A sign in front of a Snider Plaza store suggesting that women want to be thin and rich is raising eyebrows among some SMU women.
Dear Hannah, a clothing, party essentials, and accessories boutique frequented by SMU students, put out a sign in front of its door yesterday.
The sign reads, “Dear Santa, all I want is a fat bank account and a skinny body. Please don’t mix it up again like last year!”
Students said the sign’s message is one of body shaming, and contributes to an unhealthy culture of narrow beauty ideals.
“I was honestly shocked at what I read,” said Emily Matthews, an SMU senior.
Store manager Debra Caillier told a reporter who inquired about the sign that it was meant to be lighthearted. The message was also posted on the company’s Instagram story, @shopdearhannah.
“It’s a funny little thing,” she said. “This world is so serious right now.”
Caillier is the mother of store owner Hannah Caillier, who was not available to talk with a reporter. There is a second store location in Fort Worth.
Senior SMU student Dana Giles is the founder of online blog “I WANT THE REAL.” She interviews SMU students on a wide range of topics, many of them involving mental health issues due to pressure and competition on campus and from the media to be thin and beautiful.
“A sign like what dear Hannah displayed contributes to a detrimental ideal that being stick thin and being rich will bring you happiness,” Giles said. “This contributes to the endless cycle of reaching an unrealistic image.”
