It feels like every day there’s another body-positive headline in fashion—airbrush-free swimsuit campaigns, designer collaborations, New York Fashion Week’s record number of plus-size models—and
while those stories represent major strides in size inclusion, there’s
one thing that still bothers me: Almost every time we see a woman above a
size 14 in magazines, in advertisements, or on the runway, she’s a
perfect hourglass shape.Think about the most famous plus-size models: They have big busts and full hips, with snatchedThis Is Us’ Chrissy Metz and Pitch Perfect 3’s Rebel Wilson), the fashion world celebrates only perfect proportions—and thus implies that even though it may finally be OK to be above a size 14, your body still needs to have curves in all the right places. Because of that messaging, I’ve never felt like my own body was “right.” My size has always fluctuated between 12 and 16, but my shape is consistently larger on top with smaller hips—my shoulders are broad, and my breasts disproportionately large. Though I’m not exactly into equating women to fruit, I call myself strawberry-shaped.
waists and thin arms and legs. Gorgeous—but also, newsflash: That's not how most plus-size women look. Hell, all you need to do is look around on the street to know that many of us are rounder in the “wrong” places, with full faces and thicker limbs. If you listened in on a conversation among my plus-size blogger friends or spent an hour going down a
I’m a self-loving 31-year-old woman, but the critique of my body still stings. Plus, the pervasive promotion of one ideal shape has practical effects: It means many plus-size women, like me, have a hard time finding clothes that match our style. While there’s a world of fashion-forward silhouettes for sizes 0 to 12, like straight-cut jeans and one-shoulder tops, the majority of styles for sizes 14-plus reinforce the hourglass archetype, like fit-and-flare dresses. Some of us want shift styles, oversize jackets, and culottes too!But know that there is hope. Plus-size women are increasingly demanding better options.
And for Los Angeles–based brand Zelie for She, designer Elann Zelie also considers her own rounder shape. “Hourglass is just one body type,” she says. “When designers limit themselves to designing for that, they dismiss a group of potential customers. I used to make a lot of fit-and-flare styles, but with the oversize dresses and palazzo pants that I now make, people can adjust the garment to where their waistline lands.”While brands catch on and make changes, I continue to find solutions for styling my proportions. I shop big to fit my bust and shoulders, then have a tailor nip in the hips of my clothes. I always have my Kate Spade leather jacket on hand (the cropped silhouette hits at my natural waist). And I’ve found off-the-rack brands, like ASOS and NYDJ, that work for my body. I’m proof that there’s more than one type of plus-size woman who loves fashion—and whether we’re a size 12 or 22, strawberry, or hell, any shape, we all deserve to be celebrated.
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