parents

A mum has responded perfectly to a sales assistant who told her daughter to wear Spanx.

Lexi Harris is 13.

Earlier this month, Lexi and her mum, Megan Harris, went shopping for the perfect middle school formal dress.

There’s no doubt it would’ve been an awkward and nerve-wracking experience at one of the most self-conscious ages in a young woman’s life.

Like any good shopping trip with your mum, Lexi’s mum asked her to try on a dress that Lexi didn’t like very much because it wasn’t her style. But she tried it on for her mum anyway (because that’s what we do – mostly).

It was then that a sales assistant came out and told the 13-year-old that if she wanted to wear the dress, she would need to wear Spanx underneath.

When Lexi’s mum disagreed, the sales assistant continued to argue with her, all within earshot of a very embarrassed Lexi.

In a win for parents (and women) everywhere, Megan Harris took to Facebook to blast the sales assistant that brazenly body-shamed her 13 year old.

Here is her full post:

Dear sales lady at Dillard’s Towne East Mall,
This is my teenage daughter who wanted to try on dresses for an upcoming formal. I found this dress and asked her to try it on. She told me this was not her style, but tried it on for me.

I told her how grown up it made her look and she smiled, and told me this made her look too old but still, she let me take a picture.

Right after that, you entered and told my daughter she needed to wear SPANX if she wanted to wear this dress. I told my daughter to go change. I told you that she was just fine without SPANX. You continued to argue with me. We left soon after.

I wish I had told you how many girls suffer from poor self image and telling them they need something to make them perfect can be very damaging. Girls of all ages, shapes and sizes are perfect because that is how God made them. If they feel good in a dress, that is all that should matter.

My daughter is tall, she swims, runs, dances and does yoga. She’s fit. She’s beautiful. She did not need you telling her that she is not perfect. I hope this is shared and gets back to you so that you should not say something like that to a girl ever again. You never know what negative or positive thoughts they are thinking about themselves.

Sincerely,
Mother of a beautiful girl

In a digital realm where young girls are constantly comparing themselves to somebody else, it’s not just refreshing but vital that messages like these gain traction.

The post has been liked nearly 400,000 times and been shared by over 66,000 people.

Because Megan Harris is right: You never know what negative or positive thoughts someone may be thinking about themselves.

Megan Harris and Lexi win all the prizes today.