Plus-size woman stands naked in shop window to protest skinny mannequins

Shoppers were left open-mouthed after a woman staged a naked protest against the lack of plus-size mannequins in stores.

The woman, who remains unnamed, took her clothes off to stand in the window of Dorothy Perkins in Bluewater shopping centre.

Wearing a blonde wig taken from one of the mannequins, she remained for around 15 minutes before being escorted away by police.

Although she didn’t utter a word, bystanders believed that the protest was against the fashion industry’s continued use of underweight and unrealistic mannequins.

“She was probably annoyed that most mannequins are slim and none are bigger!” one woman tweeted.

Others were less kind, mocking the woman’s appearance.

A spokesperson for Bluewater appeared to suggest that the woman suffered from mental health issues, saying: “We are aware of an incident with a visitor to the mall yesterday, and that she was quickly reunited with her carers.”

A study carried out earlier this year revealed that the majority of mannequins used in British stores were “ultra-thin” and “medically unhealthy.”

Several retailers including Topshop have promised to include more realistic mannequins in their stores but have so far failed to do so.

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