What will Body Positivity look like in 2025?

A step on from this might be the call from social media users for brands and influencers to be more transparent about their use of filters and photo editing, as well as surgeries and treatments they use to promote often unrealistic body ideals.

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With many plus size people highlighting their experiences of discrimination in areas like the workplace, or the medical sector, we have by no means reached a utopia of body positivity. However, in recent years it has certainly felt as though visibility of a range of bodies has improved as well as increased discussions surrounding society’s attitudes towards body diversity. 

Body Diversity in 2024

In spite of this progress, it seems 2024 did not continue on this trajectory. The rise in popularity of drugs like Ozempic combined with changing ‘surgery trends’ have led some industry figures to question whether we are regressing to the extreme body ideals of the 90s.

This year saw a huge spike in general awareness of Ozempic and similar drugs, thanks to usage by celebrities and influencers, as well as promotion by medical professionals. The drug, originally developed for diabetes treatments, has the effect of being an appetite suppressant, slowing digestion, and increasing insulin production, all leading to weight loss. Since first hitting the pharmaceutical market, it has been made increasingly available and accessible for this purpose with high levels of uptake, particularly in the US. Some have hailed this as a new era for health, such as Eduardo Paes seeking re-election as mayor of Rio de Janeiro who stated “Rio will be a city where there are no more fat people. Everyone will be taking Ozempic at family clinics”(1) - a deeply problematic comment which highlights pervasive anti-fat views. Others have expressed high levels of concern over the speedy rollout of the drug and are worried that it will become an additional barrier to proper healthcare for plus size people if doctors become over reliant on Ozempic as a ‘fix-all’ prescription.

It seems the introduction of the drug has already had a significant effect on body inclusivity culture, after the American Society of Plastic Surgeons declared the ‘ballet body’ (an athletic and low body-fat silhouette) the emerging surgery trend of 2024 in the autumn. 

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A report published by Vogue Business which presented the percentages of mid and plus size models recorded across all major shows at the London, New York, Milan, and Paris fashion weeks, found that diversity in this category had either declined or stayed the same. Of the four cities, London scored the highest which the report stated was due to “its heavy saturation of emerging, more progressive talent.”(2) The report didn’t include data for other cities, although did reference Copenhagen fashion week as being notably more diverse than any of the top four. This again suggests that smaller upcoming designers are the ones pushing progress and boundaries in the industry, while larger luxury conglomerates revert to type. 

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These brands are also frequently the ones pushing boundaries within fashion design itself and producing the most exciting shows and garments, often on a limited budget. They tend to have more direct relationships with their audiences through social media and a sense of transparency direct from designers, compared to established brands which can feel increasingly out of touch. 

If we want to continue supporting body positivity and diversity in fashion it therefore seems that a great way to do this is to support these up and coming designers and show our enthusiasm for their commitment to inclusivity. 

Y.O.U Values

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Inclusivity and diversity has always been a core value at Y.O.U Underwear and we reject the idea that a body type can go in and out of fashion from season to season. We aim to ensure that our customers feel represented and reflected in our designs and imagery and that everyone feels comfortable in their underwear. We recognise that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and that people often need different things from their underwear as well, which can make underwear shopping a tricky experience to navigate. We also know that the size you wear is the least interesting thing about you!

With this in mind, we want to continue to uplift people of all body types in 2025, regardless of social trends. We recently expanded our sizing range in our Thongs and our More Supportive Bras as a result of your feedback and we are keen to hear more from you and what you want from your underwear. 

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We will be planning more photoshoots this year and we are open to your suggestions on how we can make them as representative as possible of our customer base. All our shoots are made possible through the work of our incredible volunteer models and we are always looking to include more people in this, so if you would like to get involved please contact us: help@youunderwear.com And if this is something you have considered in the past but weren’t sure about, please get in touch anyway and we can talk you through the process a bit more as well as address any concerns you might have - there is absolutely no pressure! 

For now we want to remind you (and ourselves) that body positivity and acceptance is a mindset and a lifelong journey, not a trend. Your body is always acceptable just as it is, and it is not acceptable for others to pass judgement on it. It is completely normal to feel ups and downs with your relationship to your body but it can be helpful to remember just how amazing it is as a machine which keeps you alive and allows you to do what you do! So here's to celebrating all bodies in 2025.

For more information check out some of these links:

See our Size Guide for help with finding what's right for you

Go Behind the Scenes on an underwear shoot for a taste of what to expect

And read our Shapewear Blog for more thoughts on inclusive fashion

References:

(1) Mahdawi, Guardian

(2) Maguire, Shoaib, Vogue Business