Woman shamed over 'revealing' nightclub outfit
A British TikToker claims she suffered “first hand discrimination” when she was barred from an upmarket London nightclub because her outfit was “too revealing".
Katie Haywood took to social media to share her experience, saying she was targeted as “the only thicker person there".
“We all dressed up nice,” the young woman said, describing how she went out to celebrate a friend’s 21st birthday at MNKY HSE in Mayfair.
“We turn up at the door and the security lady on the door goes to me, ‘you can’t come in like that, you need to change what you are wearing'."
The security guard asked if she could wear a jacket but Ms Hollywood said her group didn't have one.
“So I was like, ‘why is that’, and she was like, ‘because there are a lot of Arab families in here, you can’t be coming in dressed like that.”
The TikToker went on to reveal a photo of her outfit which featured a low-cut pink crop top with a patterned skirt that wrapped around her waist, exposing her stomach.
After being asked to cover up, Ms Haywood explained that her skirt was actually a dress and that she could readjust it for more coverage.
But when she said to the security guard that she felt awkward doing it in front of everyone on the street, she was told “what’s awkward is you’re dressed like you’re going to a beach".
‘The only problem is because I am a bigger girl’
After being escorted to the toilet “like an inmate” to change, Ms Haywood was sitting by the bar when security returned with a denim jacket they had found because her outfit was “still revealing".
“I was like, are you joking? I am covering everything,” she said.
“Plus one of my friends had a mesh dress on, you could see her bra and pants, and my other friend had her stomach on show but it was only a problem with mine because I am a bigger girl.”
Ms Haywood went on to explain that she couldn’t fit into the jacket because it was an extra small.
“I said, ‘do you want me to cut off the blood circulation in my arm.’’
After she managed to put the jacket on, the young woman and her friends were seated away from everyone.
Once out of sight and overheating, Ms Haywood removed the item so she could eat her meal.
But security was hot on her case and told her again to put it back on or leave.
“After that no one said anything around me and I just didn’t know what to do,” she said.
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“I was like, I don’t even want to be here and give this place my money.
“Not even that, I looked around me and everyone around me had low tops on and a bit of cleavage showing but they were all petite girls so I guess there was no issue.
“But I was the only thicker person there and it was an issue.”
After asking to speak to management twice, Ms Haywood finally left when her friend complained and the club offered them free food.
Social media support
Ms Haywood’s video has since been viewed more than 2.5 million times and racked up 225,000 likes with many users pledging their support, calling her a “gorgeous girl".
“She looks amazing, like what a real woman should look like,” one person wrote.
“Katie really deserved to have a good time,” another wrote.
“Fellow big girl here, thanks for making us comfortable,” someone else added.
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