In the News: The Negatives of Plus-Size

Yes she did!

Yes, I read her essay last night. I'm still wrestling with myself on whether or not to dignify such ignorance with a comment. On one hand I feel that when you acknowledge ignorance you're giving it too much publicity and unknowingly helping to spread its message. On the other hand, sometimes people say such ignorant things that you just feel forced to respond to hopefully help set them on the right track.

With that said, I'm feeling that I'll have to make a comment on this one…Women come in all shapes and sizes and all of them should be and deserve to be embraced, acknowledged and celebrated.

I wrote a post similar to this yesterday (http://bit.ly/di422a), which is pretty surprising. Except unlike this author I am actually educated about what is going on in the fashion industry.

Things I agree with her on:

1) Designers are exploiting the whole plus size angle for their own benefit. Throw a plus size model in with the rest and watch the free press role in.

2) As much as I hate it, I know that being on the higher end of plus size means I am unhealthy. It doesn't mean that today I will have problems, but it has been proven scientifically in the future that I will have problems. It is just as bad as smoking in a way that I know it is a ticking time bomb, and at times it is a source of great anxiety. Yet we don't have article written about how smokers shouldn't be on runways, and yet the cigarette shot is part of the stock iconography of fashion shots.

What I don't agree with:

1) The fact that she has to bring her own weight in to justify the article's merits. The fact is no one asked for her stats and that in no way excuses her uneducated views. Has she seen the model from Glamour's medical history? Maybe a slow thyroid is to blame? It just sounds like pure jealously from my point of view. Oh this "fatty" gets to model but why not me? I'm smaller – see!

2) The lack of understanding about the industry itself. She neglected to add any additional information about the fashion industry. Also, seeing as she is from Iowa I highly doubt she has been attending fashion week lately. So, pray tell how insightful can you be into a industry that you have seen from afar? In my posting, I talk about the multiple reasons why. In short, designers design for hangers and as such do not want to compromise their vision for a less than "perfect" female form. There is also the issue of sample sizes, which are routinely only available in sizes 0 – 2. Thus, making the supply of plus size stock for shoots practically non existent. Those clothes you see on the runways go straight out to those very shoots afterward. See the connection?

Sorry if this is a bit long, but I just was incensed. Also, the whole thing about feminism being used a shield is complete b.s. It is the Southern equivalent of "bless her heart" but a hundred times more uncouth.

You couldn't have said it better BBM!!

LOL…you're quite a detective. Oh well, what goes around comes around. Right?