Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to access exclusive content and expert insights.

subscribe now subscribe cover image
Saloni Dhruv profile imageSaloni Dhruv
Here’s why fashion has a long way to go when it comes to size representation

There is more to fashion’s relationship with shape and body types than just body positivity and body neutrality

For far too long the fashion industry left out those who did not fit their rigid, set mold of size. But in the age of social media, things are slowly turning around as brands—both big and small, spanning fast fashion to luxury—are making sure to extend their size range and are going beyond looser silhouettes for curvier bodies.

While there is a rise in the visibility of models and influencers of different body types, are “inclusivity” and “body positive” just trendy buzz words? Or are we ready to celebrate normal bodies, whatever size, shape and flaws they come in? We speak to the people who are at the forefront of this movement.

Designer Nitya Arora has amassed a following of 17,000 followers on Instagram for her distinct style

Designer Nitya Arora has amassed a following of 17,000 followers on Instagram for her distinct style

“It’s beginning to look like the new normal to see body-confident women,” says Kritika Gill

“It’s beginning to look like the new normal to see body-confident women,” says Kritika Gill

Then and now

At the time when the runway was ruled by waif-thin models like Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen, it was hard to imagine anyone bigger in size to walk for the top luxury brands or even feature in their campaigns. But models such as Ashley Graham and Paloma Elsesser have broken through this stereotypical mold of the “ideal body” to become examples of body positivity across the world. “Thick thighs save lives,” sang American musician Lizzo in her song Tempo (2019), who has dedicated herself to helping women accept and love their bodies by sharing messages of self-love through her music and social media posts.

Closer home, when content creator and a body positivity advocator Sakshi Sidwani was scouted to walk for Lakmé Fashion Week in 2019, she didn’t think it was possible for her to become a model. “Three years ago in India there were no plus-size models at all, and now at least there are examples that people can look up to,” says Sidwani, who has more than 500,000 followers on Instagram. As a plus-size model, she recently walked the ramp for Manish Malhotra at Lakmé Fashion Week, a dream come true for the influencer. “When I started my YouTube channel and digital content creation, the intent was to diversify the industry and to see the world move towards being more inclusive,” she adds.

“WE'VE BEEN CONDITIONED TO SEE A CERTAIN BODY TYPE OVER THE YEARS, SO THE TASK IS TO BREAK THAT SORT OF MENTALITY AND THOSE STEREOTYPES, AND THAT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME.”

Sakshi Sidwani

When it comes to seeing more diverse shapes and sizes in the media, actresses Barbie Ferreira of Euphoria and Nicola Coughlan of Bridgerton are now on magazine covers, red carpet events and in the front row at fashion shows. “It’s beginning to look like the new normal to see body-confident women,” says make-up artist and model Kritika Gill, who recently played muse for clothing label Yavi. “This aspiration of being seen and represented is becoming more real and relatable for women everywhere, making fashion fun for curvy girls also,” she adds.

While the conversations around the topic of inclusivity have opened up wide in the industry, are we there yet when it comes to acceptance?

Is it still about tokenism?

Despite this leap towards inclusivity, plus-size models still account for less than one per cent of runway models, even though globally, the plus-size women's clothing market, which stood $178.56 billion in 2019, is expanding at a growth rate of 4.3 per cent, as reported in a by Research And Markets in 2020.

This raises the question whether it’s a slow progress towards inclusivity or is it merely about tokenism? Designer Nitya Arora, who recently walked the ramp for Tarun Tahiliani at Lakmé Fashion Week, believes that there is still stigma and stereotype attached to the idea of inclusivity. “There are glitches in the industry and there are many brands who are doing this as a trend, especially if they are getting called out for not including big sizes. But it’s taken so many years for even this small change to occur, so it’s going to take a long time for inclusivity of all sizes to be a norm in the industry,” she says. Sidwani agrees with Arora and admits that this kind of tokenism will continue to be a part of the industry. “We've been conditioned to see a certain body type over the years, so the task is to break that sort of mentality and those stereotypes, and that will take a long time,” she explains.

Nitya Arora, who recently walked the ramp for Tarun Tahiliani at Lakmé Fashion Week, believes that there is still stigma and stereotype attached to the idea of inclusivity

Nitya Arora, who recently walked the ramp for Tarun Tahiliani at Lakmé Fashion Week, believes that there is still stigma and stereotype attached to the idea of inclusivity

At the helm of this awareness of inclusivity, social media has given visibility to models and influencers like Apoorva Rampal, Varshita Thatavarthi and Sobia Ameen, who proudly flaunt their bodies wearing sarees, crop tops and mini dresses. “With influencers taking the main stage, every person has carved out a niche for themselves in society. This makes everyone feel included and breaks the tall-and-skinny-body-type stereotypes of models being chosen to showcase fashion,” says Yadvi Agarwal, founder and designer of Yavi, whose Spring/Summer 2022 campaign features Gill as a model. Speaking about the campaign, Agarwal explains, “It is imperative that our models represent a diverse range of bodies, as people come in all shapes and sizes. As a brand, we want everyone to feel included, cared for and catered to, irrespective of their body type.”

The future is neutral

The idea of “body neutrality,” unlike body positivity, is about acknowledging what your body is capable of doing, and not how it looks. “I have learnt a lot of things about what body image means and now that I’m more aware of things, I resonate much more to body neutrality than body positivity,” says Sidwani. Apart from fashion, the content creator also advocates fitness and health on her Instagram account. “What I promote is building confidence and being comfortable in your own skin while still working towards growth and success. Honestly, you can’t really be body positive every single day of your life,” she explains.

Gill, too, is quick to add that she doesn't find it hard to feel “body positive”’ on a daily basis. “It’s something I have to consciously remind myself about because of the years of negativity surrounding the way I look and the pains of shopping for [clothes] my size,” she says. While self-love is an important part of loving and accepting your body no matter what its shape and size, it’s hard to practice in a society where we receive several mixed messages about what the ideal body should look like.

Clothing label Yavi's Spring/Summer 2022 campaign features Kritika Gill as model and muse

Clothing label Yavi's Spring/Summer 2022 campaign features Kritika Gill as model and muse

When  Sakshi Sidwani was scouted to walk for Lakmé Fashion Week in 2019, she didn’t think it was possible for her to become a model

When Sakshi Sidwani was scouted to walk for Lakmé Fashion Week in 2019, she didn’t think it was possible for her to become a model

With more visibility and representation from brands and designers, this stereotype of the ideal size is being shattered, especially when many are coming to terms with understanding that an average Indian woman’s body is curvier than an Asian or a Caucasian woman. Designers like Masaba Gupta, Rina Dhaka and Shivan & Narresh have gravitated towards this path by choosing curvy models like Sobia Ameen and Janette Tirkey in their campaigns and runway shows.

Sidwani hopes that terms such as “body positivity” and “body neutrality” don’t end up becoming mere fads or trends because “our bodies are our reality and we’ve fought our way to be represented in this industry.” Agarwal, too, wishes to see more normal bodies in the fashion industry. “The moment our magazines and media start showcasing more models that are diverse in shapes and sizes, it will lead to a scenario where everyone will begin to love themselves and will stop comparing themselves to a size zero or fitting into a stereotypical definition of beauty that has been so deeply ingrained within us for generations,” she says.

Also Read: Why aren’t there more curvy women in beauty campaigns?

Also Read: Why do new mums feel pressurised to get into shape right after giving birth?

Also Read: How this Indian trans woman battled abuse and bullying


Subscribe for More

Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to access exclusive content and expert insights.

subscribe now