Throughout history, women have been faced with the challenge of fitting into a certain mold or ideal in order to be considered beautiful — to be considered worth something to society. Today, however, it’s important important that women take a stand against the idea of that single-fit mold. It’s critical that women stand up for each other and defend one another’s right to feel beautiful and valued.

Recently, female models and many other women from all over the world have joined voices like Australian model Stefania Ferrario, who is a size eight and considered a plus size model, in speaking out on social media against fashion’s labeling of women by size, diffusing the phrase “We are all women,” and the hashtag “#droptheplus” across the internet after Ferrario posted a photo of herself on Instagram, nearly nude, the words “I am a model,” written on her skin and released several Tweets about her unappreciation for the term plus size, as used in both the fashion industry and outside of it.

In fashion, labels like “plus sized” are capable of deteriorating a woman’s self-esteem, as in today’s society, lean seems to be more “the look.” It could be argued that using the term plus size is no different than using the term petite in fashion, but let’s be real: petite is a pretty French word; “plus sized” literally implies “over the normal size” (how is it that plus sizes generally begin at size 14 when today’s average woman is a size 14?). It may also be argued that it’s ok to use the term “plus-sized” because some plus size models have expressed that they are proud of the term, not offended by it, but to regular women, who don’t constantly hear how beautiful they are like models do, the term can be mentally and emotionally troubling.

Everyone wants to “fit in,” but hardly anyone actually can. And in saying this, I’m not saying only women who are considered “plus-sized” struggle with positive body image (in fact, many probably don’t, and that’s amazing!); most women of whatever shape or size have their body insecurities. So, in order to put an end to this negativity, the labels need to end. Women of every shape and size should be able to buy/wear the exact same clothes as one another made in their own size. Women shouldn’t have to be a certain shape and/or size to buy or wear the clothes that they want, and they especially shouldn’t have to face harsh labels to get the clothes that are made in the sizes that they need.

Women need the support of each other and the fashion industry to overcome body labeling (and it wouldn’t hurt to have your support, as well, fellas). If we drop the body-labeling, it could help women of all shapes and sizes see and feel how beautiful they really are, which could create a happier, healthier, more positive society as a whole. And if it starts now, with us, the rightful confidence of future generations of women could be ensured.

It is not ok that the fashion industry is trying to influence what is considered “normal” by trying to slap generic labels on something that comes in infinite numbers of forms. What is ok is being able to feel comfortable and proud of who and what you are, whether that’s big or small or short or tall or somewhere in between it all. Because if we work together now, someday not “fitting the mold” will actually feel like it’s ok, just as it has been all along.