Kate and Larkin welcome fashion enthusiast and content creator KP Deluxe, who tells us about the predictably racist, patriarchal origins of sizing in fashion. KP outlines our journey from bespoke, customizable pieces to the fast fashion nightmare of today, and how the realities of women’s bodies were repeatedly ignored in favor of mass production. 

Follow KP/Styled Over Substance on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Check out Ifemi, the ready-to-wear line for plus-sized women, and sign up to be notified when it drops.

References

https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1860-1869/

https://books.google.co.za/books?hl=en&lr=&id=KqSjAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=the+history+of+sizing&ots=UmW7pq8OC9&sig=AK2KmyOJ6RV91jbPGQRMxLaQPDE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20history%20of%20sizing&f=false

https://time.com/3532014/women-clothing-sizes-history/

https://fashionmagazine.com/style/vanity-sizing/

https://www.bu.style/articles/clothing-sizing

https://medium.com/sizolution/a-brief-history-of-sizing-systems-aee6bd066834

https://www.seamwork.com/style-and-wardrobe/the-origins-of-clothing-sizes?srsltid=AfmBOooeAY2Kg18VOTWGOTdHcnrk_AnkpuGgLW854Grs0v8X0cMId2Nl

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0887302X0502300301

https://twyg.co.za/struggle-for-size-inclusivity/

https://www.vogue.com/article/the-vogue-business-spring-summer-2026-size-inclusivity-report

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0891243218756010

https://www.theworldwar.org/learn/women

https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1910-1919/

tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2752/175174109X467512?__cf_chl_tk=LC4e9csNn0vhBSzAq2PuzNuxkRbH.a8azzTyxQOdVUM-1775066032-1.0.1.1-fqS2dfMCXo0s4.d9pjCv43thIg_j5LLPqLa13Jy38tc

https://www.illustrationhistory.org/essays/flapper-fashion-illustrating-the-garments-worn-by-the-modern-woman-during-the-jazz-age-1919-1942

https://www.britannica.com/topic/flapper

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