March 26, 2026
By Eda Aktas
Staff Writer
This feature is part of a five-part in-depth reporting project about fashion.
Walking into a store to buy new clothes should be a pleasant experience, but for some people, it is frustrating. The sizes are limited, models in the advertisements all look similar and popular styles often seem designed for certain body types. These everyday experiences raise an important question: Is the fashion industry truly inclusive?
The body inclusivity movement in fashion dates back to 1967, when Steve Post, a New York City radio host who played an important role in the fat acceptance movement, hosted a “fat-in” in Manhattan’s Central Park in response to size discrimination. However, the rise of social media in the 2010s marked the beginning of the modern plus-size era and a major transformation in fashion.
Senior Madeline Quintero said that because of her 5-foot height, she must shop at stores including Hollister and PacSun, which offer short lengths.
“They are [an expensive] brand to buy from, [so] I’ll shop at other stores too,” Quintero said. “Even if they don’t fit me,… it’s easy for me to tailor them to my height. ”
She said inclusivity in fashion is important.
“Not everyone has the same body type, so including more people would lead to people feeling more accepted,” Quintero said.
“I can’t wait for a future when the next generations can find clothing that they love and make themselves feel confident.”
History teacher Ms. Schiraldi, who has experience working in the fashion industry, said models’ bodies do not reflect those of real women.
“When I was growing up, Victoria’s Secret [models] were what you needed to look like…. It caused a lot of eating disorders and mental health issues with girls,” Schiraldi said. “That is just not reality, that’s not the real body of a woman, especially one that has given birth.”
Schiraldi said the main reason why brands do not include plus-size clothing is that they do not see enough demand for it.
“If there is not a customer for it, they are not going to make it, but shame on them because there’s always been a customer for [plus-size clothing],” Schiraldi said.
Senior Ioanna Hantzaras said she has seen improvements in the fashion industry during her lifetime, as more diverse body types are represented in clothing.
“Especially back in the 2000s, it would be only skinny [styles], and it was stigmatized if you had a bigger body,” Hantzaras said. “[Now,] a lot of brands are actually criticized if they pander to only one [body type]…. I feel very hopeful. I can’t wait for a future when the next generations can find clothing that they love and make themselves feel confident.”
Even though it is challenging, Hantzaras said fashion brands should aim to design clothes that look good on a variety of body types.
“It’s too common that clothes can look so cute on a skinny mannequin, but [in larger sizes], it looks awful as they just size it up without caring about how the shape is,” Hantzaras said.
Unlike Hantzaras, freshman Ben De La Cruz said the fashion industry has regressed in body inclusivity.
“I would say that different body types were represented [more] half a decade ago [than today] because of online trends that cater to smaller body types that are considered attractive, actively excluding the diversity of body types,” De La Cruz said.
He said he used to embrace gym culture fashion trends by wearing fitted shirts and tank tops, even though they felt inauthentic. Now, however, he said he wears clothes that make him feel good, regardless of whether they are in style.
“[Fashion trends] usually don’t cater to what I’m interested in, and it doesn’t feel authentic to who I am,” De La Cruz said. “Clothing is really powerful in telling who a person is, along with other factors.”
Regardless of what is trending, De La Cruz said teens should value their well-being above their appearance.
“First, love yourself because changing constantly to be accepted is very harmful,” De La Cruz said. ”Just do what’s best for your health.”
