A new fashion moment is happening over on TikTok: the mid-size movement. And it’s making many of us feel seen for the first time, ever.
The trend appears to pay zero attention to the curated, filtered perfection of Instagram, instead focusing on providing an equal playing field for everyone hoping to gain some traction in the social media space; anything and everything is discussed on the platform, including the much-needed exposure of the new body inclusivity term: “Mid-size.”
Hands up if you have spent most of your life struggling to find clothes to fit you while hovering between a size 10 and a size 14? My hand is firmly raised.
@remibader / Instagram
Society, specifically the fashion industry, had drilled into my head that I just wasn’t physically desirable because I wasn’t “straight-size” (the industry term for sizing that falls between a UK 6 and a 10). It was also hard for me to find clothes that fit me correctly; tops were too tight and highlighted the “problem areas” I was conditioned to hate, and jeans/trousers felt suffocating.
Due to the confusing lack of catering for my body, I was then forced to go up several sizes, and soon, I was walking around in clothes too baggy and ill-favoured for my curves. But those were the clothes that I thought were specifically designed for me, so as a UK 14, I considered myself “plus-size.”
And I would only exclusively shop with “plus-size” retailers, who only catered for a UK 18 and above. Friendly reminder, I was only a UK 14.
TikTok content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
The disparity in sizing only hit me in the last few years, when I focused on my health and fitness, and after dropping a few pounds, I suddenly found myself in the ‘straight-size’ category. Shopping just seemed so much easier now.
