AIBU to question Snag Tights using very plus-size models?

Yeah can you imagine, if the OP had her way everyone being seen in an advert would have to be a size 10-12, never drinks, no piercings (infections), doesn’t dye hair (toxic), no plastic surgery (also toxic), not too much make up (causes cancer)… etc etc.

Plus this “glorifying obesity” argument is complete bollocks. People don’t look at the snag models and think, “wow if only I could look like that tomorrow” they think “if they fit that lady those tights might fit me without the crotch being down at my knees, the waist rolling, the gusset being completely out of place and/ or being stretched to buggery and laddering, I’ll give them a try”. Why should plus size people have to “imagine” this when others don’t apart from to save people like you a bit of pearl clutching. ?

Being fat isn’t a medical condition and existing in a bigger body isn’t glorifying obesity. Also weight does not determine health - you can have a “normal” BMI and be very unhealthy & vice versa. And yes, you are fat shaming. You don’t actually give a shit about their health (which you know nothing about by looking at them) you just want to judge & shame people for not being a size that is acceptable to you.

Despite the fact that you're clearly not posting in good faith, I'll try and explain it to you in simple words.

We'll take somebody who is five foot six and generally wears an XL-XXL when she buys stuff online. These are of course, dresses and the like, so aren't tights. She'd like to buy some tights when she does the shopping, but the XLs in the supermarkets have a grid that says they might fit and sometimes they do, but sometimes they don't or they're so poor quality that she's often put her nails through them or they've laddered within ten minutes.

Is her inside leg measurement;

25"
27"
29"
32"
34"

Is the rise from crotch smooth? Does she have a section overhang? Does she have a sensitive spot from where endometrial tissue was introduced into the incision 15 years ago and she therefore has extremely sensitive skin there?

Is her hip measurement

40"
42"
44"
46"
48"
50"
52"
54"

Are her legs where most of her body fat is distributed, or does she have proportionally slimmer legs?

Does she have a notable difference between the top of her hips and her lower back curve with the majority of bulk carried on her abdomen, or is it mostly down to having large breasts?

Does she have a long torso with a lot of space between hip bone and ribs or is it short?

Does she have 38/40/42/44/46/48/50/52/54/56 A/B/C/D/DD/E/EE/EEE/F/FF/G/GG/H or larger breasts or does she have 38DD and her weight/size requirement is due to lipodema?

Has she had a recent appendectomy or hysterectomy and therefore needs to be sure that a waistband will not slip down or is designed to stop at mid abdomen and put pressure on a fresh scar?

Does she have endometriosis and therefore can swell from one size to looking heavily pregnant depending upon the part of her cycle she is in?

Does she have varicose veins or scarring that she would like to be hidden by tights staying the colour of the little circle on the ordering box, or is she OK if they turn into sheer tights when worn by somebody of her particular size and build?

Does she also lift weights, swim regularly, do yoga or something else that means at least part of her size is actually muscle mass, is it mostly subcutaneous adipose tissue, soft and compressible or is it visceral adipose tissue so there is no give?

Do she actually have a condition causing fluid buildup in her body?

That's why it's necessary to be able to see somebody with a similar build modelling the significantly more expensive tights and other items. Because the female body varies so much at the same BMI, just guessing that something shown on a woman of a standard/acceptable to others size (or more likely a male with shaven, very shapely legs as tights models have tended to be) might fit and paying a tenner a pair plus postage and packaging on the basis of hope alone.

What, the message that snag tights fit fat women and look good? Yes absolutely toxic…

People that size need to see how the clothes would fit them. Is 16/18 the highest acceptable size for you? It's like height. I don't really buy clothes online, but if I did I'd like to be able to see a size 18 that's a shortarse like me. Trousers and dresses are nearly always too long, so even tall plus size women aren't representing me. It's not going to make people that aren't that size want to be that size. Most women think being big is the worst thing that they could ever be, so it's not going to spread don't worry.

Exactly. We just can't win either way. They don't want to see fat bodies in gym wear, but of course fat people are gross and lazy. Shouldn't it be a positive thing to see obese people are excersing? And as for underwear, tights, regular every day clothes - we have to exist and wear clothes in whatever body type we have.

Surely it’s just so that very plus size women know that the tights are likely to fit them? Obviously they’re not advocating for anyone to put on 10 stone! - so I really don’t see a problem.

They are both disabilities?

They are not ‘promoting obesity’.

They are promoting tights to their customers.

I'm not missing your point. At all. I understand exactly what your point is, and your point is utter bollocks.

It is just a nasty and judgemental attitude, imo, @DallazMajor.

Why shouldn’t larger people see what clothes look like on them? Thinner people don’t have to exercise their imagination, so why should I?

You genuinely don't sound very well.

Why isn't it your point, though? The logic is exactly the same as yours. Exactly.

It doesn't send any 'wrong' message. A picture of a fat person wearing tights isn't saying 'Hey ladies! This is what you should aspire to!' It's simply saying 'We make tights that will fit people of this size'. That's literally all.

They also use disabled models. Do you think anyone looks at a woman modelling tights in a wheelchair and thinks 'Ooh, she's modelling tights in a wheelchair so using a wheelchair is something I should aspire to?' No, they don't. And nobody thinks 'I should balloon to 20 stone so I look like a woman in a Snag advert' either.

You really don't seem to understand how any of this stuff works and you're also colossally in denial about your motives.

Many ranges have items specifically for wheel chair users now. Should they not use models with those 'medical conditions'

So what should the women who model tights look like

Why? Because they are fat and fat people shouldn't know what clothes might look on them? Are you offended

I am not uncomfortable looking at overweight people. I’m not judgemental in the slightest.

You are literally suggesting that overweight people should be excluded from modelling clothes because you think pictures of fat people are dangerous. You absolutely are uncomfortable seeing pictures of overweight people and you absolutely are being judgemental. It's the very definition of judgemental to decide that an entire group of human beings shouldn't be allowed to appear in marketing materials just because you don't like seeing them.

I have been a size 12 and a size 22

Ah, there it is. Like I said before: internalised self-loathing. You're clearly not confident about your own body and you're not comfortable seeing other overweight people being comfortable with theirs.

Clearly this is triggering your own body image issues, one way or another, but that's very much a you problem.

Yeah I’m definitely looking at the pictures of the models on the site and thinking, gosh, morbid obesity looks amazing! I might try it 😂

Fat people existing does not equal “glorifying” obesity.

The models in question are not size 18/20 they are size 28/30

Yes, and they're wearing the clothes the company sells, in those sizes. If a company sells clothes in size 28, obviously it makes sense to have them modelled by the people who are going to buy them.

Again: the fact that you don't like something doesn't mean it should be banned. This is merely your personal preference and frankly, I feel like there might be a little bit of internalised self-hatred going on here for you too. Just something to think about.