Plus-Size Wars

published an article on July 28 with the title Plus-Size Wars.

The core of the article presents a historical timeline of body size in general: what body type has been popular, how sizing of garments has changed - the measurements for a post war size 10 are the same for the contemporary size 2 of today - and how plus size clothing began.
And then the comments started rolling in. Apparently many of the vitriolic attacks, including some from medical doctors, have been removed. Hate is what cut off the nose and ears of the Aisha, the Afghani woman on the cover this week.
The general message in the negative comments is you'll be forced to lose weight if you're too fat and having a hard time finding clothes that fit. Or stop shopping.
According to the article, the dearth of sales vs. the average size of the population has remained the steady for the last 20 years, but between 2008 and 2009 sales dropped dramatically in this size range.
But why should we believe the "statistics" about the drop in sales. Surely some plus size retailers closed some doors? Do these numbers reflect the plus-size sales of thousands of websites run by entrepreneurs selling corsets, Goth wear, lingerie, swim suits and other specialty items?
The article talks about reluctant designers. It’s not a secret that some designers don’t want to be associated with plus-size women.
The author doesn’t usually write about this topic and I found it interesting that when mentioning Torrid, she excluded the fact that they are a division of Hot Topic, a chain of hip, alternative wear, and a Wall Street Darling. Who loves you, Baby?
Maybe women who wear these sizes stopped shopping because they don't like the clothes. A friend of mine scours the stores for things that reflect her personality and when she doesn't like the clothes so she doesn't shop. There are years that I don't buy much. I have an archive of clothing to choose from, so no matter what's in style each season, it's likely I'll already have something.
It does still amaze me that it’s almost de' rigueur fashion to include some mention of the obesity rate and health issues associated with being overweight in any article about plus size.
Every week we hear about some seemingly healthy, active person who drops dead unexpectedly.
We know we’re supposed to count calories and carbs, cut back on caffeine, drink 10 glasses of water a day, walk 10,000 steps, stretch, warm up, get your heart rate up, cool down, meditate and floss. Oh and don’t forget your sunscreen, and reapply often. But…people still smoke cigarettes, drunk drivers are still killing, bakeries are not illegal, and guns are easy to obtain.
I’m just living my life and trying to be a good person. I would think that most of us feel this way. Yet anger, hate and name-calling come out of the woodwork during discussions on size.
It has become a crime to be overweight in this country and we need to figure out a way to prevent the weight gain that is affecting such large numbers of Americans, not chastise and punish them. And if these overweight American women want to stop shopping, then perhaps the way to spin the numbers is to see that when we withhold our buying power, someone else’s bottom line goes down,ironic.
But I like the article, it's a nice piece that touches upon some of the bigger issues associated with creating, marketing, selling to the plus size female.

From The New York Times: "Plus Size Revelation: Bigger Women Have Cash Too"...Duh?

