Body diversity is more than just size diversity

HOT FAT Summer PT2 #EFF 22

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For a fleeting moment, I felt like we were moving towards more fat representation in fashion. Now it feels like unless you specifically follow fat influencers (which unfortunately might tie-in with fast fashion promotion), you’re unlikely to see size diversity.

But even when we see size diversity through brand campaigns, it’s often through the lens of the fat model aesthetic.

Think about the ‘typical’ plus size model.

What don't we see?

Big bellies, hanging bellies, squishy arms, thigh rolls, upper arm rolls, cellulite, double chins.

Instead we see a particular version of a fat person, someone who has an hourglass physique and doesn't carry weight around their chin, their upper arms or stomach. If they have rolls or cellulite, it’s airbrushed to the extreme.

Even if we shift our focus from weight or from size, fatness can still be intertwined with beauty standards. What is seen as acceptable when it comes to fatness is pushed into a singularity when it comes to representation - like in swimwear campaigns by mainstream brands. We only see one body type even if the model wears a larger size.

Size privilege is entangled with beauty privilege. You can hold less of one and more of the other.

At the same time, there is a fierce backlash against fat people in general, even those who are more closely aligned with the beauty ideal.

THE DEFINITION OF FATNESS IN FLUX

Most of our cultural conversation right now is laser-focused on Nicola Coughlan in Bridgerton. And let’s be honest, to see someone in a non-lithe body type be a lead in a regent-era romance is unusual.

But what does fatness have to do with Nicola Coughlan?

1. Features that are associated with fat bodies.
   
   I think we can get into triggering territory here because we can very quickly get into a state of dissecting ourselves and others and which parts that can be changed to fit beauty ideals which there is no end to. I hesitated about writing this, because I feel like we get so distracted by this conversation and writing about another person’s body feels distasteful. But it not a negative thing to be associated with fatness. As an artist, I think about and draw bodies all the time, always through the pursuit of appreciation and never through a harsh fatphobic lens.
   
   Nicola may not be fat according to our own cultural standards, but she has soft features. A soft face and stomach. That is enough to connect her to fatness and draw ire from some people and fanfare from others.

2. Body standards for celebrities (especially women) are completely different.

   I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently because even though I’m mid-fat when we think of categories that are used in our online fat communities, I’m considered much larger in Japan, and in Indian communities.

   
   Celebrities are under a lot more pressure to conform to thinness because they are exposed to a constant stream of criticism from multiple outlets. Aside from the pressure, the standards themselves are narrower. It could be said that if the new celebrity is the influencer and we are trying to emulate those very same standards, this could partially explain why the circle of acceptability for bodies is narrowing.

   

3. I’ve seen a lot of takes about ‘mixed-weight relationship’ and honestly until Virgie Tovar’s article came out, I had no clue that this term was even a thing. This is far from the first couple on-screen with different body sizes. But this time, the criticism seems to be mostly driven by both gender bias and fatphobia. I can understand to some degree that these relationships might be judged differently but is it because it’s a ‘mixed-weight relationship’ or is it just old-fashioned fatphobia rearing it’s ugly head like always?
   
   It shouldn’t be considered a flex to be in a relationship with someone who is thinner than you. You don’t need to justify why fat people are worthy of love or are desirable - and our relationships are just as valid when our partners are fat too.

I think that Bridgerton can be a starting point for our cultural conversation, but lately I’ve felt really disappointed too. Because if this is how much fatphobia and body criticism one person in a relatively privileged smaller body with softer features is getting, what does that mean for the rest of us?

Body diversity means more than just size representation.

It means we need to see different body shapes.

It has to be intersectional, include people of different ethnicities, disabled people and people with visible differences.

I love movies and shows as much as the next person (provided they too also like them?), but we can’t rely on Hollywood to normalise body diversity. Hell it’s why Bridgerton felt like such a big deal, when really at this point in time it shouldn’t be.

We have to be our own muses.

For all the flaws of social media, one thing is that we can regain our autonomy over which images we expose ourselves to. We can unfollow accounts that promote intentional weight loss while throwing fat people under the bus. We can follow diverse accounts and see different bodies.

We can notice and appreciate body diversity when we’re out and about.

Do you feel that certain features are hidden when it comes to size representation? How do you diversify your idea of beauty?

I TAKE IT ALL BACK (SORT OF)

While I was researching ethical swimwear brands, I started to see the exact type of body diversity I was describing above that we are missing. It’s really these small brands that include fat people in their marketing that are doing the most in these spaces to not only cater to us but include images of us. Find this week’s recs below.

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