How Fashion Fails Real Women

[maciesmom]

If that's what your intended discussion was, you should have been more clear in your OP.
What you did was post an article then say:
"Charla Krupp comments on the state of evening wear for larger women"

...leading people to believe the post was about "the state of evening wear for larger women". If your intention was to discuss the lack of clothes for other women, then feel free. It would be nice if either discussion could be had without judgement or name calling.

[lemon&lime]

Originally Posted by maciesmom

If that's what your intended discussion was, you should have been more clear in your OP.
What you did was post an article then say:
"Charla Krupp comments on the state of evening wear for larger women"

...leading people to believe the post was about "the state of evening wear for larger women". If your intention was to discuss the lack of clothes for other women, then feel free. It would be nice if either discussion could be had without judgement or name calling.

Other people brought up larger women as being the only "real" women, not me. I merely presented the subject as a topic.

[maciesmom]

Which was my point to begin with....you are arguing against yourself then. I assumed that was the topic to begin with...but you just inferred that that was not really what you wanted to discuss....What is the topic of your thread? The difficulty larger women have finding fashionable evening wear or "I'm offended because the title infers that women who are not large are not "real" and I'm tired of not being able to find clothes because the "great unwashed" masses who can't resist fries are taking up all the space in retail stores."? Two different topics. Choose one.

[18Montclair]

I had just a few hours to devote to this project, but I thought it would be easy. Ha! Looking through my favorite designer racks in stylish New York department stores -- Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Escada -- I found no size 16s. St. John, Armani and Chanel had only a few out-of-season suits. I went through the evening dress sections too, looking at designers like Tadashi Shoji, known for dressing celebrities such as Queen Latifah and Mo'Nique for the red carpet-- again, nothing above 14 in-store, just online. I really didn't want to go to the plus-size section, but did -- only to find separates.

14 and 16 are not plus size imo.

I've attended fashion shows in many places and they overwhelmingly put out clothes that are too small for everyone except 7th grade boys which is who most of the runway models look like-except all made up. Otherwise they have the breasts and hips of a male middle schooler.

Most real women dont look like that nor should they aspire to. They should aspire to be the best they can be-whatever that is.

Like the amazing transformation Jennifer Hudson just went through. I dont think there was anything wrong with her in the first place, but she really put forth effort and it paid off for her.

Anyway,
from a business standpoint, these big name designers are only ignoring 'real women' to the detriment of their own bottom line more than anything else.

Full figured women will simply spend their collective billions elsewhere.

[Miaiam]

The thing I don't like is the "you can only be beautiful if you are a certain weight, a certain height, etc." Some people will spend their lives trying to reach a goal (most won't succeed long-term, will lose a lot of fun, and will become overcritical of others who are not so concerned about that week's beauty standards) which is not always healthy, and honestly sometimes it is just borderline unreachable.

If they reach it, kudos to them. The amount of energy one spends trying to keep up with the "beauty Joneses" is incredible.

As for me, I don't mind exercising a bit more to burn off extra calories, but you can bet I will have my tiramisu or pot au chocolat when I crave them.

There are many women who are quite thin/fat/short/tall and are "oddly, unusually" very beautiful, and I believe they should be able to find fine clothing as well.

The fashion houses that are not willing to work with several sizes to cater to all that public are the ones losing buyers. There are rich and poor people in every size.

[artemis agrotera]

Originally Posted by lemon&lime

The belief being that overweight/plus size people are the "real people". I'm thin due to genetics and willpower-- economic factors aren't as indicative for me. I have gotten sick and tired of not being able to find clothes that fit me at a reasonable price because the hoi polloi can't resist french fries.

Ah I should have known, you just posted the article without comment and then complained that the discussion didn't continue down your merry little idea that the world is against the thin girls.

You should have posted your intention from the get go.

Originally Posted by Miaiam

The thing I don't like is the "you can only be beautiful if you are a certain weight, a certain height, etc." Some people will spend their lives trying to reach a goal (most won't succeed long-term, will lose a lot of fun, and will become overcritical of others who are not so concerned about that week's beauty standards) which is not always healthy, and honestly sometimes it is just borderline unreachable.

If they reach it, kudos to them. The amount of energy one spends trying to keep up with the "beauty Joneses" is incredible.

As for me, I don't mind exercising a bit more to burn off extra calories, but you can bet I will have my tiramisu or pot au chocolat when I crave them.

There are many women who are quite thin/fat/short/tall and are "oddly, unusually" very beautiful, and I believe they should be able to find fine clothing as well.

The fashion houses that are not willing to work with several sizes to cater to all that public are the ones losing buyers. There are rich and poor people in every size.

Amen!

Be healthy. Isn't that the important part?

Who in the hell wants to look like little clones of each other anyway?

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

Anyway,
from a business standpoint, these big name designers are only ignoring 'real women' to the detriment of their own bottom line more than anything else.

I agree with your whole post, I just wanted to focus in on this particular part. I wish what you say here is true, but somehow most of these guys seem to be raking in millions making clothes that only fit 1% (my guess) of women, i.e. supermodels. There are plenty of rich women who aren't supermodel shaped and sized but small enough to fit their clothes and feel exclusive and better then everyone else, but if they approached the designer of their choice and asked to model those clothes at a show, they'd be turned down because "fitting" and being a supermodel are still mutually exclusive.

Sometimes I think these guys must be getting kickbacks from the diet pill and exercise industry, because it just doesn't makes sense not to be more accommodating with sizes and shapes. But in truth, just being exclusive and rare allows them to charge whatever they want.