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The Weekend Read * Style For Every Body: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

October 18, 2025

The Weekend Read * Style For Every Body: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Judi Prue | Read in 11 minutes

Hello,

This week in The Weekend Read, we are looking at style through the eyes of inclusivity and asking questions about how the fashion industry markets the seasons' designs for us as women who come in all shapes and sizes.

When you open your favourite clothing website and scroll through the models, what do you see? Chances are, most of the models staring back at you are between a size 6 and 10, around five-foot-nine, aged somewhere between twenty and thirty and are able-bodied. You might see a few curve models here and there. Now ask yourself this: Where am I in this picture?

Because for all our talk of inclusivity, the fashion world still largely designs and markets for one body type. And it’s not yours, or ours, or most women’s.

What Representation Should Look Like and Why We’re Not There Yet

It’s 2025. We can send ordinary people into space and build AI assistants that that help us with our day to day tasks, but walk into a high-street store and you’ll still struggle to find:

Petite trousers that don’t drown your legs.
Size 20 jeans that aren’t hidden online.
Shoes in wide or narrow fittings beyond the standard D width.
Tall-length sleeves that actually reach the wrist.
Adaptive clothing for disabled bodies that don’t look medical.
Modest options that feel stylish rather than apologetic.

Fashion loves to talk about diversity, but most of what we see in shops or as we scroll online isn't diverse, it's surface representation without meaningful change in sizing, stock levels or design intent. The result means millions of women browse, click, scroll and sigh, feeling excluded before they’ve even tried anything on.

How It Feels for Real Women

If you’re petite, we suspect you’re tired of being told to shop in the teens section when you’re forty-five. If you’re tall, you know the annoyance of sleeves that finish halfway up your forearm. If you use a wheelchair or prosthetic limb, you’ve probably learned to sew your own adjustments. If you dress modestly for faith reasons, your options are limited to layers that overheat in summer. If you’re mid-size (that vast and invisible group between size 12 and 18), you see yourself represented nowhere.

The emotional hit is bigger than we admit. Disappointment turns into avoidance and we begin to hear and feel those same emotions, 'shopping stresses me out', 'nothing fits me anyway,' or 'I'll just buy another black top as that goes with everything'.

Soon the joy of style becomes a source of anxiety. We stop exploring new colours or silhouettes and we recede into the safe and familiar. Every time we don’t see ourselves represented, a little voice inside whispers: 'you're not the right shape,' 'you don't belong here' or 'maybe it's you.'

That’s the Mirror Effect: when our reflection in the shopping window feels like rejection rather than invitation. The knock-on effects are real, we delay purchases, we buy baggier and we tend to dress down. Some women stop shopping altogether, clinging to the same wardrobe for years because the experience feels punishing.

But fashion and style isn’t meant to punish. It’s meant to celebrate.

Why This Happens (and Why It’s Not You)

The fashion system is built on efficiency and imagery. Sample sizes are cheaper to produce, models who fit those samples are cheaper to cast and marketing algorithms reward what looks aspirational.

However, aspiration built on exclusion alienates the very customers brands rely on. When 70 percent of UK women wear size 14 or above, when the average height is 5 foot 4, when 22 percent of adults live with a disability and we’re a wonderfully diverse mix of cultures and background, one-size-fits-all design simply doesn’t make sense ethically or economically.

Yet so much of fashion is still locked into that narrow frame.

Imagine scrolling for hours and seeing no model who looks like you. Or going to a shop where your size is only available online and when you ask for help, being directed to a corner labelled 'special sizes.' It’s isolating and can be embarrassing when we know it shouldn't. It chips away at our relationship with style itself.

When style becomes a reminder of difference rather than a celebration of it, women withdraw, not just from fashion and style, but sometimes from social spaces, careers or self-confidence rituals like dressing up.

That’s the hidden cost of under-representation, it makes half the population feel invisible and that's not right or fair.

The Weekend Read * Style For Every Body: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

How to Feel Better When Fashion Lets You Down

On some days, even the strongest of us feel deflated after a failed shopping trip. Here’s how to reset your positive mindset so you don't get dragged down the rabbit hole of despair:

Remember, the clothes failed, not you. When something doesn’t fit or flatter, it’s not your body’s fault. The garment wasn’t designed for you and that’s on the retailer.

Dress the body you have today, not your goal body, not your pre-baby or post menopause body and not your 'maybe-next-year' body. Clothes that fit now make you look your best now.

Start with colour. Even if the fit frustrates you, the right colour near your face will lift your mood instantly. House of Colour clients tell us this every week, it’s transformational and instant.

Find community. Join local swap shops, preloved boutiques or online groups for your body type or mobility needs. Sharing recommendations restores connection. If you haven't already, sign up to the House of Colour colour and style groups for inspiration or follow a consultant whose style you love.

Tailor, don’t settle. A £15 hem alteration can turn a nearly right item into the perfect piece. Think of tailoring as self-care, not an extravagance.

One of the simplest ways to reclaim joy is through colour. Psychologists call it dopamine dressing, which we talked about in The Weekend Read: That Hit of happy: choose colours that spark happiness.

It’s not about standing out for attention, it’s about tuning in to yourself. A bright scarf on a grey day or a cosy jumper that makes your eyes pop. These small acts of colour are rebellion against invisibility. At House of Colour, we see it daily: women rediscovering themselves through palette and proportion. When you wear what harmonises with you, you radiate ease and that’s contagious.

