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It’s been a pretty interesting few months in the world of plus size fashion, and fashion in general. From plus size and ethnic representation being featured in a mainstream brand campaign to models having their stretchmarks included in products shots, it’s been a bit of an improvement for the community in general.
We can all agree that it’s been an overwhelming couple of years for the plus size fashion industry; fat people have shown up and shown OUT, and have proved that we are capable of dressing with style and confidence and that we can look just as good as people who wear ‘conventional’ sizes. There is a huge demand for stylish, plus size clothes and I’ve even recently heard whispers of some major online brands expanding their mainstream sizes to include plus size, meaning getting rid of the limited ‘plus’ title, and having every single item being available up to a size 28/30.
Cut to one of my favourite plus size brands, Elvi, who have just launched their newest campaign entitled #everyBODY. Elvi has expanded their clothing collection sizing both ways, starting from a size 8 to a size 28. This is great news for larger plus size women and is a move that I wish more brands would follow because being plus size does not stop at a size 22/24. The dream would be for all brands to go up to a size 30+, but it’s taken us about 40 years to get brands to go up to a size 24 as it is! Let’s hope it doesn’t have to take another 40 years for 30+ too.
Not only have Elvi extended their sizes, they have featured one of my favourite human beings of the moment, Enam Asiama as one of their models for the campaign. Having a larger plus sized, black woman as one of the faces of a campaign just does something to my spirit. It fills me with such an overwhelming sense of pride and joy and this is the feeling I need for us all to feel when looking online or on TV. I really wish more brands would take the chance and be inclusive and diverse with their campaigns because they genuinely think it’s the right thing to do, not just because body positivity is the current buzzword. Good on Elvi for using Enam, and I hope they continue to be more diverse, both ethnically and body-wise for future campaigns; shake the table!