Felicity Hayward on her secret to confidence and size inclusivity in the fashion industry
Felicity Hayward has a pretty impressive CV. Originally model scouted in a London pub over 10 years ago, she’s graced the pages of Vogue, modelled for some of the biggest brands in the world including L’Oreal and was appointed the first-ever Curve Ambassador & Stylist for ASOS. She’s always been an avid body activist, as evidenced by the ‘Self Love Brings Beauty’ movement she founded nine years ago. So, her latest fashion venture – a collaboration with Simply Be on a summer edit that caters up to a UK size 32 – makes perfect sense, combining her two biggest passions in one.
Cosmo caught up with Felicity to find out her favourite spring summer fashion trends, what brands need to be doing more of and how far the industry still has to go in regards to inclusivity.
On her relationship with fashion
My relationship with fashion has been like a turbulent relationship with a partner, if I'm being brutally honest. I've had really good moments where I’ve felt really loved, and then other times, I felt like I had been gaslit and pushed to the side and not accepted. I've been a model for over 12 years now so I've really seen the industry change through that time, from when plus-size clothing didn't really exist, to the huge ‘golden era’ of body positivity when everyone was making collections that had extended sizes, to then brands taking a U-turn. It's been emotional, to say the least. I do think that we are in a much better position now than we were 10 years ago.
On the importance of inclusivity
My style is ‘50s Hollywood glamour mixed with ‘90s Anna Nicole Smith – in trainers. It's bold glam meets athleisure chic. Since Covid, I’m just in comfy shoes now. Everyone is wearing Sambas or Gazelles, but I actually can’t wear them because I can’t wear flat shoes. I need arch support! So I’m wearing Adidas SL72s.
I truly believe that when people feel comfortable, that's where body confidence comes from. No one feels confident in an outfit that doesn't fit properly. So many times, plus-size women in particular, like myself or my friends, we try and fit ourselves into smaller clothing because there's no other option for us. In a plus-size scenario, clothing needs to be in the right size. All clothing, not just loungewear, should be comfortable because there should be clothing available for all of us in our sizes. We all should be catered for.
The plus size industry gets trends a lot later than the core range. It would be amazing to get to a place where that isn't the case. That was one of the main things [I thought about] with my Simply Be edit, I wanted to have a collection that had something for everybody.
On the joy she gets from dressing for summer
You're able to have more fun and be more playful with fashion in summer. It comes with bright colours and fun prints, like my pink Ombre Mesh Mazxi Dress dress that looks like a Tequila Sunrise. I just want to drink it! I would obviously wear it with trainers, big gold chunky hoops, black square sunglasses and a red lip. All you really need for an outfit is good shoes and good accessories.
This time of year also means cute festival outfits and holiday style. A lot of the time, people think that wearing more swimwear, like a tankini or bikini bottom shorts that cover you up more, must mean you’re quite self-conscious of your body and you want to hide it. I’m obsessed with the MAGISCULPT Legsuit swimsuit, it’s like a playsuit but you’re not really hiding anything because it’s bright pink. It's a very statement piece. It’s proper dopamine dressing.
On the changes she wants to see from the industry
I would love it if we had a standardised sizing chart that was used within designer and high street brands, across the whole of the UK. A universal sizing chart that every single brand had to use for their products. We have such an issue with sizing and vanity sizing, which equates to mental health issues and eating disorders. If we were just told the truth, and we were told what the sizing was for each brand, we could then make an informed decision of who we would be supporting and shopping with. If I know that Simply Be goes up to a 32, ASOS goes up to a 30, Ganni goes up to a 22, it not only would make life a lot easier, it would also put pressure on brands and designers to be like, “S**t. We're actually not as inclusive as we thought.” We don't have any of these issues when it comes to shoe sizing, because there’s a standard. Why is there not a standardised clothing chart?
The plus-size industry is worth billions of pounds every year. For brands to not actually cater to those sizes – and we're not even talking about the moral side of it – the financial side of it alone doesn't even make sense for them not to be included.
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