Fashion Lexigraphy
Flattering: You Keep Using That Word. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means
Leila Kelleher- Shannon Flaherty
Published 30-06-2026
Keywords
- fashion discourse,
- fat fashion,
- anti-fat bias,
- fat liberation,
- fat studies
How to Cite
Kelleher, L., & Flaherty, S. (2026). Flattering: You Keep Using That Word. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means. Fashion Highlight, (7), 230–235. https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-3908
Copyright (c) 2026 Leila Kelleher, Shannon Flaherty
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
The word “flattering” is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “helping to enhance attractiveness,” however we argue that the usage has shifted to almost exclusively being used to create the illusion of slimness. Through popular media discourse analysis, this Fashion Lexigraphy examines the way that flattering is in fact a tool of anti-fat bias through books, magazines, and popular television shows that give fashion advice to women. Although this remains the dominant discourse, there have recently been movements that push against the paradigm of slimness being superior to fatness beginning in blogs and then moving into more mainstream discussion.
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