Jewellery Maker Faces Fat-Shaming Comments
A jewellery maker, Leah Sigsworth, was left shocked after receiving an email suggesting that she would sell more if she were thinner and more attractive. Leah, a size 14-16 business owner, came across the ‘savage’ message in her inbox earlier this week. The unsolicited advice recommended that she should consider looking more ‘polished’ and even think about hiring a model to represent her brand instead of herself.
The 22-year-old entrepreneur, who started her jewellery company in 2020, revealed that the hurtful email initially made her feel ‘rubbish’. Leah had faced similar body-shaming comments during her school years, which led her to launch her brand, Ethereal Jewellery, as a way to keep herself occupied during lockdown. Despite being accustomed to negative feedback on social media, the email’s seemingly ‘nice’ tone left Leah feeling particularly disheartened.
Leah shared her experience, stating, “Someone just reached out and just said ‘I think you’d sell more if you lost weight and take more care of your appearance’. It was along the lines of ‘if you aligned more with your brand aesthetic then you’d sell more’. They finished the email with this really savage comment saying ‘I really just want to see your business grow, not you’.”
She further added, “I was like ‘oh my God this woman’. It made me really sad because I thought ‘what if this person is a mum?’ I can’t imagine what they’d be like to their own child. It’s unsolicited advice. I can’t lie, it made me feel a bit rubbish but I’ve got to an age now where I’m not too bothered by what other people think.”
Leah’s jewellery business was born out of a need for mental stimulation during the pandemic-induced lockdown. Struggling with loneliness, redundancy, and past experiences of weight-related bullying, Leah found solace in creating earrings as a form of self-expression and distraction. She drew inspiration from her mother, who instilled in her the value of self-acceptance and pride in who she is.
Reflecting on the incident, Leah emphasized, “I’m a big believer that it’s very shallow that you wouldn’t buy from somebody because of their size. Part of it is just ‘ignore the haters’. I know it’s such a corny thing to say, but we’re all on this planet at the same time and your weight is the least important thing about you.”
Despite the hurtful message, Leah maintained her resilience and chose to focus on the positive feedback and support she receives from her customers and community. This incident serves as a reminder of the prevalence of body-shaming and the importance of self-acceptance and self-worth beyond physical appearances. Leah’s story sheds light on the impact of unsolicited criticism and the strength it takes to rise above negativity and thrive as a business owner.