How to be Body Positive as a Mid-Sized Woman

When I think about my relationship to my body, one particular memory always sticks out in my mind. I remember being 15 and sitting with my friends in the school cafeteria. And like many discussions among teenage girls, our conversation had turned to our bodies.

My slim friends complained about being called too-skinny, being told to eat a hamburger, or accused of having an eating disorder. My plus-sized friends dealt with fat-shaming and discrimination. And then… There was me.

Even at 15, I definitely wasn’t skinny. I had more boobs, butt, and belly than any of my conventionally thin classmates. But at the same time, I wasn’t quite plus-sized. I dealt with my own share of fat-shaming and body confidence issues. I had trouble finding clothes in “standard” shops and plus-sized retailers. I was, and am, the picture of a mid-sized woman (sometimes lovingly called an “in-betweenie”). But what does it mean to be mid-sized?

Sizes 10-14 (that’s roughly 14-18 if you’re in the UK) are generally considered mid-size. This body type comes with its own set of experiences that are completely different than those of the under size 10 or over size 16 body types.

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Mid-Sized Struggles

What are some of the biggest obstacles you might encounter as a mid-sized woman?

Shopping

There are more differences between “straight” and plus-sized clothing besides their size. Standard size retailers might carry in-between sizes, but they are normally designed with a thinner body in mind. This means that even if you are able to fit into a standard garment, it’s not guaranteed to be flattering on your curvier body shape.

Meanwhile, plus-sized retailers cut their garments to suit curves. But if you’re mid-sized, you might be too small to fit traditional plus-size items. I took a trip to Forever 21 a few years ago where I couldn’t find a single standard size item that fit my body, while the plus-sized clothes were all too large. I remember leaving in tears that day. I felt like my body wasn’t small enough, not big enough, just not enough.

Luckily, a number of retailers have begun to recognize this problem and offer more mid-size options – read on for some of my favourite picks!

Representation

Most of our Instagram feeds are probably flooded with 2 distinct body types. Plus-size body-positive influencers, and skinny, traditionally beautiful models. Funnily enough, even though the average woman is thought to be a size 14, I never see much of this average woman on my feed.

When mid-size women are represented in the media, it’s normally as a plus-size model or “fat girl” on a television show. This representation completely invalidates the mid-size (and plus-size) experience and sends a confusing message to young girls about body types.

Body Positivity

As a mid-size woman, I experience less fat-shaming than my plus-size friends. In general, the world is more accepting and accommodating for in-betweenies. It almost feels selfish to take up space in the body positivity community where plus-size women are finally getting the love and respect they deserve. The discussions surrounding body positivity are almost always geared towards fuller-figured women, meaning in-betweeners don’t get nearly as much discussion, representation, or support within the movement.

But that doesn’t mean that mid-sized women aren’t deserving of our own brand of body positivity. While we don’t deal with as much fat-shaming, we do still experience it. We still know that awful feeling of feeling like we’ll never be thin enough. I would never want to take away from the struggles of fuller-figured women, but I still need body positivity for my body. How can mid-size women embrace their own body positivity?

Recommended Post: The Best Mid-Size Inclusive Clothing Brands

Body Positivity for In-Betweenies

1. Fill your social media feeds with mid-size models and influencers.

I can’t express how much my body positivity has improved since I started curating a more mid-size friendly feed. Models like Iskra Lawrence and Stefania Ferrario refuse to let labels define their careers. Stefania has said “I am a model FULL STOP. Unfortunately in the modeling industry if you’re above a US size 4 you are considered plus size, and so I’m often labeled a ‘plus-size’ model… Let’s have models of ALL shapes, sizes, and ethnicities, and drop the misleading labels.”

Midsize Collective is one of my favourite Instagram accounts that showcases fashion on mid-size bodies. They describe themselves as “the home of not petite but not plus-sized style.” Filling my feed with so much beautiful in-betweenie style has made me feel so much more comfortable in my own skin.

And I couldn’t talk about mid-size body positivity without mentioning one of my favourite YouTubers, Lucy Wood! Lucy has a series on her channel called Mid-size Fashion where she tests different brands on how their clothing suits a UK size 14 (US 12). Watching her videos always makes me feel less alone in my mid-size struggles.

2. Support people of all shapes and sizes.

When we talk about body diversity, people assume we mean a catwalk of skinny models with one or two plus-size women thrown in. But in-betweeners know how far that is from the truth – there’s so many more body types that aren’t being represented. As a mid-sized woman, it’s especially important for me to fight for diversity so that all of us can be represented. From size to skin colour, to height, to disability, there’s a million reasons why someone might be excluded from the body positivity narrative. Learning to accept and uplift bodies of all shapes, sizes, and colours can help you rethink your own body image.

Recommended Post: What Does It Mean To Be Midsize? These Midsize Influencers Will Change The Way You See Your Body

3. Finally, make shopping easier by checking out some of these amazing mid-size friendly retailers.

Here are some of my favourite stores and sites that cater to us in-betweenies! Click the pictures below if you’d like to shop any of my picks.

Modcloth

Modcloth has been leading the size inclusivity trend since they retired their plus section in 2015. That means that clothes are sorted by style, not size. It makes it super easy for in-betweenies to browse standard and extended size offerings at the same time. Plus, their vintage-inspired silhouettes like wrap dresses and peplums are timelessly stunning on a mid-size body.

As if you needed an excuse to spend all your money at ModCloth, you can use the code JUNE15 to get 15% off orders over $115 this month!

Torrid

Torrid is a plus-size retailer that caters to trendy young women. And even though they are a plus-size brand, they carry sizes down to a size 10! Be sure to check out their fangirl section for some super cute mid-size geekiness – how adorable is that Mickey Mouse swimsuit??

Good American

Khloe Kardashian’s brand Good American have been champions of the mid-size movement. They even went so far as to create a new size – size 15, which is meant to bridge the gap between standard and plus sizes. Their site also has a model selector. You can view your new favourite pair of jeans on a size 0, 8, or 16 model to make sure you get the perfect fit.

Want to read more of my musings on body positivity? Why not check out my Letter to my Body post here. As always, thanks so much for reading and coming along for the ride! I can’t wait to show you what else I’ve got in store…