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I know what youre thinkingmust be glamorous.
Illustration by Jocelyn Runice, Photography by JP Yim, Slaven Vlasic, Cindy Ord / Stringer / Getty Images
At 52 and 145 pounds, no one would mistake me for a model backstage.
Or at least, what IthinkI look like in comparison.
It’s also worth noting that it’s not just the models that make me feel this way.
Designer Ashley Nell Tipton in an ad for her JC Penney Boutique+ collection.
And Im not alone in these thoughts, either.
When I started to ask other editors about their own experiences, it was more of the same.
This problem is more pronounced for women who are size 12 and up.
Plus-size model Marquita Pring walking in Christian Siriano’s Spring 2017 presentation.
“Ive always been a big girl, and I always loved fashion.
I had subscriptions to all the fashion magazines.
Who can blame us for feeling like outsiders?
Plus-size model Asia Shane on the Byron Lars catwalk in September.
SELF assistant beauty and style editor Alexis Bennett summed up the feeling perfectly.
It says, ‘This is beauty.
And if you dont fit into this narrow category, you arent good enough.'”
Tracy Reese included models of different ages and sizes in her Spring 2017 presentation.
Of course, its no wonder that I and many others can feel out of place.
Then, over the next three months, the team sizes up the item for mass distribution in stores.
So, the pattern that was made as a sample is copied and expanded for sizes four and up.
Model Denise Bidot on the Chromat runway at New York Fashion Week this September.
This process is one explanation of why certain (small) sized models have been the norm.
In addition, clothing patterns have to be rearranged to work for curvier body types.
Additionally, Tipton says that there are also durability issues for plus-size clothes that designers have to think about.
“The lifetime of plus-size clothing is not the same as [for] a straight-size woman.
But designer Becca McCharen ofChromatsays that none of this is an excuse.
So, I don’t know if economics is a good reason to choose homogeneity.
Indeed, some designers are now adopting asee-now-buy-now modelwhere multiple sizes are immediately available in stores following a show.
Hes designed for models like Coco Rocha and actresses like Melissa McCarthy andLeslie Jones.
On top of that, this season was his first time featuring plus-size models in his primary presentation.
We are putting pressure on the designers, [saying] its unacceptable that you dont cater to us.
In addition, the blogging community has been crucial in catapulting body-diverse models to the main stage at NYFW.
And if they choose not to, thats the beauty of being a plus-size blogger.
Ill take the garment, and Ill put it on.
Overall, casting directors are seeing a difference in the requests that come in for NYFW.
Siriano, for example, included five plus-size ensembles among his 51 total looks for Spring 2017.
Many women are applauding the brands thatarecommitting to this bang out of inclusivity.
Take theChromat runwayas an example.
And this change isn’t just happening on the runway.
The message is clear: It’s time for something different, something that feels relatable and authentic.
So where do we go from here?
“At some point, we just have to integrate.
“Its about age; its about ethnic backgrounds.
There is so much more to cover and so much more to be included in.
We want to feel empowered and accepted by fashion insiders, no matter our age or skin color.
“We all have to wear clothes,” says Hickman.
“You should be able to ‘see’ yourself in something across the board.
If you want to make the largest profit, you should probably sell to everyonenot just one sector.”
She gets to grow up seeing herself on the runways and on billboards.
If this is the future of fashion, you bet I’ll be backstage cheering everyone on.
You might also like: Iskra Lawrence On How She Learned To Love Her Body
