You know Arabella Chi from Love Island, right? She's the five foot 10 catwalk model with bronzed skin, unfathomably good hair and a body to die for.
Here's a pic for proof:
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One thing you won't notice is pregnancy bump, because Arabella isn't pregnant, and we are 99 per cent sure she doesn't have a child, which is probably why photos of her modelling ASOS maternity wear are a little confusing for some...
Yes, via the good people of Twitter, the 28-year-old has been spotted modelling maternity clothing on ASOS.com, including dresses, pyjamas and jumpsuits, which are still shoppable online today.
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While a bit baffling, it turns out that using prosthetic baby bumps is common practice in e-commerce, with many other retailers using non-pregnant models in favour of the real thing.
Commentary around the decision to use non-pregnant models has proved controversial in the past. Why not use models that are actually expecting? Surely there are pregnant models out there who would relish the work?
"We use prosthetic maternity bumps to make it easier for customers to compare fit between different products," an ASOS spokesperson told Pretty52.
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"Baby bumps change weekly, to make it easier for you to compare products we use a prosthetic maternity bump that never changes size," the retailer previously elaborated on Twitter.
ASOS added: "Model welfare is important to us, we wouldn't want pregnant models on their feet all day so we use a prosthetic maternity bump."
Model welfare (though important) aside, there's the larger issue that slim models wearing prosthetic bumps are not representative of real pregnant bodies. Some have even accused the practice of setting unrealistic pregnancy body standards.
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Aside from growing a bump, pregnant bodies change in multiple ways, from weight gain in different areas of the body, growing boobs, and swelling ankles.
Therefore pregnant women can hardly judge what an outfit looks like on a size 8 model with a bump stuck on her perfectly flat stomach, gym-toned arms still in tact, can they?
It goes without saying that Twitter had some thoughts on the discovery...
Sophie Porely, also a model, shared: "Most of my model friends only got booked for maternity modelling when they had slim faces and arms, then would wear the belly bump. As soon as models get pregnant, they don't work anymore. Craziness."
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The model added that she did maternity modelling when she was 21 calling it "totally unrealistic to all pregnant women".
"Why the hell is Arabella the bloody maternity model for @ASOS what a joke #Unrealistic," a second user vented.
"Just seen @ASOS use Arabella off @LoveIsland to model Maternity clothes!!! Is that a joke? Is there no pregnant models that would appreciate that kind of work???" a third steamed.
"Why is Arabella modelling maternity clothes? why don't they use a PREGNANT woman wearing clothes for PREGNANT women?" another added.
One to think about, eh ASOS?
Featured Image Credit: ASOSTopics: Style News, ASOS, Love Island
