I don’t know who needs to hear this but a lot of y’all aren’t actually fashionable. You’re not trendsetters. You’re not style icons. You’re just thin, and society has tricked you (and us) into thinking that equals fashion. Let’s get into it.

With age comes wisdom… and sometimes a little weight gain. These days, I’m too thick, grown (and too tired) to keep chasing trends, especially the ones that feel low-key appropriative. Like, that’s not a Scandinavian scarf, baby; that’s a dupatta worn by the Desi girlies. But I digress.

It’s 2025 and somehow… somehow… the fashion industry is still out here trying to sell plus-size women peplum tops like we’re in a Forever 21 clearance section circa 2012. I wish I were joking. Meanwhile, thin girls can throw on a wrinkled white tee, Levi’s, and a crusty New Balances and the girls on TikTok are in the comments like “Omg this is giving effortless cool!!” No, babe. It’s giving H&M mannequin from hell.

Here’s the reality: plus-size people are the real innovators in fashion. We are the blueprint. The reason y’all think some of these looks are new is because we’ve been DIYing, remixing, layering, thrifting, tailoring, and styling out of necessity for decades. You think it’s easy being a fat Black girl trying to find a two-piece set that fits both your ass and your arms and doesn’t scream “Mother of the Bride”? It’s not. It’s a sport. And baby, we are athletic.

But let’s really get into it. Gen Z, the so-called “individualist” generation — is terrified of being cringe. So what do they do? They copy and paste each other. I live in New York City — the supposed fashion capital of the U.S. — and I could walk down Lafayette right now and see 14 white girls wearing the same exact leather jacket, vintage-looking crop top, light wash jeans, and an expressionless face like they just got drafted into the Cult of Beige.

Meanwhile, plus-size folks — especially Black plus-size folks — are fighting for our lives in every damn fashion aisle, TikTok thread, and Instagram comment section just to remind people that we exist. That we want to wear the same cute, minimal, well-tailored clothes as our skinny counterparts — not another sad tunic with sequins and some bedazzled “girl boss” quote stitched on the back.

And don’t even get me started on workout clothes. Y’all love yelling “health is wealth!” and “fat people just need to hit the gym!” But how do you expect us to do that when the largest size in half these fitness brands stops at a 12? Make it make sense. There’s always some excuse when it comes to making clothing for fat bodies, yet y’all will make a $300 tech hoodie that disintegrates in the rain and call it “sustainable.”

BFFR: the fashion industry still operates on the framework of white supremacy, thinness, and classism. And if you don’t see it, it’s because you benefit from it. Meanwhile, the Hailey Biebers of the world throw on a damn tube sock and a claw clip and suddenly Vogue is doing a five-page spread on “clean girl aesthetic.”

We’ve had enough. We’ve BEEN enough. And if y’all aren’t going to acknowledge our contribution to fashion culture — to aesthetics, innovation, and actual style — then just say that.

Because one thing about plus-size girls? We make fashion work despite the system.