Forever 21 Has Made Some Major Changes To Its Plus Size Instagram Account

Issues around body image and the media are a hot topic right now. With fashion brands feeling the pressure to expand their portrayals of women, many are opening their catalogues to plus size women. One such brand is Forever 21, who launched their 'Forever21plus' Instagram account to a lukewarm reception earlier this year. People felt some of the models used weren't plus sized at all, and received some pretty negative appraisals. With that in mind, the brand shook things up recently, with the addition of more realistic plus size models.

Sunday funday giggles with @nataliemeansnice ?? #forever21plus ? product code- rose cami 00151816, leggings 00150276

A photo posted by Forever21Plus (@forever21plus) on Mar 13, 2016 at 2:15pm PDT

Killing it ? @dounia.t #forever21plus ? product codes- top 00151839, jeans 00179610 A photo posted by Forever21Plus (@forever21plus) on Mar 26, 2016 at 2:30pm PDT

Spring layers ? @iamnatalialilly #forever21plus ? product codes- dress 00168669, shoes 00182369

A photo posted by Forever21Plus (@forever21plus) on Mar 21, 2016 at 11:55am PDT

Speaking to Racked, Forever 21 explained the decision behind their shift, explaining: "We always appreciate our customers reaching out when they have a concern and therefore have removed some of the images and are working to ensure all of our future posts accurately represent the Forever 21 Plus customer. "As a majority of the content on our social media accounts is user generated by our loyal customers, we encourage them to continue to share their own photos to provide a true representation of our clothing, embracing beauty in all shapes and sizes." However, people are still not convinced, with many questioning if there's really a need for a separate account at all. In favour of the changes Natalia Lilly said: "Me personally, I don't care to see a newsfeed full of women who look nothing like me, and are showcasing clothes I cannot fit in nor purchase." However, she counterargued: , "We are still being categorised. The barrier between slim woman and plus size woman is still there. "Shoppers may feel as though they aren't worthy, that their looks and body type are not worthy enough to be featured on big account like Forever21."