Australian departmnet store is sizing up some mannequins. Photo:Jon Reid/JHR

Inspired by the curvy mannequins introduced by British department store Debenhams, Australian retailer Myer has rolled out its own size 18 and 20 mannequins, the Sydney Morning-Herald reports.

There's just one catch: The full-figured dummies are reportedly only going in the store's plus-size department.

While the plus-size section's Size 16 are being replaced by more voluptuous versions that are representative of its clientele, the Size 10 Skinny Sheilas in the women's and misses departments will stay put, according to the paper.

Are they Yahoo Serious?!?

"We have made a decision over the last couple of years to move towards providing plus-sized models in a lot of our shows, so therefore our fashion show has a number of plus-sized models," Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes told the paper. "It sounds like a good idea."

"Our plus sizes go from 16 to 24," added Judy Coomber, the store's director of women's accessories and childrenswear. "Our Highpoint [store location] ones are all true to size."

What's not so true to size are the Size 10 mannequins, which are reportedly one or two sizes smaller than the average Australian woman's dress size.

"The mannequins are designed to reflect the fashion stores... so the customer can see what takes their eye," Coomber explained to the Sydney Morning-Herald.

"You've got to sell a dream -- you seriously don't want to put mannequins out there with love handles and beer bellies."

Oy. Is it just us or do Australians -- like former model Charlotte Dawson -- have a knack for foot-in-mouth syndrome when it comes to matters of body size?

Not surprisingly, that kind of half-hearted attitude isn't good enough for some women's advocates.

"If they're serious about changing the image they push to women, they should be advertising their normal ranges with mannequins size 12 and 14, which is much more the normal size, not just increasing the 16s, 18s and 20s in the plus sizes," Eva Cox. chairwoman of the Women's Electoral Lobby, told the paper.

What do you think? Is it fair to enlarge plus-size mannequins while keeping "normal" mannequins slimmer than reality?

Meanwhile, read about plus-size beauty Crystal Renn's photo shoot alongside Alessandra Ambrosio and Brooklyn Decker.