It is not uncommon for brides to be expected to ‘diet or shed some kilos’ before their wedding. However, this toxic mindset seems to be deep-seated in society. A gynecologist and influencer, Dr Tanaya Narendra recently got married and opened up about how she was body shamed as a bride by several bridal stores and designers.
She posted a few pictures from her big day and penned a post speaking of the societal pressure brides are put under for losing weight.
Dr Tanaya wrote, “There is SO much pressure on people to lose weight before their wedding – I had that too. Family friends would ask why I wasn’t “dieting” before my wedding (in a span of one month lmao). Some even went out of their way to send me “slimming teas”.”
She then spoke of how wearing a Tarun Tahliani design for her wedding was her dream since she was a kid, but she was body shamed by the staff at the designer’s Ambawatta store.
“Bridal stores would body shame (looking at you, Ambawatta @taruntahiliani {yeah, that was a massive shame, because I’d wanted to wear a Tarun T to my wedding since I was 12. Never going there again} and all kinds of weird comments were thrown at me about my “double chin” and “belly showing in the lehenga haww”
She concluded by stating that all that matters is self love, “My closest friends, my lovely family, and my boy love me for who I am. And most importantly, I love me for who I am.” However, her post was flooded with comments of people sharing cases of being similarly shamed for their size.
Tarun Tahiliani responded to the incident by putting out a statement on the brand’s Insta stories:
The designer sent out a message of inclusivity and addressed the incident of the unhappy customer. The post further said that the matter would be investigated thoroughly.
Tahiliani later shared an update revealing they had looked into the event and didn’t have the customer’s size (16) in stock at the time, owing to the pandemic. The statement also said they apologize for poorly communicating this to the customer. Tahiliani further claimed to “look beyond shape and size” and strive for diversity.
What do you think of this incident? Have you ever felt pressured to loose weight before a special event? Tell us.