Hello, I’m Michaela Leitz also known as @aboutmichaela on Instagram a size-inclusive fashion influencer, and today I will write about size inclusivity on social media.
What does size inclusive mean?
In the fashion world, size inclusivity is the design and manufacture of clothing that accommodates people of all size ranges. This includes plus-size, petite, and tall sizing. Size inclusive fashion influencers are those who advocate for this type of fashion and help to promote body positivity among their followers.
Size inclusive fashion is about celebrating all bodies, no matter their size. It’s about creating clothing that makes everyone feel confident and beautiful.
And who better to help spread the message of size inclusion than fashion influencers?
Fashion influencers are people who use their platforms like Instagram and Tiktok to showcase their personal style and inspire others. They often have a large following on social media, and their opinions can carry a lot of weight.
In 2022, we predict that size-inclusive fashion influencers will be even more popular than they are today. Why? Because as our society becomes more accepting of all body types, people will be looking to these influencers for guidance on how to dress in a size-inclusive way.
What does Body Positivity mean?
Body Positivity is an acceptance and celebration of all body types. It’s the idea that everyone should be able to love and appreciate their bodies, regardless of size, shape, or appearance.
The history of body positivity is long and complex, but it really started to gain traction in the late 20th century. In the 1990s, there was a growing movement of plus-size women who were tired of being excluded from the fashion industry. They wanted to see themselves represented in magazines and on runways, so they started their own size-inclusive fashion brands and modeling agencies.
The Body Positive movement has been gaining a lot of momentum in recent years, and it’s only getting bigger and better. There are now more size-inclusive fashion brands and influencers than ever before. And we’re not just talking about plus-size fashion here. We’re talking about all size ranges being represented in the fashion industry.
What is size inclusive fashion?
It means all shapes, and sizes are included. Unfortunately, still, most designers and brands don’t cater to all size ranges. Especially the plus size community is excluded from aesthetic and chic outfits.
But we have a growing supply on the market, and I am very grateful for that. Especially smaller designers are conquering the size-inclusive market to close the gap for our community.
How did you become a size inclusive fashion influencer, Michaela?
Size Inclusive Fashion Influencer Michaela Leitz
There are many plus size influencers out there on social media the same comes for a fashion blogger.
My journey started when I gained a lot of weight after being a size 0. After the weight gain, my wardrobe was kind of empty and it was so hard to style myself. I was dreaming about effortless looks and designer clothes but there was barely any brand back then that catered to people in my size.
My confidence was growing the more content I was uploading, every post on Instagram gave me the feeling of belonging. I started to follow only curve models and other plus influencers. My feed was full of inspiration from other bigger women, there were more and more influencers to follow every day.
Even though I wasn’t a professional model nor a fashion stylist back then, other women really loved what I was doing and my audience grew strong.
More and more brands were reaching out to me for special collaborations and I became a plus size influencer.
I love how creative I still got to be with most campaigns, that was really important to me. I never wanted to be a size zero model, I love my curvaceous body and there is nothing more empowering than to dress up in clothes that make you feel like a million bucks.
It wasn’t enough for me to just be an influencer
Size Inclusive fashion Influencer Michaela Leitz
It is great to get inspired every day by other people’s Instagram or blogs. But I wanted to be and do more than just shopping styles off my feed.
I wanted to learn how to professionally style and be able to help other plus-size women, that’s why I studied Fashion Styling & Image Consulting. A lot of influencers have in their bio written they are stylists but actually they don’t have an educational background in it.
To be fair, without archiving my diploma in fashion styling & image consulting I would have never been able to work as a personal stylist. Styling is an own art, it is magic and you need to be educated about how to make this magic in all different shapes work.
It is one thing to buy the next trend in a shop, it is of course possible to subscribe to fashion magazines. But being able to style someone that is a different story.
I love to see the smile in my client’s eyes when they put on an outfit we styled together, and how their confidence grows with every look we create. It’s more than a job – being size inclusive is my lifestyle.
Plus Size vs. Curvy
Unfortunately being Plus Size and being Curvy is not necessarily the same.
The size inclusive fashion industry is still very young, and we are still figuring out how to use the right language.
When I started my styling business three years ago, I called it Plus Size Styling. Back then there were no size-inclusive stylists around, and it was easier for my clients to find me when I told them I am a plus size stylist.
But both terms have different meanings.
What is plus size?
Plus size is used to describe a certain size range in the fashion industry. In the US that would be size 14+, in Europe, it is size 44+.
The problem with this term is that it alienates a lot of people. We are using size as an identifier, which should never be the case. A size says nothing about a person.
When we are using the term plus size, we are automatically putting all the people who identify with this size in one group. But every human being is unique, and so is their style.
What is curvy?
The term curvy describes a certain shape of a woman’s body. A curvy body has more curves, like a bigger bust and hips in proportion to the waist.
The problem with this term is that not every plus size woman has a curvy body shape. And of course, not every curvy woman is plus size.
So how do we describe size inclusive fashion?
Size Inclusive fashion Influencer Michaela Leitz
When we are talking about size inclusive fashion, we are talking about fashion that is inclusive of all size ranges.
This means that the fashion industry needs to design and produce clothing for all size ranges, from size 0 to size 28+.
The term size inclusive is a much more accurate description of what we are talking about because it does not alienate anyone.
How do I become a size inclusive influencer?
There is no one size fits all answer to this question, but there are a few things you can do to become a size inclusive influencer.
First, make sure you are using size inclusive language on your platform. This means using terms like size inclusive, body positive, and fat positive instead of plus size.
Second, seek out size inclusive brands to work with. There are more and more size inclusive brands popping up, so do your research and find the ones that align with your values.
Finally, use your platform to lift other size inclusive influencers. Share their content, leave them supportive comments, and collaborate with them whenever you can.
Beware of Curvewashing and Sizewashing
As the size inclusive movement grows. So does the risk of brands and influencers trying to cash in on it without actually being size inclusive.
This is known as curve washing (brands using plus size models to sell their products without actually making plus size clothing). Or just producing plus size clothes in on the “thinner end” which means in maybe size 16.
Sizewashing means that a brand uses size inclusive language without actually being size inclusive.
For example, a brand might use the hashtag #sizeinclusive but only sell up to size 12.
As a size inclusive influencer, it’s important to be aware of these practices and call them out when you see them.
There are also influencers pretending to be plus size when they are not, which is a practice I will never understand. I was never in this business for the likes, I am here to inspire and support other women.
Both of these practices are harmful to the size inclusive community, so be careful of who you support.
Size inclusive fashion is still very new
but it’s already making waves in the fashion industry. I believe that size-inclusive influencers will play a big role in shaping the future of fashion.
If you want to be inspired and learn more about size inclusivity feel free to follow me here on instagram @aboutmichaela.
Thank you for reading my today’s blog post.
Love,
Michaela
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