
Fashion doesn't cater to women like me. This is how I look fabulous at every single party
For the past decade of my career I have been entrenched in fashion – sitting front row at fashion shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris, discussing and dissecting trends, interviewing designers, models and celebrity faces of brands. I have walked red carpets, worked in the the hallowed halls of glossy magazines and travelled to far-flung corners of the world all in the name of fashion.
And throughout all of those career moments, I have thought: 'I have nothing to wear.' Not in an 'I'm so bored of my wardrobe' kind of way, more along the lines of: 'Despite being privy to the inner cogs of this industry, there is still little to nothing to dress my plus-size body with any sense of style.'
Because the truth is, fashion doesn't cater to or care for women like me.
For as long as I have worked in fashion, the average dress size – UK size 16 – has remained the same. Yet the options for anything above that size continue to be limited and, if we are speaking frankly about it, those limited options are quite rubbish.
There are a few truths to be spilt here as to the why; why does fashion overlook such a huge percentage of women?
Firstly, so much of inclusivity and representation in this industry is all talk no walk. Time and time again I have seen brands claim to want to dress more diverse body shapes, but what they don't want to say out loud is that only relates to the 'right' body shape. The execution of that claim often comes to fruition via one piece of custom-made clothing for a non-sample-sized celebrity, and off they go with a pat on their backs for being inclusive.
The next is the most overused excuse in the book: there isn't an appetite for extended sizing, it's too much of a risk for brands to create sizing above a UK 16, it isn't financially viable.
And the last is a brutal truth that no brand wants to say out loud, but it doesn't take a genius to read between the lines: they just don't want bodies that look like mine in their clothes.
As someone who sits on the extended spectrum of sizing (and regularly looks at my wardrobe with a sense of disappointment), let me tell you there is appetite and a half. It's the reason why accessories are the biggest sellers for designer brands, not ready-to-wear. Why I have messages every day asking me where on earth women can shop for occasions, and exactly why I have collaborated with insiders' favourite dress brand Rixo on a 16-piece size-inclusive collection.
Founded by friends Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey, Rixo is an independent womenswear brand that has transformed the industry, transformed wardrobes and transformed how women feel about their bodies – mine included. The cornerstone of the brand is dresses, particularly occasion dresses. From wedding to workwear, bride to birthday, there is no occasion the plethora of beautiful, vintage-inspired dresses won't work for.
I loved the designs, loved the inspiration, loved the founders; but like so many other brands I interacted with daily as an editor, I loved them at a distance because they weren't made for me. The sizing, while better than many other brands that share the same corner of the market, did not cater to my UK size 24 body – but I was used to this, so I simply accepted my fate that this would be a love affair from a distance.
Except, instead of keeping me at a distance with empty promises of being more size-inclusive, Rixo reached out a hand and brought me on board to collaborate on a collection together because they deemed my body, my existence and my experience in this world just as worthy as those in smaller bodies.
At the heart of Rixo x Billie Bhatia is a sense of style freedom. A shedding of the frumpy, ill-considered clothes that have populated the plus-size market for so long, and an invitation to feel good. I wanted to create dresses that were going to serve a community of women who had previously been ignored. I wanted everyone who ever dreaded getting an invitation to an occasion to rejoice that they finally had something to wear. I wanted to create pieces that breathed life, excitement and possibilities into holidays, all while carrying you through summers in the city.
For years, I accepted my fate as someone who will never open my wardrobe and be excited at what I might step into the world wearing. This collection feels groundbreaking for bodies like mine to enjoy fashion, enjoy dressing and enjoy a sense of occasion.
There are few things more thrilling than a wedding invitation to witness one of your best friends marry the love of their life, or a party that you know will be talked about for years to come or preparing for a big milestone, whatever that might look like.
For me, that thrill often disappeared shortly after I realised I would have to search high and low to find something to wear – and often not even something good, just something that I could work with. The way I handled event dressing was to go big on everything but the clothes: hair, make-up, accessories, jewellery. I dedicated my time to curating these elements of my look; namely, to distract what was lacking: the dress.
With the collection, I get to put fashion at the forefront and that feels almost as exciting as the invitation itself. The dresses do the talking, with big voluminous sleeves, swathes of fabric and frills to create movement and drama, prints that are joyful and uncomplicated to style.
These are dresses that to me feel like sartorial serotonin, a collection to move through the world in whatever the occasion and occupy yourself with just enjoying life, because the clothes are effortlessly taking care of everything else.
Billie's occasion-dressing favourites
Over the years, I've curated a little black book of occasionwear pit stops that, despite not always catering to my size, I have leant into for their generous silhouettes and sense of style.
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