Sweaty Betty don't know what a woman is

[happydappy2]

Have just been shopping in Sweaty Betty and there was a video playing on a large screen, detailing the triumphs of a trans girl being able to compete as a cheerleader and in female track sports competitively. I did have to mention to the sales assistant that the problem with including males in females teams is that a biological female gets excluded...explained about Laurel Hubbard being picked for the womens weightlifting team thus excluding a biological young woman from her chance to go to the Olympics . Anyone else seen this video? I'm a little disappointed Sweaty Betty aren't championing the rights of women to compete in a single sex category!

Sweaty Betty don't care about diversity and inclusion when their leggings are £90 and only go up to a size 12.

What did the sales girl say??

The sales girl is literally just a min wage checkout assistant. She has no power at all and won’t even report your comments to anyone. If you’re concerned then your best bet is to write to head office.

@Tuberoses

The sales girl is literally just a min wage checkout assistant. She has no power at all and won’t even report your comments to anyone. If you’re concerned then your best bet is to write to head office.

Absolutely this.

And I would definitely contact HO about it.

I was very gentle with the sale assistant-she's just doing her job-I just told her why the video made me feel uncomfortable. Yes agree taking it up with head office is better, am composing a msg now...

Given that form-fitting leggings for male-bodied people would be constructed entirely differently from those for women, this would appear to be empty virtue signalling, because AFIK Sweaty Betty don't make sportswear for male bodied people.

(Alternatively, it could be a sort of propaganda campaign to persuade their female customers to share their changing rooms and showers nicely and make way for male-bodied people on their teams without kicking up a fuss. Which is kind of sinister.)

Damn it! I really like SB's leggings! In fact, I just bought some new ones the other week. I didn't know about the video.

I haven't seen the video. Not much the sales assistant can do.
Sweaty Betty do leggings much larger than size 12.

There is information about their support of pride on their website.

www.sweatybetty.com/movewithpride-lilly.html

“ Growing up, I constantly wanted to do sports but couldn’t register due to my documents not saying the proper pronouns and gender. It wasn’t until I got the documents corrected in high school that I was able to do all the sports I wanted”.

I don’t get it - why couldn’t he do sports as a biological male?

That’s not the goal though is it...

I don’t get it - why couldn’t he do sports as a biological male?

Exactly. Nothing stopping them competing in track and cheerleading regardless of sex.

My dd does cheer and although there are no boys in her team, when we have been to competitions there have been boys in other teams, so there is nothing stopping boys competin anyway

@EishetChayil

Sweaty Betty don't care about diversity and inclusion when their leggings are £90 and only go up to a size 12.

What did the sales girl say??

Look on their website-some of their models are clearly above a size 12. Their leggings come in an XXL which is an 18-20 according to their size guide.

Yes, I saw their window displays with a she/her pronoun cheerleader and it pissed me off. Had an absolute rant about it but my friend works in the store so I can’t submit a complaint for fear of getting them in trouble. Terrible timing for them with the Olympic fiasco, perhaps they will learn.

I think brands need to stay out of politics full stop. Unless you are a charity or actively working in that space, it’s empty virtual signalling.

What are SB actually doing to help these trans athletes they care so much about? And how does that link back to them making money as a premium women’s sports wear brand whose main customer base is probably women over 35?

Poor business decision. I work in the industry and will be asking all my clients to think about this before embarking on ridiculous, meaningless brand purpose campaigns.

I went off Sweaty Betty when they sent me a card through the post suggesting that my bum needed sculpting whilst running. I really don't care what my bum looks like, I can't actually see it (and I can't imagine the sheep and cows on my runs particularly care either). Do men get told they need to sculpt their bums? I'm sick of all this stuff that tells us there's something wrong with the female body.

they better start upping their sizes then - seriously though, the impact of this stuff on the sales assistants, on the people working in the office, on any of their brand ambassadors is chilling. Wont be buying their overpriced stuff again.

In the collage, they feature the transwoman 5 times and the 2 lesbians 5 times between them.

So a brand which is specially aimed at women gives more space to the person who isn't female.

Oh well, you can take me off your mailing list SB.

I'd like to see Laurel Hubbard in a Sweaty Betty outfit.

Actually, I wouldn't.

Who do they think their main market is? Honestly, I'm so sick of the contempt for women.

Hey sweaty Betty how about poor people who can’t afford your dead expesinve leggings

Very exclusive

Can you be more exclusive and give us the poor special deals

And for us of us who needs our bums sculpting can we get special deals to get our bums sculpted so we can meet your expectations

Companies seem to forget that 50 percent of consumers who are disappointed with a brand’s stance on a social issue stop buying it. On the issue of trans women in female sports, I've not met a single person who supports it or thinks it's fair. That's alienating a lot of customers.

And SB does all women’s clothes don’t they? So why not cheer women on?

Actually - if they had a campaign with Kuanini Manumua, I’d get my fat backside to the store and buy something.

£90 for some glorified tights?

That is a months food for some people.

£90 for some glorified tights?

I can’t believe how expensive they are now.

Many many years ago I used to buy a lot from there. I got most of my post pregnancy wardrobe as they did great combat style (showing my age now ) trousers for about £30.

I suppose it’s the rise of gym fashion…