Body Neutrality and the Tale of the Mysterious Sample Size

I’m going to talk about what it’s like being a fashion designer who isn’t sample-sized.
For anyone outside the industry, I wonder if you all know what sample size even means?

Do you know what size grading is?

Size range?

Plus size?

Regular/straight size?

Alpha vs numeric?

All of these terms have specific uses and definitions within the fashion industry and each brand or company will have varying definitions. It’s complicated enough for those of us “behind the seams”, let alone the average customer.

And now there’s some (new and old) terms doing the rounds, particularly on TikTok and Instagram, which need some further explanation.

The term Midsize has appeared/re-appeared more prominently in the last few months, and it’s causing quite a stir.
As a Designer, I do not use this term. Everywhere I’ve worked has either had one broad, extended size range from the equivalent of XS-6X, or a separate Regular and Plus size range. Midsize as a term has been doing the rounds since at least 2018, referencing bodies of around a UK/AU14 or US10. It’s unclear if a US8 or 16 are included, and many influencers/consumers have argued about the point at which a body or item of clothing falls into midsize or plus size. Some recent discourse has lead me to believe this term is not super helpful, as it still divides people by body size and has more of an exclusive vibe than inclusive. This is because of anyone who falls either side of this small bracket of sizes, is criticized if they use the hashtag. I’ve seen people get called out on Instagram and Tiktok, so it seems like a term you might want to avoid, if you don’t like drama.

The term Body Positive has also come under fire for misuse, by the people who need it most. BIPOC. This term, and its subsequent hashtags and community accounts, has given many people a sense of belonging. I think part of this term has a great message. To love yourself, always. But it’s the always part that’s also been hard for a lot of people to resonate with, myself included. I feel it’s more normal to have good, bad, mediocre, meh, who cares, sure-why-not days. It’s ok to not love yourself or the physicality of our bodies every day. There can often be an added pressure by immersing yourself in the body positivity movement to constantly feel empowered, constantly staring at your body, taking selfies and being proud of your physical form.

The term Body Neutrality refers to the disassociation with your body and how it looks, meaning that unlike body positivity and its push to always love your body, no matter what, you can disconnect sometimes and just focus on what your body does, and how you feel inside, as opposed to how it looks.

I resonate with this last term, however I don’t want to shout it from the rooftops just yet. Why? Because it seems like every one of these so-called movements ends up coming unstitched with some sort of negative connotations. No matter how ideal it seems, someone is going to feel marginalised, take offence or come up with a reason why they’re the wrong words to use. Our cancel culture is amass with debate about all these different body descriptors. If you say the wrong thing, claim to be something you’re not - you’ll get hounded in the comments of your seemingly inspired/inspiring post.

Working in an industry that is held together with definitions of body shape and size, whilst trying to maintain body neutrality is nearly impossible.
But I’ve somehow managed to block out some negativity and get to where I am today. The point of this blog is not to tell you what to do. Not to encourage you to try practicing body neutrality, or even to shame anyone who uses the term midsize or body positive. It’s simply to add my opinion to the conversation in a place that’s my own. Rather than engaging with trolls on social media.

I also want to add some colour to the related topics of body image and body size, and how this relates to creating clothes as a Designer, whilst not fitting the “ideals” of the industry I’ve worked in for 12+ years.

I’m not currently a size typically defined as “sample size”, however, I am in a position in my current role, where I am able to choose what size we fit in, and I have chosen to fit in a larger size (my own) to ensure the garments fit nicely over a larger body. I also think this is a great adjustment to the process during a global panera bread, in order to catch any other things that need improving with the garment.
I have experienced some vendors who are not able/do not wish to sample in a larger size to begin with, as they have their systems and processes set up for small. This could be that the pattern-maker is used to creating patterns in a base size, and doesn’t want to change their workflow. It could be that the mannequins they use to check the samples before sending them out are a particular size.
These reasons are understandable, but also stem from the inherent issues in the industry overall.
People being set in their ways and afraid to change.

Some things that you may or may not realise about the fashion industry:

1. Most people working behind the scenes are not sample size.

2. Depending on the company, the sample size is different.

3. Some companies fit in the second smallest size and grade (make the patterns gradually bigger) up to their biggest size without fitting/testing/checking any other sizes before production. That might explain some ill-fitting clothes you’ve tried before.

4. Most companies separate the design and development process for “Regular/Straight” and “Plus” sized products. Often, the design is changed or they don’t make the same designs for these different groups of customers. Even if the customers would all love to wear the same thing.

