This year I got the pleasure of photographing some e-commerce work for the clothing company Mannersldn and I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity of the people I got to shoot. Usually, in e-commerce work, the models are very similar and a certain body type and skin colour are used for 80% of the work across the industry. This is because using these models has sold clothes well in the past so they carry on using those models. The problem is when the consumer doesn't match the models they are seeing. It's hard to know what those clothes will look like on your body shape or against your skin tone and you start feeling invisible or that those clothes aren't for you to wear.
Mannersldn is run by a self-taught designer who is a single mother. She prides herself on making clothes that women feel gorgeous and comfortable in. A big feature that her customers love is that, because of the stretchy fabric she uses, you don't have to wear a bra! Yes, even your GG boobs are supported and it's so freeing to have that option. For me personally, bras can be very painful as my ribs dislocate so having the option of a no bra outfit when you're in pain is incredible.
At the Mannersldn shoot, there were multiple skin tones and lots of different body shapes, all wearing the SAME clothes! There wasn't a different line for the plus size women that contained ruching, only vertical stripes and little flaps of fabric to hide your stomach or your rolls. I didn't retouch any of the images; no evening of skin tones, none of the clothing was clipped to fit better (a very common practice in e-commerce), and their pregnant model was actually pregnant! I know it is a mad concept but the bump wasn't a cushion she had just shoved under her dress. From the recent Love Island contestants, some women realised one of the ladies actually works as a pregnancy model for clothing however, she has never been pregnant or had a child. A lot of the public were shocked to discover that brands very rarely use real pregnant models to sell their pregnancy clothing lines.
It was so refreshing to work with a brand focusing on showing their customers real people wearing their clothes. There were still a few sections of society that were missing but you can clearly see that Mannersldn is trying to break the mold and be more transparent about what they are selling and how it will look. I can't wait to see someone rocking their cane with one of their sexy bodycon dresses or someone in a wheelchair with one of their crop tops and I have no concerns that it won't happen in the near future.
Their Instagram stories are full of curated content about our bodies and being confident. They have new and exciting pieces regularly AND discounts here and there. Go and take a look at some of their clothing, treat yourself to a comfy piece that you can wear to any occasion! Here are all their links so enjoy:
Website - https://www.mannersldn.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mannerswear/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/mannerswear
HMUA: Vaneza