Echos of Shattered Glass: A Culture of Body Inclusivity at Athleta

As long as we’re talking about stepping over all the shattered glass on the floor, let’s stop and take a look at Athleta’s most recent announcement. When I recently pulled the new February 2021 Athleta catalogue out of my mailbox, I was blown away by the bold statement of the true “Power of She” on the cover.

Athleta, one of four in the Gap, Inc. family of stores, recently expanded their product line to its most inclusive range of sizes ever featuring XXS to 3X, a consciously designed collection of their most-loved styles that spotlights an enlightened collaboration of fashion with women empowerment, racial equality and individual expression. It creates a unique platform on which all women can build holistic confidence for the journey towards gender equality.

The brand of women’s activewear has fully wrapped their arms around all sizes, announcing, “All, Powerful” in their new catalogue, stating “Each piece designed by active women of all shapes who’ve always known that one size doesn’t fit all.”

Have you ever spent the day in a dressing room, only to end up empty handed because nothing fits right or makes you feel good in your own skin? Jolene Danielson, Director of Technical Product Design says, “It’s an emotional experience. You want to be able to find anything in your size and not be limited, and that’s what inclusivity is about.” Finally, it feels like someone is not only listening, but also taking action!

An editorial on how they designed their inclusive range of sizes inside the February 2021 Athleta catalogue.

The conversation around inclusivity at Athleta is not only about the product and styles, but also owns power in the entire culture of the store. From XXS up to size 26, you will find over 350 styles to choose from located on the exact same rack in the store as a size 6, not in a separate section at the back of the store. Friends of all shapes and sizes can now shop in the same store, from the same racks.

As part of that store culture, Forbes.com reports that “Athleta will put all 5500 of their store associates through a mandatory inclusive sizing training. Employees will become bodySTRONG R certified after attending the training, designed to teach body positive language and tools for assessing fit and comfort.” So, not only will women find cute and fashionable styles that fit all shapes and sizes, they will also be respected like the queens that they are without having to apologize, carry guilt or feel shame.

The all inclusive culture continues through the skin color spectrum, too. As demonstrated in the catalogue, the brand paints a clear picture that they believe in justice for all colors, shapes and sizes.

As a woman, and a Mom of two daughters, I can personally attest to our culture’s unwritten rules of how a woman’s body should look, the messages that have been sent loud and clear via media -from written to social, and the exclusivity that my girls have both innocently pointed out and questioned through the years.

I am grateful for the statement of bravery, body inclusivity, racial justice and women empowerment that Athleta has announced to the world. Excuse me while I kick these chards of glass to the side so my daughters can walk through.

“Women moving women, forward. This is the Power of She.” -Athleta