Midsize Bodies Were Finally Going Mainstream—Then GLP-1s Came Along
The first time I saw the term midsize on social media, it stopped me mid-scroll. Here was a simple seven-letter word that somehow absorbed a lifetime of conflicting emotions about my size 6 (sometimes size 8) body, and put a label on it. Midsize sounds so neutral, so matter-of-fact‚ and that’s exactly the vibe of the movement the term inspired, which also encompasses style experimentation and inspiration. It screams (albeit into the internet void): “This is my body, and I embrace it. I’m going to enjoy my wardrobe—and my life.”
Some of the midsize bodies that have come across my feed are close to resembling my own, which is more than I can say about the models I saw in store windows and magazines growing up. “Women created the midsize niche because they did not look like runway models and did not fit neatly into plus-size either, but they still wanted great fashion,” says midsize content creator Blue Jasmine. “It was about people in the middle finally being seen and feeling good about themselves.”
There’s a bit of debate over what constitutes midsize. Some say the term refers to sizes 10 to 16, while others think it covers sizes 8 to 14, and many athletic or curvy size 6s identify as midsize as well. Regardless of the exact definition, the label holds a lot of meaning for us “in-betweens” who aren’t what society typically deems either small or plus-size and who’ve long felt unseen by the fashion industry. The label also addresses the low-grade frustrations of midsize shopping—even if many of us wear straight sizes, that doesn’t always guarantee a flattering look or comfortable fit.
While we don’t have recent data on the sizes people wear in the United States, a 2016 study found that the average American woman wore a size 20. So it’s no surprise that the hashtag #midsize has clocked more than 4 billion views on TikTok. Scroll through the posts and just try to escape the rabbit hole. Watching midsize creators’ honest try-on hauls feels like being in a dressing room with a best friend, laughing over the ridiculousness of needing to do squats to see if jeans have enough give to accommodate your belly and thighs. These influencers share GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos detailing how different brands fit, answer styling questions, and show how they customize trends for their bodies—often right down to their favorite shapewear or mega-supportive bra.
Many of them have a “zero F’s given” attitude as they tuck their apron belly into jeans or twirl around in a bathing suit to give us a rear view before topping off their look with the perfect accessories. When I see this content, I think, Wow, she’s so confident; she really pulled that outfit together! Or, She looks amazing—maybe I could wear that too. I literally never think, She could lose some weight. Yet I don’t need to tell you that despite some of the gains we’ve seen in body representation and self-acceptance in the last couple of decades, recently there’s been a seismic shift in our culture when it comes to what size people feel they could or should be. GLP-1s have played a large role in this.
