On Katie Winnen’s TikTok, fashion for plus sizes is about personality

“I never had the intention of becoming an influencer. …I don’t like being the center of attention,” Winnen says, laughing. “It always felt a bit like I was paying a lot of attention to myself. I had to adapt to that. It was never something I was looking for, so when it started happening I was definitely surprised that people connected with me specifically.”

However, she wasn’t surprised that they connected to her message of self-acceptance and expression. Plus-size women are a disadvantaged group. And even though they make up nearly 70% of American women, most mainstream brands are failing to tap into them.

Winning loves the creativity and fun in fashion, and for that reason she works to make fashion accessible to an audience that faces fatphobic social stigma. “Even if I get to the best possible place (with my body image), I will still live in a fat-phobic society that will make living in a larger body very difficult,” says Winnen. “Understanding that this was a reality helped me move forward in having a positive relationship with myself.”

In her videos, she spotlights small businesses that serve the greater community, plays with fun concepts like astrology-based fashion, and connects with customers one-on-one as a personal stylist.

Her knowledge comes from experience at various levels of the fashion industry: she worked in retail, earned merchandising and design degrees from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and San Francisco State University, and worked for an e-commerce company with a larger size before it went bankrupt.

“I don’t think people are just born with the ability to be stylish,” says Winnen. “It might be easier for some people, but I think for the most part it’s just something you put your time and energy into.”

Breaking size stigmas

On social media, Winnen has found a positive feedback loop of encouragement and knowledge sharing. She compliments other creators in the plus-size community for demystifying concepts like fat liberation and fat bias in a simple way. I think of local collective Fat Brunch and creator Fierce Fat Femme when Winning calls out fellow Bay Area makers who proudly occupy the space.

She learned from other creators how to defend herself against fatphobic comments (especially as a non-confrontational person). In turn, she has offered resources on how to handle dismissive or insensitive medical visits, receiving an overwhelming response from people who realize they are not alone.

Winnen’s work has a national and even global reach. A significant portion of her audience is in Texas. While working remotely for a company in Armenia, she was shocked to discover that a colleague in Yerevan was already a fan.

“There is a lot that the industry needs to change and change,” says Winnen. “I’m hopeful that we can get there, but in the meantime it’s really a challenge.”

Winning recognizes that plus size fashion intersects with the changing conversations around mental health, disability and accessibility. “I think when we talk about inclusivity, size is usually ignored,” says Winnen. “I think fatphobia is still very accepted in most places, even in progressive, inclusive places like the Bay Area.”

Her videos are her way of working towards a more accepting world. And when it comes to fashion, she reminds us that a little compliment goes a long way.

“When you see a plus-size person in a great outfit, know that they had to work so hard to make that possible,” she says. “I’m always impressed by the creativity and ability of these other creators to make things work when you’re not given much in the first place.”