Lizzo is in full promotion mode with the launch of Yitty, her new shapewear brand, and a new song coming out this week, but a video posted by Lizzo herself featuring pieces from the collection started a debate online over airplane attire.
The video, which Lizzo posted on Twitter and Instagram, shows her getting out of a car. The start of her new song, “About Damn Time,” plays as she walks up the stairs of a private jet, and she’s wearing a bra and high-waisted leggings from Yitty; the leggings have much of the back cut out.
“YOU TOO CAN SHOW UR ASS ON A JET,” Lizzo tweeted in response to a People article about her plane attire.
There was praise for Lizzo’s outfit amid some criticism about Lizzo’s decision to fly on a private jet due to an environmental footprint (much of which fell into concern-trolling or an attempt to fat-shame her). But one comment attempted to point out the hypocrisy of Lizzo’s attire on a private jet while drawing a comparison between her and Olivia Culpo, a model and influencer (and former Ms. Universe) who recently had to put on a sweatshirt to cover up her outfit (a black cardigan, a sports bra, and biker shorts) before being allowed to board an American Airlines flight to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
“So Lizzo’s allowed to get her BARE ASS on a plane & it’s fine but Olivia [Culpo] former Ms Universe is forced to wear her boyfriends hoddie to fly Cabo cause it was ‘inappropriate’… we’re truly living in a clown world,” @thatstarwarsgirl wrote.
The tweet, which includes fatphobic language directed toward Lizzo, is essentially asking why Lizzo was allowed to wear whatever she wanted while Culpo wasn’t given that chance. And as the tweet went viral and was ratioed, people pointed to a very obvious reason why Lizzo wasn’t restricted from boarding her plane: She booked a private jet and wasn’t subjected to the vague (and often sexist) dress codes set by airlines like Culpo was.
“This is such an unintelligent attempt at comparison,” @lilsebastianxx responded. “Lizzo paid the money for a PRIVATE plane…that plane is going where Lizzo paid for it to go, she can wear anything she wants. The other girl is in a public airport where you are not treated the same as on a private plane.”
And as some pointed out that while @thatstarwarsgrl was right about how absurd it was for American Airlines to ask Culpo to cover up, she derailed the argument by trying to draw a comparison to Lizzo and using fatphobic language to argue that Lizzo should cover up while someone like Culpo shouldn’t have had to.
“Is making her wear her boyfriend’s hoodie stupid?” @ElegantSavant wrote in response to the tweet. “Yes! But so are you for this comparison.”