These Women Once Believed Style Was Only for the Skinny — Weight Gain Changed Their Perspective

When Libby Faulkner lost around 50 pounds, she started wearing smaller, tighter clothes, but they weren’t exactly fashionable. “I wasn’t thinking about putting outfits together or being stylish,” she recalls. “It was more about, ‘Now that I’m skinny, I can wear skinny jeans and crop tops.’” However, as she began regaining weight, she realized her confidence issue wasn’t about her size but her belief that bigger bodies couldn't wear certain styles. “I thought losing weight would solve all my problems and I’d become stylish overnight. But that wasn’t the case at all,” she says. Faulkner decided to break free from those self-imposed limits, embracing bold colors and patterns in her wardrobe. Like many fashion creators now sharing their journey on TikTok, she found that gaining weight actually helped her become more confident and expressive with her style.

Similarly, Lauren Morgillo was once terrified of gaining the infamous “freshman 15” before heading to college. Determined to stay as slim as possible, she believed that weight loss would make her more confident. At her thinnest, she wore tight jeans and crop tops to parties, showing off as much as she could. But looking back, she admits, “Those outfits were terrible.”

In a world where being "skinny" is often equated with being fashionable, stories like Faulkner’s and Morgillo’s show that real confidence and style have nothing to do with size. By embracing their bodies and experimenting with fashion, they found new ways to express themselves—proving that personal style flourishes at any size.

During the pandemic, Lauren Morgillo began gaining weight and found that her once-favorite going-out clothes no longer fit. “It felt like I was squeezing into something not meant for my new body,” she explains. “I felt constant pressure to wear clothes that hid my arms and flattered my waist.” This struggle to adjust to her changing body echoed that of many women, including body-positive influencer Vicki Reckless. Reckless admits she never discovered her true personal style because she was fixated on following fitness fashion trends that didn’t suit her body shape. Instead of embracing her curves, she wore baggy trousers to hide them—not because she liked the fit, but because she disliked her body.

Reckless eventually realized she was holding herself to the body image of her teenage years, before she had fully grown into the woman she is today. "I needed to accept and love my body as it is right now," she says, "which is something I’ve worked hard on and share about online." Once she embraced this mindset, Reckless discovered a new confidence in dressing for her current body.

Similarly, Morgillo began experimenting with her style, opting for lower-waisted pants, longer tops, layering, and color coordination. She moved away from simply wearing whatever fit and started developing her own fashion sense. According to Carolyn Mair, cognitive psychologist and author of The Psychology of Fashion, accepting your body’s changes is key to rejecting societal pressures and unrealistic body standards. This acceptance can open the door to discovering personal style that truly reflects who you are, regardless of size or shape.

“Looking good is also about feeling good,” explains Mair. “After gaining weight, many people become more aware of the importance of comfort in clothing, which leads to a more enjoyable fashion experience. By wearing clothes that genuinely fit their needs and lifestyle, they develop a more authentic and confident personal style.”

Libby Faulkner now fully embraces her body and confidently wears outfits that some might not consider traditionally flattering. “There’s this ingrained idea that everyone should wear clothes to look smaller—why would you want to wear something that makes you appear bigger?” she says. “But I don’t see that as an issue, and I don’t think others should either.” Previously, she avoided showing her arms, backless tops, strapless dresses, and anything too short. Now, she enjoys creating new silhouettes, pairing a poofy skirt with an oversized top. Even if it makes her look "bigger," it’s a style that she feels comfortable and confident in.

Lauren Morgillo reflects on how body types trend over time. While curvier figures were celebrated in the late 2010s, she notes that the cultural pendulum seems to have swung back to the Y2K era’s preference for thinness, as seen in the renewed fascination with low-rise jeans, Victoria’s Secret Angels, Paris Hilton, and the rising popularity of Ozempic. However, Morgillo also points out that fashion has become more individualized, with uniqueness being a highly sought-after quality in today’s trends. “Thinness is still highly valued and probably always will be, but now people want to see something unique in how you dress rather than just blending in,” she adds.

In 2020, posting body acceptance content on Instagram and TikTok helped Vicki Reckless become more comfortable in her own skin. Over the past year, she began sharing style tips for midsize and curvy figures alongside her body-positive messages. "Body image issues often aren’t really about our bodies," Reckless explains. "It’s more about wanting to feel included or accepted. And when you feel like you can’t participate in trends because of your body shape, it can make you feel alienated.

However, following fashion trends wasn’t necessarily bringing her happiness. "My style isn’t about chasing trends anymore," she says. "It’s about discovering patterns and silhouettes that bring me joy. That’s what fashion is really about—making you feel your most confident.

Both Lauren Morgillo and Reckless admit they still have difficult days when it comes to body image, moments where they catch themselves thinking, "I wish I could wear that" or "I wish I was that size again." But they emphasize that it's okay to have these thoughts. "Gaining weight helped me accept my body in ways I couldn’t when I was thinner," Reckless reflects. "I needed that shift to realize my body is the least interesting thing about me. Clothing can boost confidence, but real confidence comes from within.

Libby Faulkner often gets asked how she’s "so confident," which she finds "jarring." "I don’t need to feel 'confident' to wear something," she says. "I’m confident in my style, but confidence in my body is an evolving journey—it changes every day.