Body Positivity and Inclusive Styling: Shifting Norms in Fashion Imagery

We know corset, our previous generation adorned them, our next generation is going to rediscover them(maybe). But do we know, why it was a requirement for women specially during Victorian era. If we can find one of the very first references of the need of body positivity movement, it starts here. Corset was to achieve an unrealistic beauty standard of being an hourglass shape figure the whole day by cinching your waist with metal wireframe constructed specially for the purpose. History has proven how terribly it affected women, both physically & mentally. Instances have it that it was a societal norm for mothers to get the daughter into the habit of wearing a corset from as young as early teenage years & sometimes forced the girls to even sleep in it. That lead to enormous physical damage with terminal disease. (New-York Historical Society, n.d.)

But Gone are the days Now!

We are in 21^st century currently, We have now struck the right chords with body positivity and inclusive styling, heralding a significant cultural and commercial shift. Magazine covers & runways don’t only crave for lean, tall, fair-skinned, able-bodied models anymore. Flip pages of famous magazines, tune to recurrent advertisements on televisions or social media, and you’ll witness people, especially women of different skin tones, body sizes, facial features, and racial ethnicities, making it to the front page—signifying a departure from conventional paradigms and signalling a more democratic and empathetic approach to beauty and self-expression. The shift in fashion imagery is finally here.

Reimagining the Fashion Gaze

Talk to a young boy or a young girl and you’ll often find them craving aspirational, yet often unattainable beauty standards. To challenge this notion of self-depreciation, a socio-cultural movement rooted in feminist ideologies began in the 1960s, centered around acceptance of diverse body type activism and the inclusion of people who do not conform to standardized ideals of size, ability, skin tone, gender identity, or age (Entwistle 79). In the realm of fashion, this movement has spurred a reckoning with the gaze that determines who is seen, celebrated, or erased (Gill 150).

Tune to campaigns by global brands like Dove, ASOS, and Fenty Beauty and you’ll see the new fashion imagery that deliberately chooses models across diverse spectrums: plus-size bodies, differently abled individuals, trans and non-binary models, older adults, and people of various ethnicities. These changes are not just representational—they are political. They contest the notion of a singular, “correct” body and make space for plural identities in style narratives (Kaiser 112; McKinsey & Company).

The Evolution of Inclusive Styling

Inclusive styling is all about fashion choices, practices, and design principles that are open and integrative of diverse bodies and identities. From adaptive clothing lines for people with disabilities to modest fashion for different cultural contexts, inclusivity is no longer optional—it is the need of the hour (Business of Fashion). Designers and stylists are beginning to rework silhouettes, reimagine fit, and reconceptualize fashion’s relationship with the body itself (Tulloch 83). "We've moved beyond the 'one-size-fits-all' mentality," says Ayesha Malhotra, Head of Design at Fabindia. "Our size charts now reflect a wider range of body shapes and sizes, ensuring that our customers find the perfect fit." (DFU Publications, n.d.)

Runways today are seeing broader representation: Lakmé Fashion Week in India showcased models like Anjali Lama (a transgender woman) and acid-attack survivor Reshma Qureshi (Lakmé Fashion Week). Indian plus-size influencers such as Sakshi Sindwani and Neelakshi Singh have taken social media by storm, redefining glamour through unapologetic confidence and style (Forbes India).

Styling is not just about grand dresses anymore! It is now about comfort and functionality equally. Clothing with magnetic closures, adjustable fits, or sensory-friendly fabrics is revolutionizing fashion for people with disabilities (Business of Fashion). Designers like Rina Dhaka and brands such as Abayas by Modanisa are blending religious adherence with contemporary aesthetics. At the intersection of visibility and functionality, now blooms inclusivity.

Academic Perspectives and Industry Responsibility

Fashion schools and educators must play a proactive role in sustaining this shift. A critical engagement with students—helping them analyze gender binaries, ideological constructions of beauty, and eventually question what we perceive as “beauty,” “normal,” or “right”—will help incubate future designers and stylists who view fashion as a force for equity rather than conformity (Wilson 140; Entwistle 94).

Challenges and the Way Forward

Many efforts diminish as mere marketing gimmicks if not handled properly. Often, brands feature diverse models in campaigns but fail to offer sizes or fits that cater to them in stores (ASOS Annual Report). Inclusion of just different body sizes is a reductionist understanding of what inclusion means. It is also about giving visibility and acceptance to marginalized racial, gendered, class-based, and disability-based identities (Gill 158). It has also been observed that few fast fashion & luxury brands in India are featuring plus size models only as a form of tokenism where the entire campaign is full of sculpted male & female bodies with one or two plus size models as a centre of attraction.

Down with tokenism and internal biases of the fashion industry! Sample sizes, casting calls, and design norms are still skewed toward certain body types. Social media platforms, while empowering in many ways, also risk amplifying new forms of pressure under the guise of body positivity. “Love your body” messaging often becomes co-opted by influencers who still conform to mainstream beauty standards, subtly reinforcing older hierarchies (Sharma 59).

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Conclusion: Fashion as a Site of Cultural Reimagination

The movement toward body positivity and inclusive styling is not about re-conforming but shattering the glass ceiling altogether—with a redefinition of beauty and reclamation of narrative, image, and space by marginalized communities.

For students, researchers, and professionals in the fashion domain, this is an opportunity to participate in cultural reimagination. We must train not just better designers, but better citizens—those who view style not merely as aesthetic, but as ethical and inclusive. The runway of the future must be a place where all bodies walk—not just for fashion, but for justice.

References

• Entwistle, Joanne. The Fashioned Body: Fashion, Dress, and Modern Social Theory. 2nd ed., Polity Press, 2015.
• Sharma, Sarah. “Body Positivity and the Algorithmic Self.” The Routledge Companion to Digital Humanities and Media Studies, edited by Jentery Sayers, Routledge, 2018, pp. 58–65.
• Gill, Rosalind. “Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of a Sensibility.” European Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, 2007, pp. 147–166.
• Tulloch, Carol. Ethnic and Cultural Identity in Fashion. Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.
• Wilson, Elizabeth. Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity. Rutgers University Press, 2003.
• Kaiser, Susan B. Fashion and Cultural Studies. Bloomsbury Academic, 2012.
• The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report. Dove Self-Esteem Project, Edelman, 2004.
• ASOS Annual Report 2022: Diversity and Inclusion. ASOS, 2022.
• Fetto, Funmi. “How Fenty Beauty Changed the State of Play in the Industry.” Vogue UK, 6 Apr. 2020.
• FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week Showcased Inclusivity on the Ramp. Lakmé Fashion Week, 2021.
• Kaushik, Mansvini. “Sakshi Sindwani: Using Fashion as an Expression to Change Mindsets.” Forbes India, 10 Feb. 2023.
• “The Adaptive Fashion Opportunity.” The Business of Fashion, 22 Oct. 2019.
• Amed, Imran, et al. The State of Fashion 2023. McKinsey & Company and Business of Fashion, 2023.
• DFU Publications (n.d.) Body positivity's impact on Indian fashion and apparel sizing. Available at: https://www.dfupublications.com/news/apparel/body-positivity-s-impact-on-indian-fashion-and-apparel-sizing
• New-York Historical Society (n.d.) The ties that bound: Corset controversy in the Victorian era. Available at: https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/the-ties-that-bound-corset-controversy-in-the-victorian-era (Accessed: 22 July 2025).