I Have No Idea Who Thought This Was A Good Way To Advertise Plus-Sized Underwear, But I Hope They’re Updating Their Résumé

There are ads that are bad, and then there are ads that are so terrible that you legitimately cannot fathom how the concept was conceived in the first place. Like, recently Ancestry.com ran a ridiculously tone-deaf ad that romanticized slavery. The ad was so inappropriate that it ended up getting pulled by the company. This plus-sized clothing company that ran ads featuring thin models stretching the underwear with their hands might want to follow suit. 

The offending company is called Plus Size Baby, so it’s specifically geared toward plus-sized women, and yet they thought it would somehow be a good idea to use the pictures below. The idea is so stupid it honestly boggles the mind. 

plussizebaby

I’ll give you a minute to pick your jaw up off the floor. 

You might be wondering, as I was, what exactly a waif like the one pictured (complete with fake thigh gap, thanks to Photoshop) is doing modeling a pair of panties that come in size L-3X. Unfortunately, I have no answer for you.  

plusssizebaby

The company even tweeted a picture like this and wrote, “Sexy Lace Panties for Plus Size Women” (and added the hashtags #bigsize and #curvygirls”). OK, if the panties are FOR plus-sized women, then maybe try an actual PLUS-SIZED MODEL instead of a size 0?

I’ve been shaking my head so much I can barely see straight. 

This doesn’t make an ounce of sense and it’s offensive as hell. And Twitter definitely agreed. 

People pointed out that they advertised other lingerie and even leggings on the site this way, too.  

Yes, they definitely do seem to be 100 percent committed to having their heads up their butts. That is actually a skinny model standing in ONE LEG of a pair of plus-sized leggings, as if that’s the best way to show how they would fit. I just…my brain broke. 

In all seriousness, not using plus-sized models to, hello, model plus-sized clothes is stupid and rude. It’s not like there aren’t countless plus-sized models out there that would be perfect for the job. The ad is basically saying, “We can’t show you these on a plus-sized body because we’re either too lazy, too stupid, or too misogynistic to use one, so here’s someone way smaller than you. Try to imagine yourself in these, we’re not going to help you out.” 

At least there are plethora of options for buying plus-sized clothing online and no one has to shop at Plus Size Baby ever. 

h/t: Scary Mommy

Dean Altman

Dean Altman is a writer living in NYC.