111: More Than a Number: How Clothing Sizes Shape Body Image

How does not being able to find clothes in your size affect body image? In this episode of Appearance Matters: The Podcast, Kat speaks with Dr Sharon Haywood about her research exploring the relationship between clothing size availability, body image, and eating disorder behaviours among adolescents in Argentina. Together, they discuss why shopping for clothes is much more than a practical experience, how difficulty finding clothing in your size can affect body esteem and the internalisation of appearance ideals, and what young people shared about navigating fashion in a world where not every body is catered for. Drawing on both survey data and in-depth interviews, the conversation explores the psychological impact of clothing environments, the role of the fashion industry, and why changes to clothing size availability could have important implications for public health and body image. Resources and links: Learn more about the Centre for Appearance Research: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance Find out more about AnyBody Argentina: https://anybodyargentina.org/ Connect with Dr Sharon Haywood: Sharon.Haywood@uwe.ac.uk We’d love your feedback! We’re currently gathering feedback from our listeners to help shape future episodes of Appearance Matters: The Podcast. If you have a couple of minutes to spare, we’d really appreciate you completing our short listener survey. You’ll find the survey link here: https://go.uwe.ac.uk/qufkk If you enjoyed this episode, please remember to subscribe, rate, and review Appearance Matters: The Podcast. It really helps us reach more people interested in appearance psychology and body image research. Cover image by Trevor James Episode image by Becca McHaffie Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Episode developed and produced by Dr Kat Schneider