“Is it a fit, or is she just skinny?”

I’ve seen this question circulate through social media for a while now; it refers to the idea that certain people can pull off any look due to their body size, regardless of whether or not that outfit is arguably good or fashionable.

Obviously, fashion is subjective; however, we can all agree that the media tends to determine smaller celebrities, models, or influencers as “style icons.” As much as people hate to hear it, we have become accustomed to preferring a smaller frame, predominantly in the fashion industry. While runway shows continue to introduce more inclusivity, countless fashion lovers have spoken up about how they would rather keep things the way they were before. Crazy take, I know, but I get it.

Regardless of how you feel about the topic, we have been trained to prefer the beauty standards set by the industries involved, even if your personal preference differs. What do I mean by this? Society as a whole would rather see a skinny model advertising clothes over someone with an “attainable” body type; even though this mindset is undoubtedly flawed, it’s, unfortunately, the way we’re subconsciously conditioned. It is widely understood this disposition escalated through social media, yet it existed well before it, especially with diet culture and the beauty standards in the ’90s and early 2000s.

I know I can’t speak for everyone, but I certainly can speak for myself (which is the whole reason I started Opinionated in the first place). I would rather look at someone on the runway who looks like Kendall Jenner than someone who looks like me. Is that problematic? Sure! I can recognize that my own mindset is flawed, but that doesn’t change the fact that many others, despite the fact that they’d rather not admit it, think the same way as I do. Does that stem from our generation’s obsession with obtaining a version of ourselves that mirrors the fake and heavily edited version of others we see online? Absolutely.

That being said, many of the “fits” saved on my Pinterest are nothing revolutionary and are often outfits I’ve already worn some sort of variation of. Any time I try to pull looks from others for inspiration, the outcome never results in the way I had planned out in my head. I know it’s not the clothes, especially when I have identical pieces. This leaves one conclusion: It’s not the clothes, it’s me.

The first post I made on Opinionated covered how my love for fashion didn’t help me in my journey for self-discovery until I found the proper outlet. Dressing the way you want is virtually impossible when you lack confidence in your own skin. I could sit here and write a carefully crafted inspirational speech about the dire need for self-love and acceptance in our generation; nevertheless, it’s significantly easier said than done. We all want what we can’t have, and when what you can’t have becomes the “beauty standard,” being content with yourself and your physical appearance becomes impossible

Back to the question that started this entire one-sided conversation, I do believe certain outfits are only considered to be “fashionable” by the general public when worn on a smaller frame. What I like and what you like can vary, so it’s a difficult to pinpoint if it truly is a “fit”. I guess the answer depends on multiple variables: The outfit, the person wearing the outfit, and the person critiquing the outfit. At the end of the day, if you want to wear micro shorts, go for it! Will you be seeing me in micro shorts any time soon? No. Not unless I start hitting legs every single day. Even then, I might have to leave that trend up to the Kendalls and Bellas of the world to keep alive.