This week, Revolve removed a sweatshirt that read "Being fat is not beautiful, it's an excuse." from their site after Twitter dragged the brand for the fat-phobic message.
What the hell is this @REVOLVE !?
Florence Given, a London-based artist and activist, said that within minutes of her calling out the shirt, Revolve had reached out to her and removed the shirt from its site.
Supermodel Tess Holliday could only laugh at the mess, posting a screenshot on Twitter:
LOLLLLL @REVOLVE y’all are a mess.
@Xhayley_kittyx wanted to know how vain one would have to be to push this message:
@Tess_Holliday @REVOLVE Imagine being that vain, self important and judgmental by wearing this 🤷🏼♀️
@AshleeWhite23 was "fuming" and asked what many were thinking: "Who on earth thought this was okay?!"
I will never shop @REVOLVE ever again. I’m beyond disgusted, offended, & disappointed. EVERYBODY.... no matter what size, is BEAUTIFUL. #Revolve Who on earth thought this was okay?! I’m fuming. https://t.co/hGGMxyDiHT
@Chrisspymakeup wasn't amused by Revolve's idea of "promoting body positivity" :
So apparently this is @REVOLVE’s idea of promoting body positivity? What a joke
This Twitter user questioned the true intention behind the t-shirt:
@Tess_Holliday Lemme guess! This shirt was designed to “encourage” people to lose weight but not make fun of them. BS! Can’t wait for the excuses!
And another Twitter user noted how it's "bad enough as it is with people having eating disorders because of pressure online":
@Tess_Holliday @REVOLVE They didn’t think this one through. Nice to constantly have companies body shaming! It’s bad enough as it is with people having eating disorders because of pressure online and in the media.
According to Revolve, the sweatshirt — designed by LPA in collaboration with Lena Dunham — was meant to send an empowering message about cyberbullying, but people like @Joelbirdtweets didn't like the execution:
@FelicityHayward @JessieFaerber @REVOLVE Apparently this is a charity jumper addressing the worst quotes from trolls on social media... I don’t think it was well thought through!
"For months I’ve been working on a collaboration with my friend Pia’s company LPA through parent company @revolve - sweatshirts that highlight quotes from prominent women who have experienced internet trolling & abuse," Dunham wrote on Instagram. "Without consulting me or any of the women involved, @revolve presented the sweatshirts on thin white women, never thinking about the fact that difference and individuality is what gets you punished on the Internet, or that lack of diversity in representation is a huge part of the problem (in fact, the problem itself.) As a result, I cannot support this collaboration or lend my name to it in any way."
LPA responded and apologized via Instagram, saying that "What was conceived as a statement on today’s internet culture and its treatment of women has gone terribly wrong."
After the brand and designers issued statements, Tess Holiday took back to Twitter to share an important lesson in Body Representation 101:
I hope this is a lesson for brands that if you are going to launch merch intended to break down stereotypes in regards to “fat” bodies, you need to use a VISIBLY plus size model & have size inclusive sizes. You can stop at XL (which is prob a junior plus), you have to do better.
What do you guys think?
As/Is has reached out to Revolve for comment.