AIBU to question John Lewis advert and its message about women?

[Sheldonsheher]

John Lewis pushing this advert on my social media. Do they support oppression of women or is this a symbol of women’s right to choose .

Right to choose, the model does not have a niqab.

Loving the "Catholicism and Judaism doesn't oppress women" opinion - that's wild!

Isn’t it?

Proof that racism makes people lose all critical thinking skills.

Muslim men cover themselves up to pray they have a dress code,

It's a shop. It's sells things that it thinks people want.

Shops like to pretend they care (yay, we support Pride; Ooo this down was ethically plucked), but they only care about the things they think we care about and will make us want to buy from them.

I actually find John Lewis more conservative than most- at least you can still get a nativity set or vaguely religious Christmas decorations there. And it looks after it's employees better than many retailers do.

Britain has a large Muslim population, a lot of whom live in the big cities where John Lewis has its stores. They also have money, just like you. So some canny buyer at John Lewis has thought 'rather than having them spend their money in a little specialist place, let's see if we can get them to spend it in John Lewis- and as they leave with their new clothes let's try and sell them a lipstick and a candle too'.

It probably came up in your Facebook feed because it's gone slightly viral and is getting lots of comments and angry faces. So Facebook wanted to see if you'd like to put an angry face too. And it wasn't wrong was it? Clever little algorithm.

Indeed, Muslim men tend to wear a thobe or long shirt and a prayer cap.

Are you deluded? 😂

I'm Muslim and I wouldn't buy that - not for any other reason other that it is over priced compared to what I would use it for and what others retailers offer it for. I love a good bargain me! And I have many of these items of clothing both for prayer purposes and sometimes to wear to social events, ie funerals and the mosque etc. This is a choice by the way - as no man in my life dare tell me how to dress.

For context every friend of mine who is Muslim and wears the hijab and niqab is due to their own personal choice. I mean one friend in particular is single by choice and has chosen to wear this as her dedication to her religion. I just love LOVE the assumption that women are forced into these choices.

It came up “randomly” based on your algorithms.

I dread to think what your search history had been.

There's a 15,000 square foot John Lewis in Dubai Festival City. I should imagine they'd sell a few there.

OP, why do you keep saying 'maybe its my age'. What has your age got to do with it, unless you are extremely young and naive? I am not a young women, so it doesn't surprise me that a shop would want to sell as many products as it could to as wide a market as possible.

It came up on my Facebook page as they know I like John Lewis in the same way that they know I like some other retail outlets. I saw it alongside a lot of other products and was mildly surprised but I guess JL are trying to be inclusive. That’s as far as my thoughts went.

I’ve never googled that! I do see lots of JL adverts though.

You now what ... Muslims are just normal people too. They are busy and have lives. They also have family/community things they will be invited to and want to attend where they may need to buy an outfit they don't have. Being able to order something quickly for click and collect on the JL website is something we all appreciate from time to time.

It is up to Muslim women what they want to wear. I’ve got no problem with JL catering to this demographic to be honest. What’s your problem with it? Or are you being islamaphobic ?

I meant my age as in old. As I was surprised John Lewis stock religious wear tbh.

My daughter converted to Islam about five years ago and now dresses in much the same way as the model in the JL advert. Ten years ago she would have gone out for the evening wearing a skirt not much longer than a pelmet, a revealing top, and loads of make up. She is one of the most assertive, articulate, free thinking, and independent people I know but she is now completely at peace with her life, is much happier than I have ever seen her, and finds it liberating to wear this type of clothing. When she’s in the UK, she finds it difficult to find nice quality clothing so Im sure she will be interested to see what John Lewis have on offer. She is astounded when people say that this type of clothing is oppressive, and she dresses like this out of choice, not because she is forced to.

I do not think OP is in Afghanistan.
I think too people don’t know that long, loose clothes are actually very functional in these countries. They protect against the high UV at high altitides. They create a micro-climate so you are cool in the heat of the day and warm after sunset because high altitudes it gets really cold. The temperature can swing 25-30C from day to night. If you compare men to women, they’re all pretty covered up. It’s only the women also have their faces covered.

It's appeared for me too randomly.

Many skin cancer survivors wear burkinis as it is the best way to go to the beach and protect yourself from more skin cancer.

That’s odd because as a regular JL customer all I’m getting is Fathers’ Day suggestions.

I think they’re just trying to grab money from all audiences possible, love. It’s not that deep.

The majority (by far) of Muslim women in the UK do not wear a burka. I can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone wearing one, hijab and niqab yes.

There's offence everywhere if you look for it.
I don't see it here.
There are women who buy these so they need to buy them somewhere. So JL will sell them
I won't buy it because it's not for me.

I won't buy a push up bra either because that's not for me either but I have no problem seeing them advertised.