CATEGORIZING body shapes is meant to help women understand their figure, but it may actually be narrowing their view of themselves and their ability to be creative.
According to plus-sized celebrity stylist Kat Eves, women are fighting their bodies to fit into an antiquated chart when they should be focusing on other things.
While size representation has become more apparent in the historically exclusive fashion industry, body perception continues to lean in the other direction.
Finding personal style is still, in part, geared toward finding what looks flattering on your body shape.
But Kat says it should be about searching for comfortability, as well as confidence.
“I really think that the concept of dressing for your shape is a bit outdated," Kat tells The U.S. Sun.
READ MORE ON EXCLUSIVES
I’m a plus-sized stylist – I hate wearing shapewear, it plays on insecurities
I’m a celebrity stylist – plus-size women should be able to wear all trends
The 37-year-old's journey as a fashion lover began long before her professional career.
As someone who's been plus-size most of her life, Kat struggled to find affirmation in her body through personal style when she was faced with the same few options.
As plus-size clothing was limited in suburban Maryland, it wasn't until she went to San Diego that she realized the design market was larger for her size than she thought.
After finding an abundant amount of funky second-hand pieces, Kat's capacity to create looks for herself grew.
Most read in Fabulous
Meghan's co-star slams claim that Deal or No Deal 'reduced her to a bimbo'
My daughter wanted a tattoo 'sleeve' to match mine so I did one for her
I quit TV show after being reduced to bimbo & I want Lilibet to aim higher
People call me selfish for buying 60 of Lidl's Halloween chocolate lollies
And a last-minute styling session with her friend left her with a lingering desire to help others find resell clothing they feel confident in – thus her brand The Style Ethic was born.
The LA-based designer's first official client was Chris Reed, an actor in the television series Sons of Anarchy.
From Dulcé Sloan to the talented Walking Dead star Pollyanna McIntosh, Kat's client list includes transformative celebrities, as well as private individuals who range in size, shape, and ability.
There's no one person she'll turn down as long as they're open-minded and body neutral.
Body-neutral individuals possess a different awareness of their physical self than body shape charts promote.
Rather than attempting to understand your physical appearance by deciding whether you're shaped like a rectangle, apple, triangle, or pear, you'd focus on your "nonphysical characteristics."
According to Healthline, "Body neutrality promotes acceptance of your body as it is, encouraging you to recognize its abilities."
Although the categorization of body shapes didn't originate with this intention, slimming tactics developed after them.
Ideas on how to "slim your pear-shaped body" and "make your rectangle figure skinnier" emerged as more individuals began to use shape charts as guides on how to dress.
And where style experimentation has been cut short by this, Kat works to repair it.
"I love creating styles that help a person feel like their body is being celebrated versus making it work,” the ethical enthusiast admits.
"We have seen movement to pull away from the concept of what’s flattering on a body type because that's always under the presumption that somebody feels uncomfortable with their shape.”
Not to mention, Kat believes all bodies are unique in their own way and shouldn't be labeled so strictly.
If you put your body into one category, you risk focusing too much on how you can style yourself accordingly, and it still may not look how you want.
“Rather than fighting your body to make clothing work, choose clothing that works for your body," Kat says.
“So many people of different shapes and sizes, but mostly plus-sizes, we’ve been given this message that something that's off the rack, we just have to make it work, and that is an old way of thinking.”
Choosing clothing that works for you requires you to focus solely on your view of yourself, no one else's.
Play around with options you thought you couldn't try.
Figure out what makes you feel equally comfortable and confident.
This approach to styling is what keeps Kat motivated.
“As long as I keep hearing stories about stylists who don't understand how to be body-neutral or how to celebrate a body, it’s important for me to keep doing this work,” Kat explains.
What keeps her personally motivated to keep exploring style possibilities against indirect body toxicity is her experience as a plus-size woman.
"I’m plus-size myself, so I’m always going to be personally motivated as long as I’m always a plus-size person because I know what it feels like to not have a warm perception from people in the room.”
“There’s no reason why I wouldn’t want to be a part of the solution," Kat proclaims.
Source: Read Full Article