Yesterday evening, student Becky Hopper shared this snap of her friend next to a Topshop mannequin on Twitter.
The girl on the left is a size 8/10. #Topshop #poorbodyimage #irresponsible #fashion #highstreet <img src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f62a.png">
Sidenote for our American friends: Size 8/10 in the UK is the equivalent of size 4/6 in the US.
The tweet was swiftly shared and commented on thousands of times, with many describing the size of the mannequin's legs as "appalling" and "irresponsible".
@rostinted @danwootton @BeckyLHopper It's awful that a brand as big as Topshop is promoting this image as 'the norm'-they should know better
@KCAllen_xo @danwootton @BeckyLHopper Totally agree! They should b promoting a healthy image- eating well, exercise&natural bone structure!x
The girl on the left is a size 8/10. #Topshop #poorbodyimage #irresponsible #fashion #highstreet <img src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f62a.png">
Hopper and her friend in the photo, Georgia Bibby – both 23 years old – spotted the mannequin while shopping in the Topshop store at St Stephen's Shopping Centre, Hull.
"I have seen mannequins like this before but never this bad," she told BuzzFeed News. "I think it's possibly worse in the store than it looks on that photo. It appalled me, as it's such a poor misrepresentation of the female body and just irresponsible from a company as big as Topshop."
Hopper said the response to her tweet has been overwhelming and that she's pleased attention is being brought to the issue, but added that some people have claimed her tweet is "body shaming" skinnier girls.
"That's not the case at all," she said. "All shapes and sizes should be represented to young people, not just skinny."
BuzzFeed News asked Topshop for a comment, but the retailer had not responded at the time of publication.
In the meantime, Hopper is keeping herself occupied.
Celebrating not looking like a Topshop mannequin. 😂
Update
Topshop has commented on the controversy, saying:
"Topshop has long made it a priority to showcase a healthy size image to its customer from the choice of models used in the campaigns, to the stories run online and on the blog. The mannequins Topshop uses are not bespoke to Topshop and are supplied by a company that has been working with leading retailers for the past 30 years. The mannequin in question has been used in stores the past four years and is based on a standard UK size 10. The overall height, at 187cm, is taller than the average girl and the form is a stylised one to have more impact in store and create a visual focus.
"Mannequins are made from solid fibreglass, so in order for clothing to fit, the form of the mannequins needs to be of certain dimensions to allow clothing to be put on and removed; this is therefore not meant to be a representation of the average female body."