Canadian model Lydia Okello criticizes Aritzia's lack of size inclusivity in viral TikTok

Lydia Okello, a Vancouver, B.C.-based model and writer, took to TikTok on Oct. 14, to call out fashion retailer Aritzia for its lack of size inclusivity — and the "irony" of their latest advertising strategy.

After noticing a novelty-size Super Puff jacket on display at Aritzia's Metrotown Mall store in Burnaby, B.C.. Okello remarked, "You mean to tell me we can make a Super Puff for the homie at the top of Jack's beanstalk, but we cannot make a 3X?"

"[Aritzia], you walked right into this one," she captioned the post.

The TikTok quickly garnered attention for highlighting the ironic contrast between Aritzia's massive Super Puff jackets in their window displays and their lack of plus-sized clothing in-store. The observation raised questions about Aritzia's commitment to size inclusivity and representation.

"They would sell out right away if they extended their size range, they're missing out on a huge market and people wouldn't stop buying if they did!," a TikTok user commented on the video, to which Okello replied, "I know so many fat folks would buy their clothes. I know that they also know this, they just don't want to market or sell to fat people. Which I suppose, is their prerogative. I'm still gonna call out BS when I see it."

"This is the most factual TikTok I have seen in a while," another person weighed in.

"You're so right," someone else penned.

"Period. Boycott Aritzia," another wrote.

One person shared: "At this point I don't even want to wear Aritzia because of how exclusionary they are."

In an interview with Daily Hive, Okello noted, "At the end of the day, it shows what their priorities are."

Responding to the criticism, an Aritzia spokesperson assured sizing and representation are indeed important to the brand and its clientele. Aritzia has made efforts to expand their size range, with a size guide on their website that indicates clothing is available from size XXS to XXL, with some items extended up to size 18. However, for Okello, these steps are far from sufficient.

Okello pointed out it was disappointing how long it took Aritzia to offer a size 16. Moreover, she alleged Aritzia has faced criticism for frequently running out of stock for larger sizes, leaving customers at the upper end of the size range struggling to find suitable options in-store.

She further criticized the unavailability of size 16 and size 14 items, suggesting it indicated either inadequate production or a lack of priority in accommodating those sizes.

"All the other sizes are available much longer, but mysteriously, a 16 or a 14 is immediately sold out," Okello rebutted. "So to me, either that says you're not making enough of them, or to you, it's not a priority to make enough of them."

Aritzia, in response, defended the oversized Super Puffs in the window display, stating that they were designed exclusively for seasonal visual merchandising. However, this explanation did little to rectify the concerns raised in Okello's video, she said.

"[Aritzia was] able to find the scale for the size they wanted when it was convenient for an art project, but they are not able to do that for real-life human beings, mysteriously," Okello said. "I find it incredibly disappointing, given the resources that they have."

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