Stretching it way too far...

 I have never viewed the term 'plus size' as a positive one. What does that even suggest? That women any larger than a size 10 are deemed overweight or abnormally large? The nonsense term used by the fashion industry only determines the messages of negative body positivity that the media and fashion project to the world. For women, and for men being told you are plus size is like a smack round the face. No one has the right to label you and determine which clothes you can and cannot buy due to your size. Everyone's bodies are different shapes and sizes, no two are the same, so why has the industry decided to group up people’s body types determining whether or not they are deemed 'normal' or 'plus size'? The industry's view of a normal body shape has always been a warped one. Determined by the sample clothes designers create, fashion models have almost always been excessively thin. This has somehow now set the opinion within media that in order to be deemed beautiful or fashionable you must be no larger than a size 10, any larger and you are deemed plus size. 

In reality women are not all a size 4-10, not everyone has a slim physique and long legs. The industry's  message has made many people negatively view their bodies and looks, causing a variety of mental health problems and eating disorders, as many go to extremes wondering why they don't look like the models in magazines or on catwalks. Enough is enough. With the fashion industry now coming to terms with the impact they have on so many people, they are beginning to extend the spectrum of beauty. Instead of opening magazines and just seeing tall white thin blonde models, we now see a growing appearance of models of different ethnicities, sizes and shapes, widening the spectrum of beauty. 

Although there have been great advances in the variety of models used in industry, there are still companies who seem to be ignorant and blind to the changing political landscape of the industry. 

Recently the online retailer Wish.com have come under heavy scrutiny for advertising their plus size tights on thin models, who instead of wearing tights on their legs, the tights have been stretched over their whole bodies to show the bigger size of the hosiery. This has been viewed by many as the retailer mocking the size of the tights and the women who would wear them. Their odd choice of advertising is definitely unexpected and has driven many online shoppers to speak out about how it made them feel. Unsurprisingly many people feel upset and victimised by the brand. 

To move forward from this, more brands need to understand that they have a duty to represent all of their customers in a fair and respectful way, no matter their size, skin colour or sexuality. Fashion should include everyone, it’s a way of self expression and this should not be taken away from anyone. Instead of victimising those who don’t fit into a certain type of beauty bracket, we should be expanding the spectrum of beauty and celebrate everyone. Fashion is a tool to unite not segregate.