UK brand Missguided debuts mannequins with stretch marks, freckles and vitiligo

‘Inclusivity’ is not a word anyone would associate with clothing mannequins, but one UK fashion retailer is hoping to change that.
 
Missguided is using mannequins that have stretch marks, freckles, and the skin condition vitiligo in its London and Kent stores.
 
These physical features can be found on plenty of real female bodies, yet they very rarely appear in fashion advertising and displays.

 

The ‘body positive’ mannequin range also includes a range of ethnicities and some figures wearing hijabs.

Though the response to the "manne-queens" has been overwhelmingly positive, some have questioned why Missguided chose to feature just one body shape.
 
“Diversity is more than skin deep. Where are the shorter mannequins? Where are the mannequins that aren’t a size zero?” writes Fast Company’s KC Ifeanyi.

The new mannequins come just months after Missguided launched its #MakeYourMark campaign, encouraging consumers to love themselves and embrace their “imperfections”.

RELATED: Model shouts out to her 'magic' stretch marks in body-positive Instagram post
 
"We're on a mission to inspire babes the world over to love themselves, for themselves, to embrace your flaws, and to not strive for what the world perceives as perfection,” a message on the brand’s website stated.
 
“Because f--- perfection, it doesn't exist.”

LISTEN: The Life Bites podcast on the importance of female solidarity. (Post continues.)

As part of the campaign, the Missguided website featured unretouched photos of models with a range of body types and skin colours.
 
Models with clearly visible stretch marks also appeared on its social media pages, though Missguided was forced to defend the photos amid accusations the marks had been edited in.
 
"To all the haters who doubted us, the only part of this photo we retouched was the model's [underwear]," the retailer said on Instagram.