Shopping. We all do it. We spend time trying on clothes or adding things to our online carts. I, myself, am a big online shopper. You know, the type that spends too much time adding things to a cart, racks up $400 dollars and then closes the page without buying anything? Yup, that’s me.
So, it’s that time of the day when you’re scrolling along putting things in your electronic shopping cart. After clicking around through endless pages of clothing, you come across a shirt you like and when you go to choose your size it says “one-size only” or “one size fits all.” And if you’re anything like me, you’re stumped. How in the world can a piece of clothing be able to fit everyone? Just like everyone else, I struggle with certain silhouettes, and not everything I try on (once it’s been shipped to my house, that is) is flattering. This is why the first time I encountered a basic t-shirt labeled “one size fits all,” I was floored. Just completely confused.
If anyone knows me well enough, they soon come to realize that I love the diversity of the human body. How incredible is it that we all come in different shapes, sizes and tones? Pretty awesome if you ask me! There is nothing more interesting or beautiful to me than the wide array of individuals I see everyday. With this in mind, you can see where the “one size fits all” doesn’t sit well with me. At all.
A few years ago, BuzzFeed released an article where multiple staff members tried on clothing labeled to fit everyone, and it showed exactly that “one size fits all” really means “only fits one body type.” The experiment perfectly exemplified how ridiculous it is to advertise a piece of clothing as having the ability to fit every body type under the sun. Earth to clothing manufacturers!
Let’s think about it this way. Say you are walking up and down the aisles at your favorite place, Sephora. You are on the hunt for a new foundation. Boom! You find one with all the qualities you are looking for and then find out there is only one shade, a “one color fits all” shade. Would you purchase a foundation advertised to match every skin tone? Yeah, I didn’t think so. The foundation would end up not having the right undertone or just not match your complexion at all. It’s impossible to have a product without variety, that isn’t tailored to every unique individual.
It would take magical powers to have a piece of clothing be able to fit every individual the same way. In a perfect world, we would choose any clothing we like and it would fit us perfectly. That is not the real world. In the real world, we need diversity in clothing and must represent every body type out there. We need to show everyone that the perfect body is every body. One size fits all pieces are trying to promote one type of body as superior. This is why we cannot support stores that only sell one size fits all. Why must society always try to cut out a mold? Why do manufacturers feel the need to include products that only cater or fit on one type of individual? We should look at our diversity as something special and inspiring rather than attempt to hide it and make everyone look the same.
I’ve had my fair share of issues with my body growing up, but through individuals who make it their mission to remind each person of their worth and uniqueness, I have slowly grown to appreciate how I differ from others and vice versa. It is our differences that bring us together. Don’t let the market decide whether your body type is worth representing. We are all special. One size fits all products attempt to rid our society of its diversity and discourage the body positivity movement. Embrace who you are and fight against those who wish to dismantle your confidence.