Fashion For All With Last Inch

Live Laugh Dressup x Last Inch

We used to have something called 'coloured dress days' back in school. You know the days when you can turn up in anything other than your uniform. As boarding school kids, it was our moment to shine and not look like a clone of each other. So we planned our outfits months ahead with the same excitement with which we plan outfits for friends' weddings now.  One such day, a friend started crying mid-discussion. She didn't want to be fat because she couldn't find anything she liked. Years later and kilos heavier, we are faced with the same dilemma.

It's a simple thought. I shouldn't be denied clothes I want to wear because of my size. Fashion is should be for all. It should be as easily available to someone skinny or fat. I've seen somebody jump with joy after losing a considerable amount of weight only because she could now wear what she wanted. I once overheard someone tell her friend, "Don't buy that. That looks like fat people clothes."

So you see people have coined a term for clothes that fat people wear because brands either don't sell clothes for plus size women or they come in the most unflattering silhouettes in boring blacks and grays. Most retailers don't want to risk carrying plus size clothes. It's not considered money well spent. What if it doesn't sell? Well, if you try to fit millions of women with different personalities and style sensibilities into one bracket because of their size, you're setting yourself up for failure.

Why doesn't a fat person get to decide who she wants to be - boho, retro, preppy, sporty or edgy? Why does she have to choose from a small collection of basic tees, tops, dresses, and sweatpants?

Not anymore. I recently came across a brand called Last Inch and I was ecstatic.

Last Inch is an online clothing brand exclusively for plus size women. This brand is breaking all stereotypes with their varied collections from dresses and skirts to shorts and palazzos to denim, tops, and jackets. You name it and it's there. They stock sizes from 14 (M) to 32 (8 XL). And the best part? It's pretty easy on the pocket too. 

So many fat women grow up thinking they don't deserve to be stylish, that fashion is not meant for fat bodies so they hide under layers and layers of clothes. Brands like Last Inch are changing that and helping women accept their bodies. The size of your waist, the flab in your arms and the bulge in your tummy has nothing to do with fashion. You deserve to feel and look good irrespective of your size in a dress that ends way above your knees or a pair of shorts, a maxi dress or a salwar kameez.

We've all heard an unending list of don'ts for fat people. Don't wear sleeveless tops and dresses, it will make you look fatter. Don't wear shorts. It's not meant for fat bodies. Don't wear too much print. It will make you look bulky. Why are you wearing such a short dress? Dress for your body type.
Don't wear that bodycon dress. It will accentuate your tummy.

Last Inch is helping women fight these stereotypes with their clothes.

Wear that sleeveless top and show them that you can be fat and fabulous. Wear those shorts because you're comfortable in them. Wear your prints big and bold and show them beauty is not defined by size. Let your dress be as long or as short as you want because no one else should be allowed to decide how you wear your clothes. Rock that bodycon dress and show them sexy has nothing to do with size.

I chose this easy-breezy aztec print maxi dress from Last Inch. It's so comfortable you can literally live in it and it's perfect for summers in Calcutta.