Mermaid thighs replacing the thigh gap

The thigh gap has emerged to be a trend that promoted a near-unattainable ideal while body shaming the women who weren’t blessed with it. “#MermaidThighs” is the latest body-positive Instagram hashtag for women. Use of this hashtag exploded recently, with a slew of confident women  across the globe posting pictures flashing their natural thighs in shorts and bikini bottoms and hashtagging them as #MermaidThighs. Thereby making the statement: If your thighs naturally don’t touch, great! If your thighs also naturally touch, also great! 

Every season sees the emergence of a new body trend. The mermaid thighs campaign has been trending for a while now and we asked people from the fashion world what they think of the trend.  

‘I feel it’s a positive change’

Swati Vijaivargie, designer 

It’s high time we stop worrying about how we look. A few years ago, there was a crazy size-zero trend. As a designer, I feel it’s a positive change. It’s nice to take care of yourself but if you are not fit, it’s not the end of the world. What matters is that you should carry yourself with confidence. It’s great to see plus size women experimenting with their clothing.

‘Personally, I love the thigh gap’

Falguni Peacock, designer  

It’s about celebrating your body and being comfortable in your skin. One should understand that some people have medical issues. Having said that, it’s all about being confident with yourself. Personally, I love the thigh gap and looks hot and sexy. Nevertheless if you don’t have it, you shouldn’t be ashamed of it.

‘I don’t even make a conscious decision to notice the gap between my models’ thighs’

Pria Kataaria Puri, designer  

I am totally against body shaming. I have gone through it myself. In India, I often hear, ‘oh you’ve lost or put on weight’ That’s usually the conversation starter. In the West, people never talk about losing or putting on weight. In fact, it’s considered derogatory. Every woman is beautiful the way she is. It’s not natural to have a gap between your thighs. As designers, we should be passionate about making women look fabulous. It’s not about the 16-inch waist.

‘It’s a personal preference’

Anand Bhushan, designer  

It’s just a fad, it’s been there. Once there was a flat-chested phase and then was a fad for big breasts. Then there was a shift towards an androgynous body. The debate of thigh gap vs no thigh gap has been around for a while. It’s a personal preference — whether you want to look skinny or voluptuous. Nobody can dictate that.

‘We should be happy that we have thighs’

Payal Khandwala, designer 

I have never noticed thigh gaps. Now that you’ve brought it up, I’m even thinking about it. We should be happy that we have thighs. We should be grateful that our body is working properly. Today, since people’s attention span is so low, this mermaid thigh trend will end up becoming a fad.

‘Glad to see mermaid thigh trend’

Aastha Sharma, Stylist

I have always believed women should enjoy their body type. I don’t like the idea of being skinny and this constant pressure to look in a certain way. Women should work out and stay fit and eat healthy but also be happy with their body. If you are confident, you can pull off anything. I am glad that women across the board are confident enough to come out and put the mermaid thigh trend on social media.

‘Fashion is all-inclusive’

Isha Bhansali, stylist 

Fashion is about celebrating your body type. It is also about being yourself. I think women putting their images out there proudly is a positive trend. It’s sad to see people constantly being conscious about their body. If you have a certain body type, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy fashion. It is meant for everybody.