The Fat Stigma and How Social Channels will help the Fashion Industry to be more inclusive of Plus Size Models
Over the last decade, there has been a slight increase in plus size fashion. Being able to understand where plus size fashion fits in the fashion industry, whether it be involved with luxury or fast fashion, is important for youth today. However, in more recent times, body image and body positivity has evolved to become perplexed with moral and health concerns. This is faced by many in their day-to-day lives, in conjunction with socially conscious minds that are easily influenced by pop culture. Plus- sized individuals are faced with a fat stigma of limited option in garments, and this creates exclusion and marginalization by the fashion industry. The most effective solution to eradicate the problem begins with social channels.
Fat stigmatization does not follow beauty standards from a global perspective and is viewed through a western standpoint. This includes being tall, slim, and Caucasian. International Fashion Week events claim to include diversity; however, it very much showcases the typical tall and slim model. Toronto has evolved with their fashion week events, but, western standards are still applied to these shows. There is a lack of differences in body sizes and minimal effort to promote body positivity. A city that thrives off diversity and multiculturalism, it is unfortunate that Toronto is unable to bring those values into its fashion industries.
Nonetheless, Toronto Fashion week is growing and beginning to include plus size fashions, adding designers who make sizes 6–22. Lesley Hampton, a designer focused on creating apparel for curvier women, is a commendable example of a local designer helping the fashion world be more inclusive and diverse.
Lesley Hampton said, “I think there’s this whole idea around the fantasy of runway and how for some reason, a larger body or a different type of body can’t be seen as beautiful,” (Scriver, 2019, p. 7).
From a designer’s perspective, one can see the importance of showcasing diversity. Beauty standards should not fall short of any body type and should not create isolation. Social platforms are more increasingly being used as a resource to encourage body positivity.
Promoting body positivity and educating society on its individual impact can vary. The personal experiences of current international runway models include backlash and critics. As the fashion industry evolves, the media continues to place plus size individuals on a positive platform. There will always be a critic. Lauren Chan, an advocate for body awareness and body positivity, is a reporter and model, who has shared receiving negative feedback from the fashion industry for wearing clothes that were too revealing. However, during a Laverne Cox show, Lauren Chan had a very positive experience walking the runway. She posted a picture for the event on her Instagram and has received many positive comments.
She stated, “it announced that our bodies belonged at Fashion Week in a big way” (Chan, 2019, p. 21).
From her negative experiences to her positive ones, as a runway model, Instagram was the platform that helped Lauren create awareness and shed light on fashion diversity and body positivity.
Plus-sized models today are underrepresented at highly anticipated fashion events around the world, including New York, Paris, Milan and London Fashion weeks. Standard beauty falls short when it comes to the plus size market, a multi-billion dollar industry.
“Paris Fashion Week featured nine plus-size models, London had four, and Milan cast none” (Holt, 2019, p. 2).
Brands that’s are inclusive of plus sizes include Chromat, Christian Siriano, and Savage x Fenty, which had the greatest number of curvy models walk their runways. They each had about 12–17 models that were considered plus sized, and each model did not follow the standard image pushed by the fashion industry.
It may be a progressive approach, but it is still very slow and requires effort. Models that have a larger social media following have the potential to land various work opportunities. Ashley Graham is a good example of this. She does not fit the standard body type for luxury fashion and has a big following on social platforms. This helps her find work with luxurious brands. However, this may not be the case for everyone, as some do not fit the standard beauty. There are curvy models who feel that finding a job with these fashion events/ weeks is stressful and scary and never guaranteed. These luxurious brands do not provide details for measurement and weight requirements, and therefore, it is difficult to find suitable modeling opportunities.
Alexis Henry, a plus sized model, stated “For instance, Marc Jacobs didn’t mention a size requirement, but you just kind of knew which models would book the show. Sometimes it’s a silent understanding because plus-size models aren’t necessarily always seen as editorial or runway material, but I know models like myself and my friends don’t really care. We show up anyways” (Holt, 2019, p. 5).
A few high-end designers believe that making clothing for plus size women would not be profitable for their businesses.
“According to Racked, in 2018, of the 300 brands at NYFW, only 32 of them sold clothes that create styles up to a size 16” (Holt, 2019, p. 8).
Providing a solution to help models find jobs includes increasing social media presence and making sure the encouragement of body image is portrayed.
In conclusion, social channels are, relatively, the most effective solution to promote body positivity with plus sized individuals who are faced with fat stigmas and are limited to options with garments to avoid exclusion and marginalization by the fashion industry. Without meeting the needs of curvier individuals, the fashion industry fails to realize how much there is to gain and monopolize. It begins with hiring more curvy models for local or international fashion shows. It brings more exposure to exclusive brands and helps promote inclusiveness, pushing for the creation of garments for the everyday woman. As fashion becomes more influenced with pop culture, the difference between fast fashion and luxurious brands can get lost in translation. It is also very important to promote the celebration and acceptance of every body type, rather than placing one body type in a positive light and the other in a negative, creating exclusive and non-exclusive brands that encourage positive impact toward body positivity.
