And as a last-ditch effort, Bryant says, “there is never a time that I go to a photo shoot without bringing at least six options,” a lesson she learned from her worst experience. “I was at a magazine shoot for the new hires of SNL, and I remember getting there with Cecily [Strong] and Kate [McKinnon] and noticing that there were just three things on my rolling rack—each something like what an 80-year-old woman would wear to sing at a funeral. I was paralyzed.” Now she hauls separates from her own wardrobe to set, to work with what the stylist brings. “I shop almost exclusively online, from brands like Eloquii, ASOS, Elizabeth Suzann, or Rachel Comey, if one of their straight-size pieces has a little extra room,” she says.
Yes, Bryant does the legwork for beautiful outfits, but it’s also to set a good example for her fans. “Representation matters,” she says. “This takes a lot of planning, but to me, it’s worth the extra effort for the girls who are looking at my clothes on Instagram or tweeting me to ask what I wore in a sketch.” Oh, and it’s personal. “I know seeing bigger women looking great would have mattered to me when I was younger—that’s why I try not to wear a black dress every day,” she says. “I feel for the girl I was, wanting to wear cool clothes but only being able to find retro gowns, full-on animal-print craziness, or sacks. It was transformative for me to see girls who looked like me and were killing it. I realized I didn’t have to dress like a clown; I could dress cool.”
Now what? First, Bryant plans to take this dress to the Meyers' stage, and then “wearing it on repeat is a big part of my plan,” she says, laughing. But seriously, “I do feel like a door is opening. There’s been hesitation for me to ask to do custom work with designers, but now it feels doable. And I’m motivated because this dress has a level of quality that is missing from plus-size clothing. I feel unapologetic when I wear it. It sounds hokey, but it says, ‘I’m worth it.’ ”
So designers, get on board! Bryant’s final message for you: “Either you’re for inclusiveness and diversity, or you’re against it,” she says. “And being passive means you’re against it.”
Update: Taylor gave us an exciting update following the publication of this story. "I was so excited to work on this project with Aidy and the Glamour team. It was such an incredible experience and it only strengthened our desire to move into the space. To coincide, we're thrilled to announce that we will be launching select styles in plus size with our Pre-Fall collection."
