MUSE MAGAZINE When Size Is No Limit

MUSE MAGAZINE When Size Is No Limit

By Denise Nicolaou

For most of my life, I loathed shopping. I tried to avoid it at all costs. Since I can remember, I would always cover myself in my dad’s baggy t-shirts, hiding my body. Growing up in the 2000’s era, where all the ‘cool’ kids were wearing brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, and American Eagle, to name a few, I did not fit that ‘type’ of clothing they produced. I was even told by sales associates at these stores that I couldn’t shop there or that they didn’t have anything for my ‘body type.’ As a young and impressionable child, being told I couldn’t wear specific clothing was extremely discouraging. I don’t think I truly understood what I was being told at the time. What I did understand was that I was not being welcomed in

these stores and had unconsciously developed a fear of going shopping. It took a lot of courage to go into these stores because it became extremely intimidating. Not only was shopping an issue, but I also felt everyone’s eyes on me when going to the fitting room to try on the one or two pieces of clothing that would maybe fit me. Realizing the clothes didn’t look how I wanted them to, becoming discouraged, and crying on the fitting room floor, wondering why I couldn’t look like the models on the posters became my norm. As I matured, my frustration grew—the clothes I wanted to wear were not available in my size. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEXIS FIORANTE

Clothes are a medium of personal expression, and from a young age, I had lost that form of style. I was constantly told by my family, peers, and especially the media that the plus-size body type shouldn’t wear certain things. Advice such as “don’t wear white, black is more slimming,” “bright colours and patterns will only draw attention and make you look bigger,” “stripes make you look wider,” and my personal favourite, “don’t ever wear tight clothing” were always at the back of my mind. What was I left with? Dark-coloured baggy t-shirts and monochromatic stretchy pants. I believe that style tells a story about the person, and this was not the story I wanted to tell, but it was a story I became forced to tell. Through many years of confusion and hating the way I looked, I finally learned it was about dressing for my size. It wasn’t about pattern or colour; it was about buying clothes that fit my body correctly. I did eventually find brands I look and feel great in—many at the recommendation of the dozens of people who had a similar experience and hated shopping. We bonded over our lacked clothing options, making it difficult for us to feel confident in what we were wearing and express our individuality. In recent years, retail companies have become increasingly aware of the lack of size diversity, and have started to make significant changes. Companies such as Dove, Aerie, Modcloth, Target, and even Seventeen Magazine are a few that have signed a non-photoshop pledge, meaning in their advertising, models will no longer be computer modified or edited to look a certain way—now they embrace their beautiful natural bodies and include

models who are plus-sized. Popular brands have taken a progressive approach by launching extended size range collections. Athletic brands like Adidas and Nike have released new collections catered towards plus-sizes. Anthropologie, a prominent women’s store, released their first plussize collection (called A+nthropologie ranging from size 16W-26W) this past March. Anu Narayanan, Anthropologie’s chief merchandising officer, said, “For Anthropologie, the goal is to be the place where everyone comes to feel like the best version of themselves… We want to give every woman a wealth of options—and an experience that exceeds her expectations.” There has also been a positive burst of online stores that have released fashionable plus size clothing including— but not limited to—PrettyLittleThing, Boohoo, Fashion Nova, Meshki, and Lazy Oaf. What is truly admirable about these websites is that they have women of all sizes modeling their clothing, making it more accessible and easier for the customer to envision what it would look on them. It is empowering to see this change taking place, finally allowing women of all sizes to express themselves. Now, I find true happiness when I shop. I’m able to creatively express my personality through my outfit choices. With stores now expanding their size range, it has given me, and thousands of other women the opportunity to look like the people we’ve always been—we can now express our individuality, and not be afraid to hide behind a baggy t-shirt. Let’s spread this body positivity. Let’s make it the norm that women of all shapes and sizes are beautiful.