Dear Fashion Industry, Have You Heard Of 'Mid-Sized Clothing'?

Kusha Kapila mid-size women wear: For a person growing up watching women hold their breath to fit into smaller-sized clothes made me think of styling and fashion only for a certain size, ideally below size 10. The concept of mid-size or plus-size fashion clothing was absent and people were shamed for choosing anything above size 10-12. So when Kusha Kapila spoke about the disappointment that mid-sized women face it really did strike a chord.

TRIGGER WARNING: The article talks about body size and eating disorders.

Seeing the popular influencer and comedian, share an image of herself made us back revisit the time spent in the trial rooms of big brands stores trying to fit into their 'ideal or the perfect' size or just looking at self in a mirror with a loose t-shirt hiding the silhouette nursing a heartbreak.

Yesterday, Kusha Kapila posted a couple of Instagram stories talking about stylists, their prejudices against mid-size women wear and her dealing with fatphobia. The relatability level to the story is very high because whom are we kidding, how many times have we been shamed by 'people' for having a waist size of 34 and not 24 or 26?

Kapila posted her Halloween look with the writings, "My Halloween look this year is showing up in clothes that I am often handed on sets that almost never appropriately fit me despite sending in my recent measurements which is indicative of how mid-size and plus-size people are still treated wrt basic-ass styling. Sorry if this is triggering but I experience this more often than I or anyone for that matter deserves and yet I am expected to do my job well despite the agony and the embarrassment of course."

The industry sizing of clothes ranges from the straight size which is UK 6 to 10 and plus-size which is UK 18 and above. Mid-size fashion is for women who straddle the line between straight and plus size. According to the Vogue article, less than twenty per cent of apparel is made for mid-sized women.

Adding words of encouragement, the post read, "despite all these, we shall continue to slay and post OOTD. My OOTDs posts are a coping mechanism really, almost like a pain relief balm to yank myself out of a downward spiral. I mean you do you, boo."

Kusha Kapila also shared that in recent feedback, she was told that she only talks about eating clean and joking about food she cannot eat. She says that this is what she gets home from sets (her workplace). Fatphobia is real, "an alarming number of stylists struggle to put a look together for size 14 and above," she wrote, adding, "You are made to feel small, really small and your palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy..."

One is made to feel bad about their body through the clothes that they wear. For the longest time as a mid-size or a plus-sized woman, one didn't know how to carry a crop top or jumpsuits or pants until we started seeing more mid-size or plus-size women come on social media and love their bodies. Forcing brands to see and understand the need of the hour. Hopefully, more mid-size women come out with their stories and help normalise the body type. In this kind of atmosphere, it is important that more and more women like Kapila start conversations that normalise all body sizes and reach out to those who are going through mental health conditions or eating disorders because of their body image.

(Opinions expressed are the author's own)

(Feature Image Credit: MissMalini)

Suggested Reading:

My fight against body shaming made me aware of how patriarchy feeds this vicious cycle

How Being Plus Size Is Synonymous To Being Ugly In Our Society

Awareness About Health Is As Essential As Normalising Plus Size

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