Everyone knows Lizzo — the queen of self-love anthems. Her songs like “Good As Hell” and “Rumors” promote loving yourself and bring out the inner “hot girl” in everyone. Lizzo has been an advocate for body positivity and calls out the unrealistic beauty standards that lurk in Hollywood and on social media. Now, Lizzo’s clothing line with Fabletics is another way she is celebrating self-love.
In collaboration with Fabletics, Lizzo is launching a shapewear brand of her own named “Yitty.” She took to Instagram to share that the brand isn’t an invitation to change who you are, but rather to be who you are. Lizzo gets it. Yitty will reinvent shapewear and bring a new era of body normativity. Going one step further than body positivity, this philosophy normalizes all bodies rather than turning them into a “cool movement.”
Shapewear has been a part of fashion for years, from the Elizabethan era of corsets to modern day with Spandex. It was marketed as a solution to unwanted body “problems,” based on the idea that women’s bodies should be altered to appear more beautiful. This often came in the form of uncomfortable, freakishly tight undergarments. Shapewear evolved from being a design secret to everyday wear, and is now a multi-million dollar business.
With the rise of the body positivity movement in mainstream culture, some celebrities have attempted to design body-inclusive shapewear, but have missed the mark. Celebrity shapewear brands like Kim Kardashian’s Skims fail to address the main issue: Shapewear shouldn’t be a solution, but rather a celebration of your body.
Shapewear was marketed as a solution to unwanted body “problems,” based on the idea that women’s bodies should be altered to appear more beautiful.
Skims has been wildly successful in the shapewear industry, raking in over $275 million in sales in 2021. Her brand has aimed to be body-inclusive, with a large range of sizes from XXS to 5X. However, shapewear can’t also be body-positive if the narrative is still built on the idea that there are curves or “unwanted” areas of your body that need to be “fixed.” Skims is advertised as a “solution-oriented” brand that sets new standards by providing solutions for every body. This is where Lizzo’s line differs. Yitty isn’t a “solution” or a way to fit into beauty standards; it is simply a celebration of all body types and sizes.
Lizzo’s brand comes from a place of understanding. Lizzo has been wearing shapewear since the age of 12. Her experience with shapewear caused her to hate her body and feel restricted, she said on a March 30 Instagram livestream with her fans. In her press release announcing Yitty, she said that she was always told to “reshape” her body to fit society’s standard of “beauty.” Then, she started playing around with shapewear and found a love for having autonomy in her beauty. Lizzo wanted to create a collection that can be worn as “underwear, outerwear, anywhere” and make women feel unapologetically good about themselves, harping on her own frustrations.
After three years in the making, Lizzo has cultivated three collections that have a strong emphasis on self-love and body inclusivity, much like her songs. The “Nearly Naked” collection will feature traditional shapewear that will enhance curves rather than conceal them. The “Major Label” collection is a sportier take on shapewear that can be incorporated into athleisure apparel. The third collection, “Mesh Me,” consists of mesh styles that can be worn as both outerwear and underwear. These unique collections come together to create a brand that is vibrant, versatile, and most importantly, comfortable. They spread the message that your body isn’t something to be hidden, but shown.
Yitty isn’t a “solution” or a way to fit into beauty standards; it is simply a celebration of all body types and sizes.
Unlike other celebrity clothing brands and shapewear, Lizzo understands sizing isn’t linear. She wants her line to communicate that sizing is on a spectrum, not a straight line. Though there have been efforts to expand sizing ranges in the fashion industry, body diversity is still lacking in the high-fashion world. In Spring 2021 Fashion Month, only 34 out of 2,293 models were plus-size. Body inclusivity means accepting all sizes. Your size is not high or low, big or small — it is simply your size. This was one of Lizzo’s main considerations when creating Yitty’s sizing range. The brand’s sizing range, XS to 6X, represents a community that has often not been seen in the fashion world.
Sustainability is also underrepresented in fashion. The fashion industry is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions, furthering the problem of climate change. Shopping sustainably is even more difficult for plus-size customers: Sustainable brands rarely have size-inclusive options, according to Harper’s Bazaar, with most hardly going up to XL. Aside from its inclusive sizing, 65% of Yitty’s pieces are made with recycled fibers and the packaging is 100% recyclable — voila, a shapewear brand that succeeds in two arenas where most others fail.
Not only does Lizzo make great music, she also makes apparel that spreads a message deeper than just clothes on a hanger. She is redefining shapewear and creating a space for celebrities to make a difference in the fashion industry and opening the door for plus-size customers because, as a consumer of her own product, she understands the wants and needs of her shoppers. Yitty comes from a place of love, understanding, and a want for women to put on clothes that radiate their inner confidence.