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Very very interesting Nightline broadcast 9/12. For the first time a plus sized line of designer clothes is being shown during fashion week. They were bright and beautiful and flattering. The models are size fourteen.
These are not walmart sort of clothes but really well done fashion for real women.
It also talks about the growing use of women with real curves and sizes between 10 and offical 'plus'.
There is a whole line of swimsuits designed for curvy women in that range.
Maybe if there were clothes which fit a wide hip and boobs and curved in waist, I'd consider trying them.
I saw that broadcast lastnight, it was a nice report, though I've seen quite a few similar shows over the past few years similar to it. There have been magazines and other venues in the past featuring plus-size women wearing very fashionable clothing, such as BBW and Mode, those were very popular back in the 90's but faded away around mid 2000's
Tim Gunn has really good commentary on the fashion industry in a recent interview. He talks about the reluctance of designers to create clothing larger than 14, vanity sizing and the lack of petite options.
It is pretty silly, just ready the threads here, so many people seem to think people larger than 12 or 14 or 16 should stay home or wear sacks till they lose enough weight to fit into "normal sizes." Meanwhile the average size is 14.
I am a bad example for petite because many average pants are short for me and I am average height. :P
I like Tim Gunn, but those designers he's referring to are right in front of his nose on Project Runway. We've all seen the look of consternation and downright panic that ensues when the challenge presented is one involving "real" () women.
I put "real" in quotes because we all know that real women come in different shapes and sizes. Both DH and I are very thin despite the fact that we eat like fieldhands (not healthy, BTW, and we know it--being thin because you eat a spartan diet is healthy; being thin because you have a fast metabolism is not). So are our kids, and they grew up hearing that they'd better not get any high-falutin' ideas about others' eating habits just because they, themselves, were thin. A quick look at our family albums would be all that was needed to settle that.
I'm not espousing obesity here, but simply stating that diversity appears to disappear when it comes to women's sizes (men, too, but we're not focusing on them here). I never encountered a problem finding a variety of stylish fashions throughout my life and often wondered why women who who differed from the fashionistas' norm couldn't do the same.
It shouldn't be that way.
actually it is vice verse.
Humans are supposed to eat as much as they want. they are predators.
But they are supposed to NATURALLY burn those calories - not in a gym
so being thin while eating how much you feel like it - is NORMAL.
If you walk. and use public transportation to your destinations.
Not just hop in a car - and drive everywhere.
And that is basically impossible in the US, except NYC.
As a man whose shape is sort of too good for most clothes out there, I can't say I sympathize much.
I read the article and even slogged through many of the HP comments. What I consider a key issue wasn't addressed. It came out during the A&F controversy, from the company's creepy CEO, that larger customers are bad for a brand's image. If a brand gets associated with overweight, lower-income people, its fashion cred is ruined. Similar to what chavs did to Burberry.
Bottom line: brand image, economics and other factors really dictate that most customers solve the problem themselves, including relying heavily on tailoring and fitness change. (I wish for a mail-order solution, but from my own predicament, I know it wouldn't work well in practice.)
many clothing stores are now operating for big and tall sizes, one can easily find the perfect fit there.
Not always. My husband is 6'7" and slender. He has a hard time finding clothes that fit when he shops the big/tall stores. Most of those stores carry clothing for big and tall men but not tall and slender.
I'm 5'4 and around a size 0, maybe a size 2 for certain things.
I still struggle to get things to fit me because I'm not very tall and I'm flat-chested, and I've noticed a lot of the clothes tend to be made for tall (but not too tall), thin women with big boobs... and tall and big-chested is something I'm not. Don't get me started on jeans that fit you well without scrunching up at the bottom or sagging around the butt area, it's incredibly hard finding a pair of jeans if you're not particularly very long-legged, even if you are thin.
Actually, most clothes are made for women who are around between 34B and 36C around 34-38 around. To me that is not considered huge. Basically if you are outside of those sizes inches it might be harder to buy clothes.
I have the opposite problem my bust is too big and I feel that clothes are made for smaller bust.
However, there is definitely not enough diversity in the fashion industry size wise. Since I use to be in it a little. If you are not the fit model protype 5'5 to 5'9" 36-28-38 a perfect size 8 you will have a hard time. The most popular fit model sizes are 6,8, and 10.
Store brands literaly take this missy size and add and subtract a few inches for each size. There is some petite fit modeling, plus fit modeling usually a size 18 wider arms and back but barely tall fit models unless is it specific for a tall store. The plus 14 is usuallly different from a missy 14. However, My bigger issue has always been that I am triangle shape even at my smallest and tall. So I would be a size 10 at the bottom, but up to 14/16 at top.
When you look at online sizings look how perfect the numbers line up for each size. A lot of women do not fit this perfect missy/plus,petite protype, and talls get ripped off. They think we will just add a few inches without thinking about the rest of the body. Most designers do not have the time to take account every shape. The fit models, runway models and catalog models are just the samples and designers are adding and subtracting from them.
This is why there is a lot frustration with clothing, sizing and shape.
I think it's ridiculous that some stores refuse to carry "plus" sizes. Why not appeal to the market as a whole? Why not allow anyone to enjoy your brand? There is so much money to be made! More sizes = more customers = cha ching! Regardless of the fact that 2/3 of America is overweight (overweight does NOT mean obese and I'm sorry, those doctor BMI charts are unrealistic) more options for women of all body types should be embraced.
I assuming these stores are only looking for a certain type of shopper and do not want to ruin the exclusive nature of the brand and want to only appeal to a certain type.
The psychology behind this is high end exclusive shopper will spend more money even if it less people walk through the store.
If you are a high end brand and then appeal to plus size that might turn off your bread and butter shopper i.e. not feeling special or exclusive anymore therefore won't spend the money.
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) women.
