Are Plus-Sized Woman Finally Acceptable Fashion Icons?

og217
wrote on February 4 2009 @ 07:17 am: [report]

The whole point of fashion is to present a physical ideal.  So no, I do not want to see fat women on magazine covers, they just aren’t attrcative and the clothes would look bad, even with pins and airbrushing.  I think singers, artists, etc. should be judged on what they do, and not on their appearance, but fashion models ARE appearance, and no matter what anyone says, no matter how great the clothes are, fat women just aren’t what an ideal woman looks like.  It’s not PC, but it’s not like it’s a big secret.  If anyone except fat women thought fat women were “sexy” there would BE fat models, female movie leads, etc.  Just because most women are overweight doesn’t mean that it’s a good thing.

vanya
wrote on February 4 2009 @ 08:17 am: [report]

IMO, the whole point of fashion is to sell clothes and make money. Neglecting market like plus-sized women, and tall women, is just putting one’s company at a financial disadvantage. 

Interesting to me to note that men’s fashion makes allowances for height and weight, but women’s fashion does not, with the exception of the occasional “petite”. Men purchase their pants based on their waist and inseam measurements.  40” waist x 36” leg.  Women’s pants and jackets are an arbitrary “2”, “4”, “6”, etc. which vary from manufacturer to manufacturer (and even within the same manufacturing line) In a men’s shop, a man can buy his suitcoat in Regular, Short or Long, in a measured chest size (38, 40, 42, 46,etc.) and a shirt based on neck, chest, sleeve and torso measurements, while women’s shirts are sized “S” “M” “L” with no indication on the label of the measurements that correspond with each size. 

My husband was really surprised to learn that women’s shops and department stores do not have a tailor onsite to fit the clothes to your body, like men’s shops do - a service offered for free.  He just couldn’t believe it. “No wonder so many women feel bad about their bodies after they go shopping.” In men’s fashion, it’s just understood that the clothing doesn’t fit you off-the-rack, that it has to be tailored to you to fit as well as it’s supposed to.

og217
wrote on February 4 2009 @ 09:42 am: [report]

I agree that women’s sizing is absurd.  I have clothes that fit me perfectly RIGHT NOW in sizes XS, S, M, L, 0, 2, 4, 6, 38, 40, and 42. 
And I think that there is a large customer base that can never hope to buy a $7K Marchesa gown in a size 0 and that they can be marketed to and be a fantastic customer base. I just don’t think high fashion does come in “double digit sizes” as the article suggests.  You don’t have to adhere to the beauty standard, that’s your choice but then don’t get pouty if you aren’t considered to be beautiful, you just can’t have it both ways.

Tamara
wrote on February 4 2009 @ 02:55 pm: [report]

To og217,

“You don’t have to adhere to the beauty standard, that’s your choice but then don’t get pouty if you aren’t considered to be beautiful, you just can’t have it both ways.”

I’m really, really trying to avoid an argument here, but I have to ask, did you think before you shot your mouth off? At this point I’m 130 pounds, yes I said it 130 not alot of women blurt their weight out anywhere, then again I’m not like alot of women. For my height I’m considered chunky or fat whichever you want to call it. When I danced I averaged a weight of 99 pounds to the 130 that I am now. I made more money when I hit 130 than I did when I was 99. I also modeled for friends vintage clothing company. I may not be a size 0 anymore and I may pout about it, but if I want to, I have a right to, and if I want to pout about it while eating a cinnabun and slamming a milk shake that’s my right as well. On the same token I’ll probably be called a hypocrite if in the next few months I start going to a gym, but all the while I’ll still be eating junk food so it averages out. 

I don’t need anyone telling me what their deluded standard of beauty is. In a model I’d rather have a woman that looked like she isn’t afraid of damn cheeseburger than one that’s showing me two runny eggs with a side of ribs. I’d rather show my nieces a plus size model to admire than any I see in magazines today, but on the same note I’d want them to have a healthy image that women come in all sizes and whatever they choose is fine by me. I just want them to be open minded rather than judgmental.

fashionist
wrote on February 6 2009 @ 08:14 am: [report]

As a fashion boutique owner I have always struggled to find on trend designers who make clothes in larger sizes. Most just go up to a Uk14. If you want to stock sizes above that you have to go to specialist designers. This makes it very difficult for shop owners to stock both small and large sizes as you would have to buy double the number of labels to cover all the sizes. It’s such a shame because I have many plus size women come into the store who are struggling to find clothes that aren’t just shapeless sacks.
Big can be beautiful. I would be happy to see larger women on the covers of magazines if only to balance out the distorted view of women’s bodies that some young girls have. Yes, we all like to look at slim figures but get some balance in there and show women with real bodies too!
http://www.promdressboutique.co.uk
http://www.liquorice-clothing.com