The Industry vs. Body Positivity

Stop calling “plus-size” models plus-sized. They are simply just models.

Body positivity is an essential topic within the fashion community as well as the political atmosphere. People, especially women, are continuously judged based on their body types. More often than not, “style-icon” status is based on how skinny the celebrity is rather than their actual styling skills. Representation in media is a crucial element in determining a company’s success. There has been a great deal of backlash against companies for not being inclusive in their model hiring practices. While scrolling through my Instagram full of influencer postings and company ads, I have begun to see more “plus-sized” models and I, for one, am here for it. Seeing the way a piece looks on a body that resembles your own is a great way to become invested in a brand’s success without even realizing it. 

An example of this is For Love and Lemons, which has begun to use models that represent what women in real life look like more accurately. These models may not be on a shockingly strict diet and workout plans 24/7, but they are just as much models as those who are. The labeling of women as “plus-sized” for being above a size 4 is appalling and should be offensive to everyone participating in this industry.

Another instance of gatekeeping in the modeling industry is former lingerie powerhouse Victoria Secret’s statement in 2018 that they would not hire transgender models to be in their annual fashion show. This left a huge backlash for the company as many consumers began to boycott their products and contributed to the deterioration of the fashion show which previously was an extremely popular event. The transphobia that the company held, along with years of ignoring the needs of women that are not a size 0, ultimately resulted in the closing of several stores and has left the company at an all time low in terms of popularity. 

Companies like Brandy Melville who have made their mark with a “one-size-fits-all” mentality are finally becoming less and less popular with the rise of diverse models both in terms of size and ethnicity. Beauty standards around the world are varying and stores with a focus on white-washed North American styles are now forced to acknowledge that their hiring and advertisements are problematic for the communities they exist within. These companies promoted the idea that beauty required work and left millions of impressionable young women and men under the impression that an eating disorder and obsession with looks is the only way to be deemed “attractive” by the rest of society. The worst part of this is that people began to see being traditionally attractive as the only value they could bring to the world. The industry will always be heavily focused on looks as they are selling an image to consumers of who they should want to be, but that image does not have to be focused on an external idea. The world’s top models are often highly educated as well as experts in the world of business. Members of the industry bring more to the table than their looks despite it not being advertised. Modeling is a difficult job and being aware politically, economically, and socially is a large component of this. Rather than focusing on the sizing and sponsorships from influencers, maybe it is time for them to finally advertise the skills that nobody in the industry seems to be giving them credit for.

Inclusivity is not only a way to have a brand shown in a positive light, or increase profits by catering to multiple sizes, but it is beneficial to the billions of women around the world that do not fit the heteronormative and Eurocentric ideals of beauty. 

Bodies come in all shapes and sizes but decide that those who model clothing should be referred to by their size in their job description is an unnecessary component that feeds into the idea that measurements determine who you can be. 

Addressing unrealistic body standards is becoming more popular in fashion and beauty advertising, and these trends should continue. This should not be considered as a marketing ploy but instead finally giving real people the chance to see themselves as included as a beauty standard. The industry has many racism, transphobia, and fat-shaming elements, but when people are unwilling to be a part of this toxic culture, conditions will begin to improve, and the concept of beauty will become what it always should have been: inclusive and intersectional.