Across all modes of fashion, fatphobia has become acceptable background noise, so familiar we barely even notice it.
This past week, Cardi B sparked backlash after she went on Instagram Live to discuss her merch sales. “[It] completely sold out, especially because you fat f**ks –– no Chick fil-A for y’all –– all the 3Xs sold out in like 20 minutes,” the Bronx native said. “Now, knowing that my fans is fat, I can’t even make fun of fat people no more. Don’t call me fat-phobic, y’all, because everybody makes fun of my BBL. So I can body-shame people ’cause y’all body-shame me.”
In response, content creator and size inclusivity activist Samyra reacted with a video highlighting the larger issues around the lack of size diversity in celebrity merch and how fat fans often cannot purchase the clothes sold at concerts because of it. Cardi B replied to Samyra’s video by stating that it “wasn’t that serious,” and that the joke was initially something her fans had said on social media — which is why she made the joke again while on live — to which Samyra responded: “Just because someone else makes a joke doesn’t mean you have to too.”
Since the interaction, Samyra has stepped away from social media because of intense vitriol and attacks from Cardi B’s fans (which Cardi denounced in a TikTok story statement), many of which focus on her body size. Cardi and her fans have repeated the same sentiment — it’s not that deep; but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Diversity issues within the fashion space have always been considered “less important,” and it’s the reason why the industry has been slow to change, and is still trying to make strides toward longstanding progress.
Fatphobia is so invasive colloquially that it’s often considered an orthodox part of modern society. From “yo mama” jokes to the acronym DUFF, we’ve been indoctrinated to believe larger bodies are meant to be designated targets of harassment, because if people wanted to change, they would; that mindset, however, is actually rooted in racism that dates back to the Atlantic Slave Trade.
And that foundational neglect is still felt years later in the fashion space. Vogue Business’s Fall/Winter 2025 size inclusivity report shows the continued decline of larger bodies in the fashion space. According to their findings, of the 8,703 looks displayed across 198 shows and presentations, 97.7% were straight-size (US 0-4), 2% were mid-size (US 6-12), and 0.3% were plus-size (US 14+).
Moreover, plus-size representation on the runway dropped from an already low 0.8% last season, while mid-size representation is down from 4.3%. Not to mention the number of plus-size brands that have shut down, like Wray, Arula, and Torrid, which is closing 180 stores.
Throughout history, fat people, especially in fashion, have existed alongside the exclusionary barriers of what is deemed worthy. We are all forced to wear clothes, and yet a specific group has been made to feel inferior through a lack of sizing options, stigma, and made-up standards about what’s considered flattering or appropriate for different body sizes.
