Plus-Sized Clothing Industry Just Doesnt Get it.Working in Manhattans Fashion District, I get the gyst of todays It. in fashion.
Theyre still catering to, what they call Clothing a twelve year old boy for the Modern
Woman. If youre above a size 4, youre considered fat, and unworthy of the delicate
Designs of the modern age. If youre under a size 12 and it fits, and looks GOOD, youre lucky, and for the unfortunate Plus Sized world, youll get whats left over, and to hell with Fashion.
At a size 30/32, Im often reminded by the local storefront display mannequins that I Am an alien. If I do venture into Bloomingdales or Lord & Taylor, I must descend like an Ogre into the wretched bowels of the store to find a tiny area reserved for the taboo Plus-Sized Woman, and other stores, will send me straight up Eight flights to the attic, like the hunch back of Notre Dame. Here, I swing from the rafters to find a Tangerine Sweater that fits like a tent.
At one point, theres a choice to give up this torture and pleasingly go through the Fat Friendly Venues. Ahh Less than ten solid stores existed before the internet, and now hundreds are at my finger tips, by the click of a mouse. However, I surmise the scores of Women who still dont venture into the World Wide Web in search of Clothing, for whatever reason.
The good news that at my size, 30/32, I WILL triumph and find clothes that fit me. It will be a good fit. I may even be happy about it some of the time but is what Im wearing what I really WANT to wear, or am I a victim of what is only available to me.
Ive been thinking of that a lot, lately.
The Plus-Sized industry seems to have its own mindset regarding fashion. I must admit theyve upgraded from Clothing a Twelve year old Boy. Its definitely a Girl!
The Girl is Sixteen. The Girl is also Middle-aged, a number I cant quite pinpoint, because Im in my Thirties, and I still think the Fashion is too Bubblegum, or too Frumpy. There are online Store Favorites, which can be wonderful but expensive, as well as limited in size and quantity. I wish the Good places would Get it, but they dont have the $$$$ to back up their creativity.
I often wonder at my size, if I could wear what every Size 4 could wear, what would it be? By my store choices, would I be labeled Preppy, Punk, Bohemian, or Conservative?
What store would I walk in first and claim my victory?
Probably, JCrew, or Banana... who really knows?
But if the shoe actually fits I guess, then thats the one you truly wear.
