Bridal boutique owner with a size 32 mannequin in the window says the display is 'laughed and jeered at' on a daily basis by 'fat-shaming' passersby

 

• Debbie Shelley overhears the heckling of her size 32 bridal mannequin daily
• Said she's 'really proud' to display the model, and her aim is to be as inclusive 
• Put up a sign to ask customers not to fat-shame model who she calls 'Fuschia'  A bridal boutique owner has revealed she witnesses daily fat-shaming after putting a size 32 mannequin on display in her shop window.

  Debbie Shelley from Minehead, Somerset, says she constantly overhears the heckling of her mannequin - which she named 'Fuschia after putting it in the window of her shop Somerset Bridal.  

  Speaking to ITV News, she said she's 'really proud' to display the model, and that her aim is to be as inclusive as possible. She added that this can be upsetting to her staff and customers.'Our little family of mannequins started with a size 12, we got an 18, we got a 20 but then I was always looking for a mannequin that represented all of our brides - mainly the size 26s and above,' she said.   

  

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  A bridal boutique owner has revealed she witnesses daily fat-shaming after putting a size 32 mannequin on display in her shop window. Debbie Shelley from Minehead, Somerset, says she constantly overhears the heckling of her mannequin - which she named 'Fuchsia. She added that this can be upsetting to her staff and customers.

  But after hearing cruel comments and jokes, Debbie put a sign up reading: 'Are you laughing or are you fat-shaming?'

  Speaking to ITV, Debbie said they were 'really proud' to display Fuschia alongside other plus sizes mannequins. 

  'As we were doing appointments we were listening to people talking outside and finding that they were laughing, jeering, pointing, making jokes and just saying really rude things to Fuschia.'We would have brides in the shop that could hear this going on and it was really upsetting for me that people can mock people because of their size. Who are we to judge what's going on in people's lives, why they're the size they are? It's just not the ethos of our shop.'

  Debbie says she set up her business after struggling herself to find a dress she loved for her wedding.

  Sharing a snap of the picture of Instagram, Debbie added that she was proud to provide wedding gowns in 'every shape and size'.     

  

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  After hearing cruel comments and jokes, Debbie put a sign up reading: 'Are you laughing or are you fat-shaming?'

  'When I bought my own dress over five years ago I soon realised that buying a dress when you're bigger is near on impossible and the experience ended with buying a dress that I didn’t love and certainly didn’t fit properly,' she wrote.

  'I’ve made it my life’s work to ensure no other bride lacks choice or support when buying their gown.

  'We have the gorgeous dresses we just did not have the mannequins and after years of searching during this last lockdown Fuchsia, the plus-sized mannequin arrived in the boutique and we LOVE her with all our hearts.

  'BUT Minehead, and visitors to Minehead, have not responded as you’d expect them to when seeing Fuchsia residing in the window. She is heckled, laughed at, jeered at. Fuchsia is being fat-shamed during a time when society should know better. We have had to install a sign in the window next to Fuchsia asking people to think before being rude. Fat-shaming is a thing of the past or so you might think.....

  'I’m really sad that people are being so unkind. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. I run an inclusive boutique. All women are welcome. The response to our mannequin is making my brides feel uneasy. Try falling in love with your dream dress when there are hecklers outside being rude to Fuschia!!! Hopefully, passers-by might read this and think better before being unkind in the future!