that promotes a healthy lifestyle is a plus in my book. Positive body image is important to mental health. Big is beautiful too. 20 02:03 – 7 Jun 2019

Femestella @femestella Really digging this plus size mannequin at @Nike reenforcing that big girls can be badass athletes too 🙌 #effyourbeautystandards

Ashley Stokes @_AStokes_ Idk why but this @Nike mannequin makes me feel so empowered. 58 9:53 PM – Jun 5, 2019

MADELEINE @Frenchd0gblues Telling overweight people exercise bc ‘there’s no excuse’ then also telling overweight people that they look horrendous in gym clothes

Articles of relevance:

Nike introduces plus-size and para-sport mannequins to London store

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/fashion/a27750324/nike-plus-size-mannequin/

People Are Applauding Nike For Installing Plus-Size Mannequins & Promoting Inclusivity

https://www.businessinsider.com/nikes-plus-sized-mannequin-sparks-backlash-2019-6

https://www.today.com/style/what-s-average-size-16-new-normal-us-women-t103315