Photo: Yana Paskova for The New York Times

FYI, The New York Times ran and article today with the headline "Plus Size Revelation:Bigger Women Have Cash Too."
I am not taking a stance on the pros or cons of being overweight or large. I'm just pointing out
that a lot of people out there don't fall into the traditional size charts. And regardless of why or how the person got bigger, they should be able to buy clothing that fits.
As the spokesmodel for the Spiegel catalog's For You From Spiegel collection, created specifically for larger women (this division did well for about 10 years, I was under contract from 1989 thru 91 and continued to consult for them well into the nineties), my job was to share tips and trends: how to dress your body well regardless of your shape, what types of styles worked best for certain shapes.
This NYT article indicates sales of plus size clothing is up, making this demographic the one growth sector of the overall women's apparel market. Yet manufacturers and retailers remain reluctant.
When I was the fashion editor and later the editor in chief of BBW Magazine, traipsing up and down Madison and 7th Avenues in New York City, trying to educate the buyers at Bloomingdales and the designers at various clothing companies about you,  the plus size woman, it was the same story. Over and over again I heard "We don't have room on the floor for all these different sizes, we need newness and different color stories on the floor. We can't have the same items for the smaller women on the floor hanging next to the same items in  the plus size department.  No one will buy the smaller clothing!"
Or imagine taking a sales meeting with the advertising agency of the largest consumer mass-market skin care brands and being told that large women are not their target market. Hmmm,
are you really saying you don't want the customer, who by the simple nature of their size, might need to use twice as much product? Seriously?
I've seen this same story over and over again, "hey sales are down, lets sell to the fat lady."
Well, buster, we watched some of the top designers attempt to sell us clothes we wanted to buy, and fail - Donna Karen comes to mind right away. And she of all people should have known how to make and market to the "real women," she claimed she was designing for in the first place.  I like Donna Karen and love her clothes. I wish she would look us over again. She's struggled with her weight her entire career and  the clothes she actually wears reflect a shift in her perspective.
Even Liz Claiborne blew it with her Elizabeth division. Each year the clothes became more boxy and boring.
Ralph Lauren managed to figure it out and in the hardest category of all, tailored clothing.
I'm not holding my breath for department stores to cover my ass.
Nordstrom hasn't been able to get a handle on this customer. A fan of mine in the nineties, they used to fly me around the country to commentate fashion shows, consult with the buyers and give image advice and do personal shopping for VIP customers. They were generous with their discount and usually one vendor would give me an outfit to wear during the show and let me keep it. But they usually only had one bra style in my size and no pajamas or pretty camisoles. I used to run to the intimate apparel department just before my events and borrow a tiny "control top" thong. Really. And I would hold it up to the audience so they could laugh and find compassion for the woman who needed a control thong! But I couldn't then and still can't get dressed from one department store.
Not much has changed at the department store level, but the internet is thriving with great offerings at every price point.
Target is a different story. It's a success story. Every time I go in one I find something cute, fun, trendy or sexy, and that includes bathing suits and lingerie!
I know you want to pop into Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills and walk out with real clothes vs the a few perfume samples...I know you want to hit up H&M, which by the way, carries plus sizes in their European stores, although the collection is spotty, I nabbed a great military/safari jacket in camouflage green in Germany last fall.
The internet is full of entrepreneurs making everything you can think of. 
The NYT article goes on to say that we're forced to shop on the internet. As an early adaptor - a term coined to refer to someone who embraces and uses new technology early in the game - I'm happy to shop on the internet. Of course you win some and you lose some, I've had my share of disappointments, but I couldn't be happier with the quality and fit overall of my purchases, including the tropical capsule wardrobe I got from the Gap online.
But I've got your back, sister. Look for my upcoming Best of the Internet series of posts.

V Magazine's Salute to Large Size Women

The media's coverage of larger women is skimpy at best. Over the years I've tried to include women who are wear a range of sizes in my TV makeovers and photo layouts for magazines because, politics aside, people come in lots of different shapes, sizes and colors and that is just a fact. Google Venus of Willendorf or visit the wikipedia page for the Venus of Willendorf (The Venus of Willendorf is a statue of a very voluptuous female dating back to between 24,000 B.C. and 22,000 B.C.) Talk about a lasting tribute!
So I read with great interest a recent article in The New York Times about V magazine's upcoming fashion tribute to larger women. And I read all the comments with even more interest. If the American public can be stirred to comment on anything, it's the good, the bad and the ugly truth about size.
Karl Lagerfeld is on record for stating "...No one wants to see curvy women." Really?
Tell that to the fans of J Lo. And she is far from being large. But baby got back. Or tell LL Cool J - ever listen to the lyrics of his song, "American Girl?" He says they're the best in the world and goes on to list their virtues including those of the "thicka sistahs!" Amen, Brother. Right or wrong, black or white, large or small, we are all in this together.
And aside from the healthcare issues swirling around the increased concerns over our obese population, there continue to be skinny, slim and slender folks with high blood pressure, who don't work out, but they "pass."
Check out V Magazine and let me know what you think.
I love it. Great work, beautiful women, sexy clothes and lovely photos.
Photographs by Sølve Sundsbø and Styling by Nicola Formichetti from V Magazine
Photo of The Venus of Willendorf from Wikipedia.com