Boohoo accused of using pillows as baby bumps to sell maternity outfits

boohoo maternity clothes controversy
(Image credit: Getty)

Boohoo has been accused of using pillows as baby bumps to sell maternity outfits.

The online shop has been hit with claims that they have used pillows in their campaign for maternity clothes, rather than using actual pregnant women.

Furious customers have taken to social media to vent their frustration at the adverts.

‘I feel like @boohoo didn’t even try to make this model look like she was actually pregnant,’ wrote one customer on Twitter.

Another tweeted: ‘I was shopping got maternity clothes online this week and found it so hard to take @boohoo range seriously with the fake bumps and tiny models, however most brands do the same. Why they don’t use real pregnant women I don’t know #maternityclothes’

While another commented: ‘This is sad... as a currently 33 weeks pregnant woman I’ve come to realise how totally under represented REAL pregnant ladies are. Sore boobs, squishy butts, the lot! #sortitoutboohoo #pregnancy’

Others wrote: ‘Really @boohoo you really expect us t believe that this is a “pregnant belly” you can literally see the pillow stuffed up her dress’, ‘Looking at maternity dresses on boohoo and I bet none of the girls are actually pregnant’ and ‘It’s soo obvious they are cushions!!’

The fashion brand has not yet commented on the speculation - but they would not be the only fashion brand to have used non-pregnant women to sell maternity clothes after ASOS previously revealed why they don't use pregnant models either.

This controversy comes only two weeks after Boohoo was slammed for selling a jumper containing real fur, even though it was advertised as being fake fur.

According to an investigation by the Humane Society International and the Advertising Standards Agency, one of the fashion retailer's ‘faux fur’ jumpers, which is no longer on sale, was found to contain real fur that was likely to be from rabbits.

‘At boohoo we have a strong commitment against the sale of real fur in any of our products,’ a spokesperson for the company has said.

‘We have robust policies and procedures in place to ensure that we are able to adhere to this commitment.

Boohoo has a team of in-house Quality Assurance experts who are responsible for testing and checking of products to ensure instances such as this don’t occur.’

Aleesha Badkar
Lifestyle Writer

Aleesha Badkar is a lifestyle writer who specialises in health, beauty - and the royals. After completing her MA in Magazine Journalism at the City, the University of London in 2017, she interned at Women’s Health, Stylist, and Harper’s Bazaar, creating features and news pieces on health, beauty, and fitness, wellbeing, and food. She loves to practice what she preaches in her everyday life with copious amounts of herbal tea, Pilates, and hyaluronic acid.