Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, but it has been approximately nine months since Target came under fire for labeling “heather gray” dresses as “manatee gray” for their plus-size versions, and now the retailer is once again in a plus-size heap of trouble after it was discovered they used an otherwise svelte pregnant woman to model their plus-size version of a Merona maxi dress. (Click the screen shot above to enlarge.)
In the listing for the dress on Target.com (originally posted by Jezebel) the model can be seen with one hand resting on her pregnant belly. Here’s a photo of just the “plus-size” model zoomed in:
^ Merona® Women’s Plus-Size Short-Sleeve V-Neck Maxi Dress – Black/Cream
And just in case you’re curious how the full-size dress looks on a thin pregnant model from behind, here’s a rear view:
Target has since deleted the listing, but have not officially responded to the controversy. If the story gains traction online then I assume we will soon be getting something very similar to their apology for the whole “manatee gray” thing:
@suZen We apologize for this unintentional oversight & never intend to offend our guests. We've heard you, and we're working to fix it ASAP.
— Target (@Target) April 3, 2013