A high school principal has come under fire for telling female students that they shouldn’t wear leggings unless they are a size zero or two (equivalent to sizes four and six in the UK).

Heather Taylor, the principal at Stratford High School in South Carolina, U.S., made the controversial statement during a 10th-grade assembly on appropriate school attire.

As well as being recorded telling students that leggings aren’t meant to be worn alone, she went on to discuss how they are only flattering on girls of smaller sizes.

“I'm going to tell you now, unless you are a size zero or two and you wear something like that, you look fat,” the principal told the large crowd of students.

The principal’s comments immediately sparked a backlash with students saying they felt personally attacked.

“I'm not a size zero and I kind of felt targeted because of my size,” Allison Veazey, a Sophomore at Stratford High, told WCBD.

“It was really hurtful because it made me feel like my size made me look disgusting toward someone in the clothes that I wear,” she continued. “And to think that someone would think that I would look like a sausage, that was kind of hurtful.”

Meanwhile parents and alumni accused Taylor of ‘fat-shaming’ young girls who may already be insecure with their body image.

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“You're meant to be a public figure that young women can look up to, yet you make comments bodyshaming teen females? I'm disappointed but not surprised,” one Facebook user said.

Another added, “This is absolutely appalling. Shame on you for body shaming.”

The principal has since apologised for her harsh words, saying that she is truly “learned a lesson.”

“You learn, no matter what, every single day you learn,” she said in a statement.

“After speaking with our students and receiving their support, I am confident that, together, we are ready to move forward and have a wonderful year.