The CEO of this boutique banned employees who don’t look like “stereotypical models” from appearing on the store’s Instagram
We’re living in a glorious age of body positivity, and we feel so lucky that there are so many people out there working so diligently to expand the definition of what it means to be beautiful.
That said, there are still people who seem to have missed the memo. Like the owner of the Dainty Hooligan clothing boutique, Jessica Isler, who recently sent her employees and unsettling and unfortunate e-mail about the type of girl who is “allowed” to be featured on the company’s social media.
“Something I want to make sure you keep in mind: I want size small, the stereotypical ‘model’ type to model our clothes,” Isler wrote. “Please use our pictures of our models if Stillwater store can’t find someone who would be considered ‘model material.’ This is not to put anyone down but to communicate the expectations of presenting our brand.”
As Refinery29 reports, one employee in particular, Sherene Zarrabi, felt targeted by the e-mail. Up until Issler’s missive, Zarrabi had only received positive feedback for the Instagrams she posted of herself on her store’s account. And we totally get why after sneaking a peek at Zarrabi’s personal Insta. Lady is a stylish boss, check it:
We also took a peek at the Dainty Hooligan main Instagram account and saw examples of the type of mode Issler seems to be referring to in her email: thin, white, and blonde:
Honestly, it’s a little boring seeing the same type of model (actually, make that the same EXACT model) over and over again. This Insta could use an injection of Zarrabi stat. And we imagine that Zarrabi’s pics were money for her store. After all, Dainty Hooligan doesn’t just carry size small, their clothes also come in medium and large, and Zarrabi shows how beautifully the store’s clothes look on different sizes. Issler’s reprimand doesn’t just seem like bad ethics to us, it also just seems like bad business.
Zarrabi immediately quit Dainty Hooligan after receiving her boss’ backwards e-mail, and in the wake of her exit, her story has gone viral. So what does Zarrabi’s former boss have to say for herself?
“I am accountable for the email that was sent,” Issler said in an interview with the O’Colly. “I never meant to be mean or attacking, but I’m not apologizing for the unsaid fashion rule.”
We’re not hundred percent certain what Issler means by “unsaid fashion rule” but we can guess that it’s something archaic and outdated and not at all in line with the body positivity revolution that is taking place at the moment.
In another uncool move, Issler then took an inappropriate (and, honestly, confusing) shot at Zarrabi.
“This girl has now created a hostile work environment because she has a sad body image of herself,” Issler said, adding “She’s not mentally healthy.”
It’s unfortunate that Issler, rather than apologizing and making a good faith promise to do better, just dug her heels in. That said, we’re proud of Zarrabi for how she responded to her former boss’ comments:
“I am proud of myself for quitting.What I really want is for young girls, like my sister, to know that you don’t have to be a certain size to be beautiful.”
She then added, “I wouldn’t have posted the pictures if I wasn’t confident in myself.
Hear, hear.
