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Woman ‘body shamed’ by Victoria's Secret staff

OK, it might be a bit of a cliché but sometimes there’s nothing quite as indulgent as splurging on some sexy underwear or lacy sleepwear for those occasions when your ratty old t-shirt doesn’t quite cut it.

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So when 20-year-old Abbie Walsh-Greenfield was out shopping with a friend and walked past her local Victoria’s Secret store in Cardiff, Wales, she decided to duck in and check it out for the very first time.

Abbie's blog post about her treatment by Victoria's Secret staff has gone viral. Photo: Twitter/abbsyeah
Abbie's blog post about her treatment by Victoria's Secret staff has gone viral. Photo: Twitter/abbsyeah

Rather than feeling like she could happily browse the racks, Abbie was left feeling humiliated after being body bullied by a shop assistant.

Posting an open letter on her blog, Abbie – who wears an XL - reveals she was holding a pair of L sized lacy pink bed shorts when she was approached by a sales assistant.

Abbie is a big advocate for body love, posting this swimsuit snap on her blog of her
Abbie is a big advocate for body love, posting this swimsuit snap on her blog of her

“A very important looking and tall lady, walked straight past my friend and stood a metre or two away from me [and said] ‘Hi… Are you aware of the sizing in this store?'” Abbie wrote.

“She smiled, and it just all of a sudden looked so fake. And the way she stood about a meter or two away from me, made me feel like she didn’t genuinely want to help me.”

While Abbie admits she’s not usually intimidated by stores like that, the incident saw her “shuffle away, with my tail between my legs”.

Victoria's Secret is renowned for its stable of slender models including Adriana Lima, Lily Aldridge, Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. Photo: Getty images
Victoria's Secret is renowned for its stable of slender models including Adriana Lima, Lily Aldridge, Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. Photo: Getty images

Abbie initially laughed it off to her livid friend, but admits while she might have the confidence to shake off a comment like that, others might not be.

“It was only once I had gotten home and replayed the happenings in my head that I realised, had she have said that to someone weaker, or someone who couldn’t take it, or someone who genuinely went into VS to buy something to make them feel special, things could have been different,” writes Abbie.

With her blog post going viral, Victoria’s Secret has since reached out to Abbie, writing: “We sincerely apologise for your experience in our Cardiff store. We would like the opportunity to speak with you.”

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