Shopping when you’re fat isn’t easy. If you ask someone slightly larger than L size, you will get almost the same answer. Overweight people have long been excluded from the shopping and fashion experience.There are some plus-size options on the market, but they are mainly US and UK focused and not readily available everywhere. No. If finding locally made quality plus-size clothes is a difficult task in the United States, I am not sure how complicated it is to do the same in Mexico (where I am from) or Latin America. Don’t get me started. General. Latino women are typically known for being “curvy,” but the plus-size market is still relatively small, if not non-existent.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some brands trying to change that, but they’re all online-only, so the situation is pretty much the same. The chances of it being included in the normal shopping experience are still slim. We can’t go through the clothes rack without worrying if the store carries our size. If you want Latin American plus size designs, there are a dozen or so options from 4 or 5 small brands.
A few weeks ago, during the mass scrolling I’d been procrastinating for (many, many times), I came across Laura Agudelo’s Instagram profile. Her style immediately captivated me. It is rare to see another fat Latina dressed so playfully and daring. Not only do I update and post beautiful pictures on Instagram, I’m really a dying breed!), I realized that I’m a teacher. She has also been a full blown plus size activist for women in Colombia for the past 17 years. I can only say that the whole “never meet your hero” contract doesn’t apply to Agdello.
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Don’t dress like you’re fat! you look fine!
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Her fat activism began in the early 2000s as many fat folk fashion-related projects were initiated. Because you can’t find clothes that are beautiful and fit at the same time. In 2005, she teamed up with her best friend who worked at a newspaper company. Although she doesn’t like the attention, Laura has realized that the only way to start a conversation is to do something conversation-worthy. She agreed that her best way to get people talking about fat people and fashion for fat people was to put her face in the Sunday papers. became her two. 2 became 3 and 3 became 4.
Two years later, her love for blogging began. She started following her fashion blog and took inspiration from it and applied it to her daily wardrobe. It wasn’t long before she started getting comments alluding to her great style. you look fine! She soon realized what they meant was wearing normal clothes, rather than wearing all-black clothes to hide her body (which fat people generally expect). She wore bold prints, flashy colors and played around with textures and cuts, she had fun with styling and it showed.
“There weren’t any compelling options at the time, so I decided to write about what I knew—that I couldn’t find the clothes I wanted to wear. I did the same thing other bloggers do.” Costume Post “We duplicated the model and went from there,” says Agudelo. She began posting her looks on a daily basis, which she admits wasn’t entirely comfortable for her, but she acknowledged that her photos had a definite purpose. I know. than what we “expect”. in a way that makes us feel better. ”
“We want to show that fat women can take full-body pictures of their appearance, no matter how crazy and daring,” says Agdero. “It’s important to me to get out on the street and show what I look like when I’m living my life. Not because I think I’m the most stylish fat woman in Colombia, but because I love my body and how I look.” Because I feel it’s important to normalize fat women who flaunt their style.
Ultimately, being a fat fashion blogger wasn’t enough to create the kind of change Laura wanted in the Colombian fashion industry. After going through a particularly tough time in her life, she came up with the idea to create the first-ever exclusive plus-size pop-up shop, GORDA Salón de Moda Plus Size. This consisted entirely of locally made Colombian fashion brands. What started in 2019 with just five different brands is now a two-weekend pop-up event featuring over 18 Colombian plus-size fashion brands, workshops and conferences. It is a space where overweight women can experience the joy of participating in fashion just like non-overweight people. “GORDA is certainly a place to shop, but it’s also a treat if people let it,” Agdero said in one of her TikToks about the event.
To participate in GORDA, a brand must be 100% Colombian. “We are open to brands from other parts of Latin America, but our main focus is to serve the needs of the Colombian people,” says Agdero. We want brands that are local, create local jobs and have fair practices, not fashion.” Brands wishing to appear on GORDA must have been on the market for at least four years. . “This is non-negotiable,” Agudelo says. Four years is enough for these brands to develop the sensibility that plus-size shoppers need. ”
she’s not wrong The entire fashion industry is extremely fatphobic, even though size inclusion and fat exercise are hot topics. I’m used to getting dirty or weird looks from salespeople at places. It makes me feel like I don’t belong there. Fat people are people who are used to being abused and bullied into believing that our bodies and our existence are wrong and that we are not worthy of being in the fashion industry.
Many brands need to understand that making plus size fashion isn’t just about adding a few inches to the pattern. I don’t just want big clothes, I want clothes that fit me. Making plus-size fashion means understanding how fat bodies exist in clothes, and knowing how to make clothes for bodies with bellies, thick arms, and small backs. We don’t all have the “ideal” curvaceous image shown in the media.
To this end, Agdero has partnered with Arturo Tejada Cano University, a fashion and marketing university in Bogota, Colombia. She’s creating her first plus-size design masterclass in Colombia this fall semester. For the first time in history, Colombian fashion students (or those wishing to attend, as the class will be available virtually) will learn to appreciate how fat bodies are present in the clothes they design. It’s a small step for Colombian fashion students, but a giant step for the fashion industry as a whole.
When I graduated from fashion school in Mexico nearly ten years ago, I was the only fat graduate. I had hopes and dreams as big as my measurements. Thanks to people like Laura Agdello, that new Latino designers have the sensibility and tools they need to bring out the change the Latino plus-size fashion industry desperately needs. I hope
