Boohoo criticised by shoppers for allegedly describing UK size eight as ‘large’

It's not the first time the retailer has been criticised for its sizing

Olivia Petter
Saturday 02 February 2019 14:09 EST
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Research shows that the widespread denigration of celebrity physiques can cause us to internalise negative thoughts and feelings about our own bodies
Research shows that the widespread denigration of celebrity physiques can cause us to internalise negative thoughts and feelings about our own bodies (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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Online shoppers are criticising Boohoo, claiming that the online retailer is misleading customers with its sizing info by describing UK size eight garments as “large”.

One person posted a screengrab allegedly taken from Boohoo’s website on Twitter depicting a model wearing a pair of “chain trim cargo trousers” in a size 10, but in the product description, it appears to state that “L is a size eight” while “M is a size six and S is a size four”.

“I beg your pardon @boohoo,” they wrote, “since when was a size eight a large… sort it out”.

There have been numerous other complaints circulating on Twitter with regards to Boohoo’s sizing in recent months, with one shopper writing on Tuesday that she’d ordered a large “just to be extra safe” but that it didn’t fit despite the fact that she is normally a UK size 12: “@boohoo trying to tell me I’m size 18-20??? Lmfao [sic].”

Another said a recent sizing mishap at Boohoo had lowered her self-esteem.

“So @boohoo when your size ‘Large’ bodysuit doesn’t even do up for my size 10 friend, what the f***size would I have to get? Just wasted £5.99 delivery on a punch to my self esteem,” they wrote.

One person expressed outraged that a bodysuit had been described as “plus” on the retailer’s website, posting a screengrab on Twitter on Friday.

“Plus size?” they wrote, “Ok Boohoo if u say so [sic]”.

Others questioned why the model in question had been categorised as “plus”, implying that she was plus-size.

“No wonder girls have body insecurities if this is in anyway considered plus [sic],” they wrote.

The claims online are at odds with the sizing descriptions listed on Boohoo’s website, in which a size small is listed as a UK size six to eight and a large is a 14 to 16.

The Independent has contacted Boohoo for comment.

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