Some Brands Are Listening, Some Need to do Better

Thankfully, change is happening slowly. Here are a few brand names worth applauding:

M&S now offers clothing in sizes 6–24 in most ranges, displays different body shapes on its website, and uses older and disabled models in lingerie campaigns.

John Lewis showcases petite, tall, and plus-size fits side-by-side online, rather than separating them into hidden tabs.

Boden extends to size 22 and regularly photographs mid-size and over-50 models.

Seasalt Cornwall designs petite and regular lengths, using real customers in campaigns.

George Adaptive includes easy-access zips and seated fits for wheelchair users.

Nike and Adidas feature para-athletes and trans models in mainstream advertising.

Modanisa and The Modist celebrate modest fashion as a style choice, not a restriction.

These brands aren’t perfect, but they’re proof that inclusion does sell and that true representation can be beautiful, aspirational and authentic.

There are some brands, however, that need to do better. We all know them, the ones that promise inclusivity, then release their new collection featuring the same six-foot, size 8 model wearing the clothes. Or those that technically stock a size 20 but only online, never on a shop rail.

When customers can’t see or try their size in-store, it sends a message that you’re not their priority. And when brands photograph every item on the same narrow body type, it tells us your body isn’t their aesthetic either. That’s not acceptable anymore.

What We Can Do About It

Change can only happen when voices join together and the good news is consumers have more power than ever before. If you want to be heard:

Vote with your wallet: Support brands that show and stock all bodies. If your size, height or faith needs aren’t represented, don’t spend your money there.

Leave feedback (publicly): Most retailers track reviews and comments closely. So use them and send feedback like, 'I love this dress, but please photograph it on a size 16 model too.' Or 'great jeans, could we have a 29 inch leg length option.'

Tag brands on social media: Post your own photos wearing their clothes. Visibility matters. When real customers flood feeds with real bodies, algorithms and marketing teams notice.

Ask retailers for change in-store: Don’t be afraid to ask: 'Do you have this in a shorter length?' 'Why isn’t the plus-size range here?' Every question plants a seed and if we don't say anything, nothing changes.

Share inclusive content: Follow influencers who reflect your reality - petite stylists, mid-size bloggers and adaptive-fashion advocates. The more we share, the more normal it becomes.

Imagine a 2025 shopping landscape where every brand shows each product on at least three body types. Sizes 4–28 are stocked in-store, not hidden online. Adaptive and modest designs sit beside mainstream ones and marketing celebrates age, ethnicity, disability and shape equally. That’s not utopia, it’s basic fairness. And we’ll get there faster if we keep asking for it loudly, kindly and persistently.

How to Shop Smarter and Feel Happier

Here are some tips to make shopping a little easier:

Online:

Use filters for petite, tall, curve or adaptive but also email customer services to request better representation.
Follow size-inclusive hashtags like #petitefashion, #midsizestyle, #adaptivefashion.
Save brands that model clothes on different heights and ages as it helps the algorithm show you more of what you actually want.

In-store:

Try multiple sizes of the same piece as fits can vary wildly.
Focus on fabrics with stretch and drape.
Don’t rush yourself. The fitting room should feel like exploration, not judgment.
Ask sales staff for upcoming inclusive collections - retailers note every enquiry.

Styling Every Body: A Quick Reference Guide

A few universal principles that celebrate rather than correct:

Petite frame: keep proportions short-over-long; cropped jackets, high-rise trousers, knee length rather than midi or maxi lengths. Tonal dressing lengthens the frame.

Tall frame: play with volume; wide legs, statement sleeves, belts to define long torsos. Own your height don’t shrink it.

Mid-size: structure plus stretch is magic. Break your outfit into thirds (top/jacket/bottom) for a balanced proportion.

Plus-size: avoid oversized as your default. Skimming fits, vertical lines (but not stripes) like an open jacket and colour near your face will lift everything.

Disabled/adaptive: look for side-zips or magnetic closures, seated-fit trousers and stretch panels. George Adaptive and Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive lead the way here.

Modest dressers: Layer texture, pattern and colour. Long doesn’t mean shapeless so use belts and cuffs for definition.

Older bodies: embrace softness and luminosity with fluid fabrics, brighter neutrals and flattering necklines.

Final Thoughts: The Joy of Being Seen

When we finally see ourselves represented, whether in an advert, on a website or walking down the high street, something subtle but profound happens. Our shoulders drop, we breathe out and hopefully we think, oh, it’s not just me.

Representation validates existence and tells us we belong in the conversation.

That sense of belonging doesn’t just make us buy more clothes, it boosts self-esteem, encourages social participation and even affects career confidence.

Fashion isn’t trivial. It’s identity in motion. Fashion should be a mirror, not a magnifying glass. It should reflect the world as it is: colourful, varied, imperfect and alive.

So whether you’re five-foot or six-foot, size 6 or 26, standing, seated, curved, straight, or somewhere beautifully in-between, your body deserves to be celebrated, dressed and seen.

This autumn and winter, don’t fade into the black rails of invisibility. Wear your colour, demand representation and love your reflection because when you do, you give every other woman permission to love hers too.

Enjoy your weekend! In next week's The Weekend Read, we'll be talking about the new seasons' makeup looks for Autumn Winter 2025/6 and how to make the most of the products you have.

Best wishes,

Judi & Jenny xx

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