Size 0 is out! Size 16 is in

Though it may not seem glamorous, size 16 is the new word that’s making news (much like what the size zero did some years back). It started a few months ago, when well known fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld called the Grammy award winning singer Adele  “a little too fat” that (to everyone’s surprise) one of the UK’s largest shop mannequin companies reported a surge in orders for clothes dummies sized 12 and above. And soon after, plus-sized mannequins were to be seen in most British stores. Market studies suggest that retailers are now embracing consumers with fuller figures. Just few weeks ago, it was Pop princess Rihanna, who was bemoaning the loss of her curves, saying that she has “no b***s or b**t any more”.

While Adele has made ‘big’ fashionable, women across the globe have adopted her as their fashion icon. “I’ve never wanted to look like models on the cover of magazines. I represent the majority of women and I’m very proud of that,” tweeted Adele, hitting back at the comments of the designer (who has now apologised to the singer). Even the singers — oomphilicious Beyonce and the curvy Mariah Carey are tagged as ‘big’ and ‘sexy’.

Our very own fashionista and Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor who expresses a keen desire to start her own fashion line, swears that she would not ignore the plus sized girls when she starts designing. “If I design it will be high street, but most importantly, affordable. I enjoy clothes,” says Sonam. “Also, my designs will be from size zero to size 16,” she states, adding that she has been through the weighty issues herself, before she took to acting.

Designer Mandira Wirk, says that designing clothes for real women is so much more fun. She adds, “Gone are the days when fashion catered to just skinny women, today it’s a different scenario where even the plus sized woman is not shy to indulge in her fashionable side.”

“Big is in, certainly,” asserts designer Ridhi Mapxencar, adding “Fashion is about being comfortable in your own skin afterall.”  Resonating the same thought, designer Arjun Agarwal states, “I have a studio in Kolkata, and the women there are not size zero. Shift dresses, kaftans, maxi dresses, they’re all great for women with curves.”