Medium-sized Sports Are Replacing Fashion Tik Tok

A new fashion moment is happening on TikTok: the Medium Sport. It made many of us feel seen for the first time.

Rather than focusing on Instagram’s curated and filtered perfection, this trend seems to be focused on providing an equal playing field for everyone looking to gain some traction in the social media space. Anything can be discussed on this platform, including the new body-inclusive term “medium” which is badly in need of exposure.

Raise your hand if you’ve spent most of your life hovering between a US 6 and a US 10, struggling to find the right fit for you! My hand was firmly raised.

Society, specifically the fashion industry, has drilled into me that my body is undesirable because I am not a “straight size” (industry term for a size between a US size 2 and 6). I also have a hard time finding clothes that fit-the tops are too tight and accentuate the “problem areas” I’m used to hating, and the jeans/trousers feel suffocating.

I was forced to go up a few sizes due to the baffling lack of products for my body, and soon I was walking around in clothes that were too loose to fit my curves. But I think these clothes are designed specifically for me, so as a UK size 14 (US size 10), I consider myself a “plus size.”.

I will only shop at “plus size” retailers who cater to UK 18s (US 14s) and above. As a friendly reminder, I’m a UK 14 (US 10).

Only in recent years, as I focused on my health and fitness, did the size difference make a difference to me, and after losing a few pounds, I suddenly found myself in the “straight size” category. Shopping seems to be much easier now.

Clothes seem to fit the way they are-or where they always fit me. No matter what size I am. Where is the middle ground?

I’m not the only one who feels this way. The average size of a woman in the UK is 16 (US is 12)-disturbingly, only 20% of clothes are designed for women in the UK who are size 12 to 18 (US is size 8 to 14).

But thankfully, these women have banded together and given way to the new mid-sized movement that has taken over TikTok because of its raw algorithms that feed people.

It only takes one click of the # Midsize hashtag on the platform to inundate us with women calling on the fashion industry to set impossible standards and start a wider conversation about body inclusiveness.

You can scroll through hours of videos in which women with the same body shape as me defend their bodies, give tips and tricks on how to dress where retailers let them down, and talk about the important balance between nutrition, exercise and indulgence.

Like so many other women, I’m sure, I’m grateful to see these body-positive warriors rallying together to call out the fashion and media worlds for the way they’ve failed us.

Medium-sized model Ali Tate also reiterated the need to support women of all sizes, telling Vogue: “If we’re asking for inclusion, don’t leave out the medium.” We need to see the whole picture of humanity. I am a US size 10 and have struggled mightily with eating disorders and body image issues. People are still dealing with these issues, even medium-sized businesses.

This article first appeared in Glamour UK.