I was flipping through a flyer I received in the mail the other day for Halloween costumes and was honestly surprised when I came across pictures of “plus-size costumes.” Don’t get me wrong. I am all for costumes coming in all shapes and sizes (especially because traditionally they have been made for skinny girls who can fit into skimpy little outfits), but I think it is really weird that these women are considered “plus-size.” I can see why it is a justifiable label in high fashion runway modeling. After all, a size 12 IS plus-sized compared to a Size 0, but, in the scope of every day normal life, the women featured in this particular catalog look more like average size to me.
This gets into my whole problem with the plus-size label in general. I am thrilled that more and more designers are seeing it necessary to make cute clothes for women of all shapes and sizes, but calling a woman plus-size, a woman who is closer to what most women look like in this country, seems wrong to me. By calling an averaged-sized woman “plus-size,” we are directly normalizing thin as if it is what we should all look like. We are saying that being thinner is more socially acceptable and plus-size is more out of the norm. This is interesting to me. If the majority of women in this country look like these so called “plus-size” women featured in the catalog, then, in actuality, the plus-size woman is far more “normal” than she is abnormal, and the thinner-than-average-woman would actually be the one we would label.
Can you imagine, if you saw a magazine with a section for “bite-size” or “thinner-than-average” women? That would be crazy! So, why do we do it with “plus-size?” For those of you who follow this blog, you know that we don’t believe in labels, period. My discussion of “plus-size” is only to make the point that giving something a label like this isolates the women who fall under the plus-size category and further normalizes the idea that thin is the norm (when, in reality, it isn’t).
But nonetheless, labels seem to be very important to our society. We feel more comfortable when we can categorize people and put them in a box. That way, we can more easily target them to buy our endless diet, weight loss, exercise, etc. products. Don’t get me wrong, it’s even hard for me sometimes to not get caught up in labels. But, I remember the words of a close friend who said to me one time, “Why does it even matter? Seriously?!”
Yikes, those are plus-size models? I’m a big supporter of the crazy notion that plus-size models actually ought to wear sizes considered plus-size — that is, US sizes 14 and above. I get that marketing is aspirational, but I want to know how a particular piece of clothing will look on me and I can’t get that from a size-8 model wearing clothes intended for purchase by women who wear sizes 14 and above.
As Rachel points out, it doesn’t help that the models modelling ‘plus sizes’ are more likely to wear a size 8 (gargantuan in the modelling world, quite slender in reality, and no freaking way helpful in figuring out if something will look good on my size 16/18 body, let alone someone who wears a size 26 or 38).
I’ve often pondered the question of why we have to have the speciality stores and manufacturers for what is in fact the average range of sizes women actually wear while those much thinner than average get the ‘normal’ label. I have found no way of changing the system without changing the underlying assumption that there is some sort of shame in having a perfectly average body.
Obviously, I don’t want thin women to suddenly have as little access to clothing as I’ve had at times. I just think that in a country where the average woman wears a size 14, it shouldn’t be unthinkable that she be able to walk into any clothing store and get something that fits. And it shouldn’t be difficult for someone who wears one to two freaking sizes above the real average to find something in an average store.
Oh, and heaven help those of us with larger than average waistlines and shorter than average inseams! We are screwed six ways to sunday.
(end grouse)
Not to mention, many costumes for larger women stop at a 20 or 22. I can be anywhere from a 22 to a 30, depending on the cut of the fabric, and what is used to make Halloween costumes is not very forgiving. I was lucky that five years ago, I found a costume that fit and still does (although I’ve since sold it).
If retailers truly want to make plus-size costumes (and costumes for large men) they need to stop leaving out those who wear a 4X and up. There seems to be this unwritten rule that once you hit 300 lbs and above, you can’t do anything except be bedridden, so why even bother to wear anything fashionable or dress up for Halloween? Many truly plus-size people are not confined to their homes, so don’t treat them like they are. While we are in the minority, there is a demand for extended sizing. Go in the stores, what sells out first? 3X and up. The demand is there, retailers need to stop making excuses and cater to those customers. There is money to be made!
I bought a Halloween costume a couple years back and it’s plus size and I wore a size 10 at the time. The size large women costumes that I tried on were too small. I now wear a size 4, but I haven’t tried on costumes this year.
Holy Cow, can you imagine if sizes 0-6 were labeled “minus-sized?”
I may be going straight to hell, because I would secretly love that. I honestly, in my heart of hearts, do not want ANYONE to feel bad about their size, but in the dichotomy of Minus/Plus, well… which is the positive attribute, and which is the negative?
Might nudge some folks to a paradigm shift, I’m just sayin’.
but would we buy it? i loved Mode magazine for “plus-sized” women. (and yes, the models were usually an average size 12.) but it folded because (i think) not many people want to see “plus-sized” women as models. and, i still do believe, that not many women prefer to be “plus-sized”. would (evil) VOGUE magazine sell if there were a size 10 woman on the cover? i worry that it wouldn’t. even though the “media” does play a part in this, i think that women also play a part in keeping this super-thin thing going . it drives me crazy. then i find myself buying one of those awful magazines. i can buy into it too. that’s the worst part.
Haha love the “minus-sized” comment. The cut-off between “regular” and “plus-sized” is completely arbitrary.
