Models are talking about their bodies more than ever these days. Thanks to social media, we’ve seen more examples of body positivity recently than ever before. These days, being the thinnest model of the lot doesn't exponentially improve one's chances of getting cast, because the modelling industry and its beauty ideals are shifting, albeit gradually. The latest to join the conversation is Emily Bador; the British model posted a shot on Instagram tackling the issue of discrepancies in clothing, inside and outside of the dressing room.
"Wanted to get this off my chest for ages, but can we talk about how scary buying clothes is for one sec??? like no one talks about this????" Bador wrote. "I do get that for a lot of people their weight is a big issue but personally i've never been afraid of my weight or my measurements really, because to me it kinda feels arbitrary? but clothing sizes TERRIFY me." Bador is in good company when it comes to models that aren't afraid to speak out about the trials and tribulations of the dressing room. Bador uses her Instagram to voice her opinions often.
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She went on to describe her personal tribulations with clothing label sizing, describing how she "always used to battle to get in to the smallest size possible because it made me feel good about myself, I would literally rejoice and feel on top of the world if I could fit into an XXS or UK4 (when actually they were tight as fuck and hella uncomfortable)." Bador also points out the different metrics that can all be problematic when it comes to self esteem, weight, and clothing sizes: "No one talks about their weight really and most people don't know their measurements, so clothing sizes were such an easy way to compare myself to others."
Bador continued: "Clothes shopping would honestly give me panic attacks, changing rooms were my worst nightmare and the fact that no size was the same in any shop sent me off the wall." She acknowledges that no, she probably won't fit into the same sizes she's fit into in the past, and that's totally okay: "I shouldn't berate myself for that," she wrote."My body is always gonna fluctuate and change, and i no longer base my worth on what fucking clothing size I fit into." Bador insists she now avoids changing rooms altogether and orders most of her clothes online instead, while simultaneously pointing out that most fast fashion stores she wants to shop at don't even carry extended sizing in stores. And a lot of her followers agree.
It's helpful to remember that the body positive conversation extends to all body types, including straight-sizes, and, yes, every woman's experience in the dressing room is uniquely their own. Bador's voice is important in the ongoing discourse about how models and non-models view their bodies is changing, and how something as fun and rewarding as shopping can be. And we applaud Bador for speaking up. Now, let's keep the conversation going.
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