Why the Anti-Chafing Thigh Bands on the Chromat Runway Are a Body-Positive Win
September 9, 2017 2:16 AM
by Lauren Valenti
The topic of size diversity on the runways has been heating up in recent seasons, with New York Fashion Week designers embracing a wider range of model body types in their shows. But for Chromat’s Becca McCharen-Tran, a spirit of inclusivity is nothing new. Since establishing her young fashion house in 2010, she has come to embody the term, regularly casting models of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. For Spring 2018, the designer took her messaging a step further, outfitting two models with varying silhouettes in anti-chafing thigh bands by Bandelettes. Resembling a cross between a garter and the elasticized rim of a thigh-high stocking, the sash-like bands are made to reduce friction, particularly when wearing dresses, skirts, or lingerie.
It’s a well-timed reminder that the so-called “thigh gap”—the space some women have between their upper thighs when standing with legs touching, which has long been considered a measure of physical attractiveness—need no longer apply to the runways. Underscored by the show’s body-confident cast of models—including plus-size stunners Jordyn Woods, Denise Bidot, and Sabina Karlsson—it starts New York Fashion Week off on the right foot. “This show has so many curvy girls,” explained Bidot backstage. “It’s not just a few of us. We’re not going anywhere and the next generation knows it.”