The new Adele
There is a huge amount of subjectivity on the question of beauty, and this helps. But this is also probably why Adele touched such a nerve. She really helped pioneer a greater appreciation of the beauty of plumpness. She didn’t just look good as a plus-size woman; she looked fantastic. She seemed to expand the window of unconventional beauty for a while, and now she seems to have retreated into a more familiar style. It seems perfectly natural to regret some of this dynamic, and the way in which it can torment women and girls.