5. Not all sample sales just have the “sample size” aka the small ones… but many do. Brands that do make an effort to fit/shoot in other sizes, will often have additional sizes at their sample sales. You’ll just have to research this before wasting your time showing up to one.

6. Far too many brands make excuses for capping their size range at or before the “midsize” range, not even getting close to Plus. Know this: they absolutely could produce a broader size range. They simply don’t want to. This is exclusive fashion practice. The opposite of inclusive.

7. Many brands use the excuse of their sample size being small (as though it has to be) for shooting on small/thin models. Again, no. This is all within their control. They just don’t want to change. They don’t want to fit in a larger or middle size. They don’t want to shoot on a different sized model. They don’t want to produce a different size for the photoshoot. They absolutely could.

8. There isn’t necessarily verbal pressure within the industry to be thin/sample size, but there can be a lot of rude undertones and people often do away with typical social conduct, because fitting on half-naked models on a daily basis becomes the norm. Everyone becomes hyper critical of the clothes and how they fit on a model’s body - it’s our job. It’s rarely negative about the model, but comments can often be made about losing weight to be more like the model or people commenting about how they couldn’t wear something themselves. I have prided myself over the years on improving the language I use to describe the clothes, how they fit, any issues with the garments and how I would like the final design to look - especially with a team and model standing in front of me.
   - I don’t use the word fat as some might say “this dress makes her look fat, let’s change X”
   - I don’t refer to any style of garment as “slimming” - because this negatively reinforces the notion that slimness = the ideal
   - I try to design styles that will work for all sizes and shapes - this is actually extremely difficult, but I choose to do this as much as possible, as it’s the right thing to do
   - I refer to body parts only as landmarks, such as bust, waist and hips - I do not comment on the size of these areas, in relation to how the garment looks, unless the garment is fitting too tight/loose
   - I am careful with my use of the words big/small, to make sure any model I’m fitting on knows it’s about the sample and not her body

9. It’s more common for the majority of people in the industry to have low self esteem or body dysmorphia than you’d realise. Reading the above, do you see why that might be?

10. Sometimes people think that because we work in fashion, it makes it OK to talk about diets, weight loss, hating your body, commenting on other people’s bodies etc in the workplace. It’s not. But it’s like there’s some sort of barrier of what’s socially acceptable, that’s been breached by far too many. Somehow, people in the industry think it’s OK to discuss wanting to be thin or it’s assumed that because you work in the industry, especially as a Designer, you’d wish to be smaller.

11. I saw a TikTok recently by a model who had just wrapped filming a new Fashion reality show (not project runway or next in fashion or the heidi klum amazon one - a new one that hasn’t come out yet). She spoke about how each week the designers pick their model and create the look for them. The designers were briefed on all the models’ measurements prior to filming commencing. This model was the only Plus sized model in the group, and when she posted the video, she had just filmed the finale. After a whole season, not a single designer had chosen her. She stood there week after week, not being chosen. People in the comments had some guesses at explanations, such as “maybe they didn’t have your size of pattern blocks with them” or “maybe they didn’t have enough fabric”, and so on.
    These same excuses have plagued the industry - they’re all lame excuses and a cover for being fat-phobic or even phobic to a body that isn’t rail-thin.
    I don’t know when this show is airing, but let’s keep an eye out. Judging by the comments on the model’s video, it’s not going to go down well.
    This is one example of cancel-culture that I. AM. HERE. FOR.
    These designers should be ashamed, and they don’t deserve to have a career in fashion if they can’t design for ALL BODIES.

12. Don’t even get me started on the modeling industry, runway, couture and tokenism of larger bodies - we’ll save that for another day.

13. It can be really difficult being in an industry that has historically favored, prioritized and marketed to and with thin bodies, without it affecting you in some way. You have to be very strong-willed to either disconnect from your work and your personal style/clothing choices OR be a key leader pushing for change in an absolutely discriminatory and archaic playing field. I don’t honestly think I could ever work for a company in the future that doesn’t adequately cater to a broader range of customers. I really hope that the next generation (and current players) can improve their size/fit and size ranges very soon, otherwise they’ll be left behind.

    
    To end this (hopefully informative) rant, I want to say that this does not by any means cover all aspects of the topics and issues I have mentioned. It’s more of a kick-off for future posts and discussion. Hopefully, the more I put these topics out there, the more we can all learn and grow. I’m here if you’d like to chat about this online or IRL if we’re friends. If there’s any topics you’d like me to expand on, let me know.
    
    And remember - if the clothes don’t fit, it’s not you. They’re inconsistent and the numbers and letters mean nothing.