Plus-Size Shaping New Fashion Trends
Brazilian plus-size designer Amanda Momente defies the fashion world’s narrow stereotype of beauty. She confidently poses for the camera, wearing the clothing label she established after facing a lack of suitable options.
In Brazil, where over half of adults are overweight, Momente is a prominent figure in a growing movement of entrepreneurs, activists, and models. They have grown tired of an industry that they believe disregards their needs and body-shames them.
A Brazilian model is wearing plus-size fashion attires.
“I took the aspect society used to judge me and harnessed it to launch my business,” Momente, 34, asserted. She was wearing a sheer black bodysuit from Wondersize. She founded her company in 2017.
As a former real-estate agent sporting a pink mohawk and several tattoos, she conceived the idea when she felt uneasy at the gym. At that time she was wearing clothes that were too tight. This discomfort led her to seek the assistance of a seamstress to create her own workout attire.
The result was so successful that she left her day job to wholeheartedly dive into the fashion world.
The emergence of vibrant, stylish attire for larger-bodied Brazilians reflects a broader global trend. It rejects unrealistic beauty standards, particularly for women.
“The fashion industry needs to adapt to our bodies, not the other way around,” Momente insists.
According to Marcela Liz, head of the Brazil Plus Size Association, major brands generally allocate only a small fraction of their collections to larger sizes, leaving a pent-up demand.
The plus-size sector in Brazil experienced over 75 percent growth between 2011 and 2021. It turnover expanded to 9.6 billion reais (about $1.9 billion) in sales that year. Projections suggest sales could reach 15 billion reais by 2027 in Latin America’s largest economy.
“Although the supply has improved, we still fall short of meeting demand,” Liz remarks.
This budding industry recently graced Sao Paulo’s Pop Plus fair.
“The market used to perceive larger individuals as people uninterested in fashion, simply looking to conceal their bodies,” notes Flavia Durante, the activist who founded the fair in 2012. “We had clothing, but not fashion,” she said. “Fashion encompasses more than consumption—it embodies identity and dignity.”
