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Marks & Spencer has defended a policy of charging extra on some of its bras that are bigger than a size DD.
The iconic High Street retailer said that the added cost - typically £2 - was "standard industry practice".
But the policy has drawn protests including almost 300 people joining a Busts 4 Justice protest group on the Facebook website.
Its founders argue it is unfair that smaller bras are cheaper, because this logic does not apply to other clothes.
'Unfair tax'
Beckie Williams, 25, from Brighton, said she set up the social networking site group after an "unsatisfactory" correspondence with the retailer.
She said M&S replied to her letter claiming the extra material needed lay behind the higher price at the tills.
"That's fair enough", Ms Williams told BBC Radio Five Live. "But they don't apply the same policy to other clothes that use more material and more resources to make as well.
"I just think it should be one policy for all items of clothing."
The M&S website advertises the Ceriso Polka Dot Padded Bra for £12, rising to £14 for the version for DD to G sizes.
There are similar differences in price for other ranges, though many of the store's more basic designs cost the same, no matter the size.
Mrs Williams said that £2 was not a huge sum to pay but that it was still "an unfair tax".
"This is not something that we have chosen," she said.
"And I have been a size 8 all my adult life, but have never benefited from smaller priced pants.
"If you don't charge a size 20 woman more for a pair of trousers, then why should you pay more for an E cup bra?"
Most of the those posting comments on the Busts 4 Justice site are supportive of the women's efforts.
Many are written by men, obviously just delighted to be involved.
But some commentators backed Marks and Spencer's policy.
"Bigger bras = more material = higher cost," opined one male correspondent.
demonstration time, all females go topless until they stop this stupidity, men will like it i know, but i cant afford to buy bigger bra's (won't fill them tho)
Ive wondered for a long time why this doesnt affect all clothes. Like size 12 shoes cost as much as some guy with midget size 7 feet or whatever. Equally if youre buying something like a quality leather jacket then it seems big guys get twice as much material as a smaller guy.
Thankfully i get the good end of that deal so not complaining
It's not a tax though
It just costs more because it takes more material to make.
Like Pura says, little shoes cost as much as big ones, but if they did start to stagger prices you know they would somehow end up charging more overall, the bastards
I'll make a deal...take away the tax of sanitary wear and I'll pay the extra difference for the PRIVILEGE of having bigger tits =P
lol privilege!! my back hurts You know what gets me wound up is they always think women who have big tits are fat. I have to hunt to get a small back size, and even Harv does too. Love shopping for lingerie, hate having to find my size though. What size did you go up to? (if you don't mind me asking? )
I don't mind paying the extra so long as they make the size I require.
Just to give a little clarification on the whole "tax on tampons" type thing, which I found on an official website:
Quote:
Until comparatively recently sanitary protection was classified as a luxury item and taxed at the full VAT rate of 17.5%. Since January 2001 however, the tax on these products has been cut to a fairer 5%. They cannot be zerorated due to a European agreement not to extend zero-rating to any products other than those already in place at the end of 1975.
So while yes, it is still taxed as is any other product post 1975, it has however had a much lower rate of tax since 2001.
A maybe not so well known fact is that tampons and sanitary towels, just like condoms and "the pill" are available for free from many NHS doctors and family planning clinics, although a lot of women seem to not want to use the free brands of sanitary items available as they tend to be the older fashioned less visually appealing varieties.
Regarding bras, I seriously don't consider it a "tax", but simply an extra cost incured. I find it silly of the media to be playing this card though, because it is far from just bigger bras that cost more, many larger items of clothing, from trousers, suits, sweaters, shirts, belts, etc, etc, cost more, simply because more material is needed to put the item together. Is it discrimitation? I don't think so. It's not the manufacturers fault that some people require more material per item than others. If you eat a steak in a restaurant, you will always pay more for a 16oz steak than you would for a 8oz steak... Why the hell is that going to be any different in any other area of life.
lol privilege!! my back hurts You know what gets me wound up is they always think women who have big tits are fat. I have to hunt to get a small back size, and even Harv does too. Love shopping for lingerie, hate having to find my size though. What size did you go up to? (if you don't mind me asking? )
I don't mind paying the extra so long as they make the size I require.
Good to see you too hun. Hows the lil one doing?
Well they used vary betwen 34C or D. Though since giving birth and breastfeeding, they are massive O.O. They manage to go up to E. I don't like them anymore. Having a small figure with big breasts, they haven't been fun to live with.
We are doing ok, she is still as gorgeous as ever and weighing 11lb 11oz at the moment so doing well at 3 & half months. Good to see you and I hope everything is going well within your family unit. ^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by Detomah
Just to give a little clarification on the whole "tax on tampons" type thing, which I found on an official website:
So while yes, it is still taxed as is any other product post 1975, it has however had a much lower rate of tax since 2001.
A maybe not so well known fact is that tampons and sanitary towels, just like condoms and "the pill" are available for free from many NHS doctors and family planning clinics, although a lot of women seem to not want to use the free brands of sanitary items available as they tend to be the older fashioned less visually appealing varieties.
Regarding bras, I seriously don't consider it a "tax", but simply an extra cost incured. I find it silly of the media to be playing this card though, because it is far from just bigger bras that cost more, many larger items of clothing, from trousers, suits, sweaters, shirts, belts, etc, etc, cost more, simply because more material is needed to put the item together. Is it discrimitation? I don't think so. It's not the manufacturers fault that some people require more material per item than others. If you eat a steak in a restaurant, you will always pay more for a 16oz steak than you would for a 8oz steak... Why the hell is that going to be any different in any other area of life.
Ahhh... I knew they were still taxed but didn't realise they reduced it to fairer means.
I don't actually mind paying a little extra on bras just couple of quid seems so much to me really.for a little bit of material. =/
That is sort of obscene though, that female sanitary products of that specific type.... obviously bullcrap face-cream etc needs to be taxed... but jamrags are classed as a luxury in 2008?
Consider the alternative, it really isn't a luxury at all unless women are expected to go and live naked at the bottom of the garden in the bleeding hut for a few days every month.
Perhaps Sarah Brown had to do that until Gordon got elected in the Kingdom of Fife and was able to claim back his 5%, that old prudent swine.
I still can't believe there is a tampon tax.
'tax on bigger bras'
I have to hunt to get a small back size, and even Harv does too. Love shopping for lingerie, hate having to find my size though. What size did you go up to? (if you don't mind me asking? )
bloody govenment
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