The Main Frustrations Plus-Size Models Still Have With the Fashion Industry

“I think everything that Universal Standard creates is very luxurious. It’s been created very thoughtfully. There’s room in the garment, there’s stretch. The materials are created so that they have longevity and they make you feel really good. That works with what we stand for. It’s not throwaway fashion; it’s about style over fashion. It’s about being cool and comfortable.” — Katy

“[Katy and Georgia] were working with Universal Standard since day one. I had my eye on them since day one because I was like, ‘Ooh, what is this? Finally!’ Every single thing was speaking to me — the color combos, the styles. Between us already being huge fans and identifying with the brand and then knowing the one piece that we really wanted to make, it was a really easy and organic experience. It fit into their aesthetic too. We all have the same vision and the same style.” — Candice

“The idea came about on a shoot with Georgia. She said, ‘Oh, this would be amazing but if it were in long,’ and I said ‘Georgia by Universal Standard,’ kind of as a joke. Everybody went away and didn’t really think more of it, except [Chief Creative Officer Alexandra Waldman], whose brain was ticking. Then we got an email inviting us to get together and we all kind of jumped at it. It was the idea that somebody says, ‘Tell me what you want. What’s missing for you personally? What would you like to wear? Let’s make it.’ It was that simple. We just told them what we wanted and it was a very organic process.” — Katy

“Mine was immediate. Boom. I was like ‘red carpet t-shirt!’ Shockingly, having a staple that you’re proud of in your closet is few and far between prior to now, especially if you go above a certain size. Then that window even gets smaller.” — Candice

“Other stores that don’t offer the range of sizes Universal Standard does might give you what you’re looking for. Probably at a higher price point and with more boundaries. There are more limits because, yeah, maybe they have a shirt like Georgia’s, and it doesn’t quite close, or you have to wear it open. . . . Every time I go on a website and something's only offered in a small or a medium, I'm like, 'Firstly, what does that mean? Secondly, why are you excluding such a huge group of people?' Most women in the US are a 12 and above. It’s incredibly frustrating because my personality suits a lot of the things that are available, and I’d like to be able to present myself in that way. But you’re constantly coming up against walls and barriers that say, ‘No you’re not allowed that.’ I don’t understand why I’m not allowed to be an advocate for being cool or sexy. If the only thing that you can buy in a shop are shoes and bags, well that’s just bad business if you ask me.” — Katy

“It’s hard to tailor when something’s too small from the start. I’m a damn good shopper and I can find things, but at the end of the day that includes a lot of shoes and bags as well. I kind of do just wear the same handful of things that fit me well, and then I change them according to how I want to accessorize. Shopping for the things you desire or a luxury piece or something a little high fashion, it’s a slim window. You have to make sacrifices.” — Candice

“It’s really frustrating when curvy girls are just ‘asked to the party.’ Like, let’s say they’re featured in magazines, but they’re the ones that are wearing underwear and a sweater. It’s either like, as little as possible or the most giant thing possible. That’s frustrating, but I know why. I’m so immersed in the industry that I know why that’s the case, and it’s because there isn’t anything to put on her. There isn’t anything that the magazine feels is worthy to put on for this editorial. We keep waving the finger and saying, ‘Oh, magazines, put more diverse sizing in your stories and make it more inclusive,’ but their hands are a little bit tied too. So it’s like, what comes first, the chicken or the egg? They’re not just the bad guys. Everyone has to move together, and the time is really now. I love the celebration of a woman and a body. But if you see a group of girls and they’re all in fab outfits and one girl’s just in underpants and a sweatshirt, then you know exactly why.” — Candice

“I’ve been proud of a lot of the things I’ve personally done in the high-fashion space, starting with editorials in 2010. There are waves and there are attempts. The change has always been happening, so I don’t like to say we have so far to come. Let’s take a look. We’ve actually come such a far way.” — Candice

“The last four seasons of Fashion Week, we’ve had girls on the runway that are above a 10 or a 12. Every time that we put a different version of beauty in the mainstream, we’re doing a great job for inclusivity and diversity, and I think that’s the way we should be going. The more we do it, the less we have to talk about it.” — Katy

“I think this week and in September, I know one or two things that might be happening, and I think they’re going to be really cool. I think the women that are included and that are making those moves really believe in the movement. They really are about the empowerment of women and I think what we’re doing here today in making these clothes is sending the overall message: you can have it too. Whoever you are, whatever you look like, you deserve to feel good and look good. Let’s all be at one party together.” — Katy