I’m tired of the body-shaming that happens every time a woman complains about her weight or her size and the other person says, “Well you could try working out.”
Not only is this comment (or some derivative of it) insensitive, but it’s also usually not as feasible as one might think. Plus-sized individuals may work three jobs and not have time to work out, they might not be able to afford a gym membership or healthy foods, it might be too physically strenuous to work out, and on top of it all, it’s hard to find workout attire that doesn’t squeeze their waists until they can’t breath.
Many factors contribute to a person’s size, from genetics to everyday choices, but luckily Nike is trying to check one item off the list: lack of available workout clothing.
Nike just launched its first plus-sized range because it’s about time we provide curvy women the opportunity to rock 44 different types of leggings, crop tops and sports bras that actually fit sizes XL to 3XL.
“In today’s world, sport is no longer something that she does, it’s who she is,” a spokesperson for Nike told Cosmopolitan. “The days where we have to add ‘female’ before ‘athlete’ are over. She is an athlete, period … We celebrate these athletes’ diversity, from ethnicity to body shape.”
And Nike isn’t just increasing the size options for its existing clothing—no, they actually understand that weight distributions vary and want to tailor their range specifically for curvy women. Especially as workout clothes become wardrobe staples for college students, it’s important to customize products to fit all types of collegiettes. And these Nike pieces are so edgy that they’re giving me serious gym motivation.
Who says curvy women can’t look sexy in skin-tight athleisure?