She began her posthumous comeback as the poster-girl for the algorithmically pleasing ‘clean’ trend that boomed post-lockdown. Now, with the success of Ryan Murphy’s Love Story, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s fashion legacy seems never-ending, and never more relevant. But why?
There’s a reason CBK’s penchant for black, white, and blue denim is being mined for its Insta-aesthetic, and why Calvin Klein's Kate Moss era suddenly feels current, even mainstream. It’s not just a sunglasses shape or a certain tint of blonde. The body type that defined 90s minimalism - long, lean, just enough curve to be considered “sporty”- is having a cultural resurgence.
This isn’t The Row’s minimalism, or Phoebe Philo’s – this is 90s Calvin Klein; the pursuit of a perceived physical perfection, where the clothing lets the body do all the talking. In a recent post by trend data firm Heuritech, items akin to Carolyn’s wardrobe have begun to ramp up in popularity over the past three months, including satin dresses, +4%, white formal shirts +19%, fit and flare jeans, +2%, and thong sandals +31%, amongst rises in knee-length dresses.
These items, while common enough, are exactly what CBK managed to make look so effortless; they simply hung from her slender frame with ease.
However, this time, it's not another trend cycle. The 90s body ideal is slotting right into the shrinking runways of Milan, Paris and New York, and right into the body shapes promoted by social media algorithms. And yes, this time it's being medically accelerated.
Rapid weight loss is toppling sizing strategies
GLP-1 weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wergovy are now being used by over 12% of US adults. This is no longer a niche luxury habit for those with disposable income; these statistics point toward a full demographic shift, and the downstream effects on fashion retail are moving faster than most buying cycles can keep up with.
A report by Puck recently revealed the impact of GLP-1s on retailers’ sizing strategies. According to the article, a source at Stitch Fix, the online platform that operates as a personal styling and shopping service, said user mentions of “weight loss” have tripled in the last three years and surged 75% year over year in the last quarter.
Customers aren’t downsizing by one size, it can be by three sizes or four, in some cases. According to the article, Stitch Fix customer demand for bottoms (pants, skirts, and shorts) has shifted from larger sizes down to US size 10 and below, with size small seeing the most significant growth.
Additional data from Insight Analytics suggests demand for smaller sizes is increasing while larger sizes are declining across U.S. apparel retail:
- Women’s bottoms (size 26 and below) rose +3 percentage points in sales from 2022–2024, while sizes 27–30 declined by −2.6 percentage points.
- Women’s tops XS–S increased +2 percentage points, while L–XL fell by roughly the same amount.
- Shapewear S/M demand rose +1.7 points, while XL+ declined nearly the same amount.
- The shift was first noticed in New York City, but “one year later, the same trend is emerging nationwide.”
At the same time, Y2K silhouettes and slim-fit micro-trends have been reinforcing demand at the smaller end of the curve. Particl data shows in 2025, skinny leg styles were up 238% in average revenue, while slim fitting styles had increased in average revenue by 75%. This is proof that goes beyond views on a TikTok reel, this is moving units, and it starts with buyers purchasing those units.
What’s next for fashion's size curves?
For brands planning buys right now, these shifts should be forming your OTB considerations and budgeting decisions.
Ask yourself: does your customer have cultural appetite for the 90s minimalist body and its adjacent clothing sizing? Your data should be giving you hints already. Additionally, brands should be zeroing on understanding not only the purchasing shifts, but the behavioural psychology behind it. Once you understand if your customer is coming from a place of wanting status, to fit in, or from a place of aspiration, your sizing and merchandising choices can become infinitely more strategic.
The brands that update their size curves before the sell-through data forces them to capture demand, are the ones who will withstand the changes. The rest will be sitting on excess in the middle of the curve and chasing sizes they didn't buy enough of.
Dealing with customers who buy based on viral social media trends? Discover how merchandisers can keep up with TikTok Shop.
If you're a buyer, merchandiser, or planner trying to get ahead of demand shifts in 2026, Style Arcade's upcoming Solving Fashion's Size Curves playbook breaks down exactly how to rebuild your size curve with confidence.
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