Dr. Tanaya Narendra is popular among millennials for her informative posts on sexual health, sex myths and more as Dr. Cuterus. Recently, she turned a happy bride in Anita Dongre designed lehenga and shared quite an interesting wedding experience on her social media. Except for the beautiful bridal posts on Instagram, the reason why it caused controversy was because of the body-shaming the bride felt while searching for her wedding couture. It opened up a discussion on designer Indian bridal brands excluding curvaceous brides.
It all started when alongside a happy picture from the wedding, Dr Tanaya wrote a long note about how brides are often fat-shamed by friends, families and even bridal stores, listing one of India’s most-respected couturiers, designer Tarun Tahiliani’s Ambawatta outlet as the one who demeaned her for her size. The post has spearheaded a much-needed conversation around fat policing in society in general and in the fashion industry in particular. What’s disheartening is that this is not the first time and definitely not the last curvy brides have faced this stigma. She wrote this heartfelt post
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Following the rise of uproar from the netizens on social media, Tarun Tahiliani looked into the matter himself. And soon the designer issued an explanatory statement that tried to cite that it's not what his brand stands for. Focusing on how TT as a brand actually embraces inclusivity and diversity, his Instagram stories claimed:
When Tarun Tahiliani's apology seemed more of a #SorryNotSorry polite excuse, this is when criticism from a big-time influencer like Diet Sabya along with their former client and others poured in. As Tarun issued a statement stating that the brand had been making clothes for clients of various "ages, ethnicities, nationalities, gender and sexual orientations," since forever otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to sustain for so long in the market with such a reputation to its name. He further explained that due to the pandemic, the brand didn't carry a size 16. And neither could they replicate the same work in a three-week duration.
The influencer then took over her Instagram to share screenshots of her email interaction with the brand prior to her store visit where she had already exchanged information on her size. Also, the influencer was guided towards further interaction with a salesperson and wasn't made aware of the size stock issues via the same mail chain.
Dr. Tanaya then recalled her only concern was regarding the Ambawatta store's treatment of her and not brand shaming. She alleged that the salesperson's behaviour was what made her feel unwelcome. "It was the way their salesperson looked me up and down and asked, 'Oh *you* are getting married?' as if I am inherently unmarriageable." She also stated that the salesperson was disinterested in showing her around. Again she expressed how she was appalled by the fact that Tahiliani's statement would make her size public to his 1 million followers without her consent.
Soon a store representative from DLF Emporio store called to apologize to her as her feedback on the apology created hype on social media. Dr.Tanaya was grateful for the effort made and even appreciated it sharing that on her Instagram. Enhancing the fact that though she had a problem only at one store, however, the influencer revealed that she never plans to buy from TT again post this experience.
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Soon after Dr Tanaya’s post went viral, Diet Sabya picked up the conversation, calling everyone to 'talk about bridal brands fat shaming'. They mocked TT by saying that only people of a certain body size are allowed to marry, the rest can't. Problem solved. Diet Sabya also highlighted that TT shouldn't address diversity and inclusivity as they have never even witnessed a plus-size bride in any of their campaigns. Then soon the sarcastic clap back of exposing TT turned into a post that enabled homegrown brands who do actually practise inclusivity of all kinds to share their details for such unhappy brides. It has now snowballed into a conversation demanding answers and accountability from the fashion industry. Dr.Tanaya even cherished Diet Sabya's take on the same giving the fashion brand a supportive shoutout.
Women are not only talking about massive body shaming that they face at all big and small designers’ stores—with store owners and salespersons coming at them with unsolicited advice to lose “a few inches”—but also of another menace that plagues the fashion industry, the fat tax. The same was widely discussed last year, prompting big designers who sell same garment at more price for 'extra inches'.
Fatphobia in the fashion industry is not new, and while conversations about body positivity are shifting this, the whole movement has been ‘one step forward, two steps back’. But when did being fat and fashionable become mutually exclusive? The latest comments under Diet Sabya’s post are proof that not much has changed and fashion has a plus-size problem that needs fixing.
We’re not in denial that there is no hope of evolution through the current situation. Fashion has come a long way from days when only super-slim, airbrushed women in unachievable ultra-thin waists would stare back at us from some sky-high billboards, advertisements on TV or glossy magazines, setting celebrated and conventional beauty standards for women across cultures.
More representation would mean more acceptance and normalisation of all shapes and sizes. And an assertion that there’s no such thing as a 'quintessential body type' — that’s why it’s more disappointing when the same brand’s store personnel fat shames clients. We generally put faith in a store representative to recreate our bridal dream but how can we do that when they're just there mocking our appearance. Coming back to bridal stores fat-shaming women, these outlets need to become more accepting places and wake up to their inherent fat biases. Because if you don’t listen, others will, rendering you redundant and 'old-fashioned'.
(Source: Google/Instagram)
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