This post deals with eating disorders, and could be triggering for some readers.

People who are a size 16 or over, especially in Western demographics, represent about half of the female population currently in 2021.

So why aren't clothing brands getting the message in Australia?

Someone who is carving her space in this conversation is friend ofMamamia, Katie Parrott.

Katie Parrott is an Instagram influencer who is on a mission to help ignite change in the fashion industry to represent consumers of all shapes, sizes and bodies.

In this week's instalment of Mamamia’sWhat Are You Wearing? podcast, Katie spoke about Australia’s problem with sizing - and trust us when we say it’s a pretty big problem.

Listen to What Are You Wearing? to hear Katie Parrott talk about Australia’s problem with sizing. Post continues after podcast.

For Katie, who is a size 22 to 24, plus-size clothing options are hard to come by in Australia.

“We are definitely behind, there’s no denying that. The options available internationally are incredible. For example, I love the outdoors and bushwalking, but I can’t find bushwalking clothes in Australia. I get a friend from Canada to ship those clothes to me.”

“It’s fatphobia. The consumer base is there. Brands don’t want us in their clothing because [we're] not an ‘aspirational’ demographic," Katie says.

The idea of ‘aspiration marketing’ has been receiving some pretty well-deserved criticism as of late - case and point Victoria Secret’s decision to omit transgender or plus-size models because the show is a “fantasy”.

As Katie notes, "brands are trying to sell the dream – marketing fitness, wellbeing and beauty – and for those companies there is still a deeply rooted sense of fatphobia that views people like me as not aspirational."

Through her role as an influencer, Katie has worked with multiple brands and seen first-hand the lack of thought and care shown to consumers who are plus-size.

“I see it as a consumer of clothing, and how difficult it can be to find things. I also see it as an influencer, because it was really common for brands to want to work with me on a campaign, but they would only have up to a size 18.”

“I went on a trip as an influencer for a collection launch, and there was an entire room of clothing and they had not put out any bottoms in plus sizes. They knew I was going to be there; they knew what my size was. There were other plus-size people there, and I made a fuss.”

Podcast co-host Deni Todorovič shared their concern as well around the lack of representation in the fashion industry.

“It does make me very concerned that we now live in this environment and culture where skinny is still being glorified as the aspirational end goal.”

“As someone who has struggled with disordered eating since I was 15, it’s a topic that is very dear to me and something I continue to be disappointed by the industry at large, especially in our country.”