I agree, I don’t understand why size segregation exists in the first place. Why do stores even need a separate section for plus-size vs. “regular”? Why not separate clothes on the basis of height? Why is “size” aka weight the defining variable?
i wouldn’t be surprised if the models were actually a size 8/10. i went to a halloween store and tried on a few ‘plus sized’ costumes. i’m a size 18/20… so i was not expecting a lot of trouble. especially since the online version of things said that the costume should fit 16-22. i left in tears. i think their version of ‘plus sized’ is what i would consider ‘not plus sized.’ i know for a fact that not a thing i tried on actually fit me. most of it wouldn’t even come close to zipping up.
this does not really help anyone. i felt like an enormous and unattractive fat blob since i clearly didn’t even fit in the ‘plus sized’ costumes. and i’d imagine it would make the more ‘normal sized’ gals feel a lot bigger than they actually are. after i left that store in tears, i came to my senses. i realized that i should have gone to a store that specialized in actual ‘plus sized’ clothing for a costume.
I feel that way. What is a double zero, but a non-math way of saying -1. I laugh to myself about vanity sizing and that an 8 in my grandmother’s day is now a 0 or 2 of today. My bf has made jokes about triple and quad zeros. Imagine a label with five or more zeros.
Hi Tiffabee-
I LOVE what pyewachetsid said– I may just have to use that–
“Holy Cow, can you imagine if sizes 0-6 were labeled minus-sized?”
Halloween costumes are just plain weirdly sized– the size models on the ones I’ve chosen must have had arms like a gorillas and legs longer than my gate posts. My husband just prays that I don’t ask him to dress up in any neaprine superman suit or green tights (I was tinkerbell one year and he was Peterpan– he didn’t appreciate it!)
Anyway, thought you might like this article I wrote on how to raise a “sizeist child.” I figured you might have an opinion on that…
http://tinyurl.com/5tljq9
Warm regards,
Dr. Robyn
Twistie: Any deviation from average inseam seems to be unthinkable. I’m lucky if I can find a 32” – and I need 33.5” if I want them to actually fit. 34” inseam on women’s trousers? Forget it, freak.
Sizing these days…it’s just….crazy!! Crazy! About the time you get used to ‘your number’ (“I’m a size 6. I wear size 12.” etc) then the crazy fashion industry, clothing manufacturers, and shops go and screw with the numbers and sizes. Seriously, the numerical sizing today seems like nothing but an antiquated set of loose guidelines, not a solid reference for what actually might fit.
I think the people making the clothes now expect that most women will want a close-fitting garment, and I don’t know why that is. So do you buy a size-8 top that fits very snugly, showing all of your curves, or a looser-fitting size-10 with a more modest fit?
Personally, I don’t enjoy wearing skin-tight clothing unless it’s a swimsuit. On the other hand, too-large clothing is unflattering also.
Or do the clothing maufacturers believe that larger women don’t care as much about the quality and “true” fit of a garment as her slender sisters?
I do know this: the Victoria’s Secret definition of “XL” is for who? Leprechauns? That brand in particular seems to have very unreasonable, or unrealistic, sizing standards.
I also notice that higher-end department stores will have, in womens’ clothing, a ‘plus size’ (or Womens) size section as well as a Petites (or ‘minus-sized’ *hahaha!*) section, in addtion to the larggest area, for ‘average’ gals up to, say, size 14.
So…the more money you have, the more chances of finding the fit you want. wth?
The “petite” that I’m used to is for women 5′4″ or less – and I’ve found a wide range of sizes in that section. Nice to get a pair of pants that fits my waist, but doesn’t need to be hemmed 4 or 5 inches!
I’ve got a 12 yr old daughter, who is “normal” sized, with a few more years growing to do. We’ve had to buy clothes for her in the ladies section. Size medium.
Which tells me that adult women are expected to be smaller than 12 yr old girls!!! There’s something very wrong with that concept. And what are girls supposed to be like? We haven’t been able to find clothes for her in the youth sections for years. They’re all sized really long and really narrow.
While I agree with you that these models are no where near the weight that should be considered “plus size”, however they are Halloween costumes not your normal everyday type of clothing. Most people I know want to look as sexy as possible when going out to a Halloween party, so there is some logic to showing size 8 models when they’re selling size 16 outfits. Quite frankly if they showed a 250 pound woman wearing that little witch costume it probably wouldn’t sell well.
I also just wanted to say that as a 6′1 130 lb. girl it’s really annoying when I see sites like this saying “go eat a cheesburger,” etc. I enjoy my cheesburgers, I’m just naturally thin like both of my parents. I also bet it’s way harder for me to find clothes that fit than it is for the vast majority out there. 36″ inseams aren’t easy to come by.
nomnom,
so you can be ’sexy’ @ 6′1 and 130lbs but not 250lbs? i think im missing your rationalization there. the whole point of this site is to CHANGE the way people think about body image. we are all beautiful and sexy (in whatever outfit or halloween costume we choose to wear), but it has NOTHING to do with whether your 130 or 250. those, my friend, are just numbers…
you’re just buying into the status quo mentality and what the media is shoving down your throat. which clearly is NOT a cheeseburger.