BODY & BELONGING

Navigating the tyranny of trial rooms and societal pressures, these women are redefining style by embracing their bodies and celebrating individuality, challenging the notion that thinness is the ultimate goal.

- DIVYA BALAKRISHNAN

Trial rooms are a unique kind of purgatory. The unflattering lighting, the judgemental mirrors, the existential dread—it all adds up. I had a taste of this recently when I ventured into an upscale Indian designer store, armed with a birthday gift voucher. The sales assistant hovered outside the trial room as I tried on a few options, all uninspiring. Finally, spotting a dress across the store, I asked for help, only to have her announce loudly, "Ma'am, this won't fit. It's an XS, it will tear."The pitying silence that followed sucked the oxygen out of the space.

My body, once a size 6-8, now fluctuates between 12 and 14. The pandemic, with its endless Zomato orders, took its toll. While I tried to accept the changes, days would inevitably arrive when I'd find myself surrounded by clothes, feeling like a defeated wrestler.

Then I stumbled upon a reel by New Zealand-based Lauren Brodie. The 34-year-old marketing manager reveals that her style bloomed post-pregnancy. "My daughter changed everything," she tells me over email. "Kids dress with unfiltered joy. There's no concept of 'flattering' or 'hiding'. In my thinner years, I dressed to shrink myself," she confesses. Inspired by her daughter's playful approach to dressing, she's "finally learnt to embrace bold shapes and vibrant colours". Brodie is unafraid of layers. Take, for example, a blue and white strappy gingham dress worn over a puff sleeve blouse in a matching print, paired with large red scrunchies. I love this plot twist, opposite to the popularised makeover of 'lose weight first, then get the wardrobe and style of your dreams'. I wasn't alone.