Why do you suppose clothes made for bigger sizes are either covered entirely in big bright ugly flowers, or are shiny and really long or all of the above??
What has brought this rant on? I found one of my old "fat days" tops at the bottom of a suitcase which I hadnt opened since moving to the new house. It was so shiny!
First of all (and I remember this when I used to wear it and in EVERY single photo that other people have of me, which I havent managed to destroy) the shiny fabric actually emphasises the lumpy bits! Because they stick out, they get more shiny. It doesnt camoflage it!
Then I remembered (started me down a very sad memory lane) this horrible horrible day when we had a family gathering and I didnt wnat to go coz none of my cothes fit me. My mum took me to buy something, because she really wanted me to go but the only clothes that came my size had awful flowers on them. Bright red or orange on a black or brown background. I was around 23 or 24? Anyway they were more suited to well .. no one really. AND THEY WERE SO LONG!! Why make them long?? You should be making them WIDER! Not bring them to our knees like potato sacks! So anyway on this day I couldnt find anything and I refused to go and I remember when my mum dropped me off at my place she was really sad (well we were both sad... but I guess she was sadder because at my age she was thin and trendy and she was sad i was missiing out) and she said "im really sorry". And it still makes me sad when I remember it.
Anyway why cant they make thing people's clothes just wider for bigger people? And why do they give them patronising names like "big is beautiful" ? Its so insulting! and why do they make them shiny and long?? And why so many flowers??
I have often wondered the same thing myself. Its like the manufacturers had one bolt of hideous fabric left and looked at it and said "well let's make something for the fat girls...they look like crap anyway so they'll buy this anyway.
Its why I wore a lot of men's clothing in high school, I could at least get decent black pants and fun colours of button up shirts over a cami.
There are some companies that have fashionable plus size clothing (lane bryant, torrid and JC Penney, even walmart). Thank goodness. I'm so glad to not be limited to ugly crap anymore.
In terms of fit it's not really surprising that it's so bad in plus-sized clothes. The larger women get the more their bodies vary. It's hard enough to get a perfect fit at the smaller end of the spectrum (where the variation can be about 5" or so). If you get to the larger end of the spectrum variation can be 10"+! When I was into plus-sized clothes I was like a brick (big bust, big waist, big hips) but I've seen other women who become extreme pair shapes or extreme apple shapes or extreme hourglass shapes so it's really difficult to make one shirt to fit all of them!
I think plus-sized retailors would be a lot better off if they provided in store alterations for a reasonable price (if the customers bought over a certain amount of clothes). Actually, I'd love it if ALL stores did that. It doesn't make sense at all why they still do that for men, when their bodies vary significantly less than women!!!!
As for the designs. I think it's just because it's a smaller market so you don't have as much variety. Desginers are going to make what they like/think women should wear. I have a large bust and pretty much only buy clothes from companies that create clothes by bust size. There are only a handful of companies that do that so I'm limited to what they sell. Some of the designs work very well for me and my tastes but others I would never even consider buying. But those are my options. If more companies start doing the same, I'll have more options.
Ugly floral patterns aside, it's always been the length of plus size clothing that drives me insane. Not all plus size people are also tall! Haven't the stores realized this yet? Thank goodness for Old Navy and the other stores that offer short options for pants!
Why do they even have to make shiny things period. Do you know how hard is it to find just a SIMPLE black purse (that doesn't cost a lot), or a simple black shirt without a stupid design or sparkles on it? When the **** did sparkles and shinny sh!t come back in style? Someone who is up in the fashion can you please tell me when this style is going to go away.
Okay my rant on sparkley stuff is over...now back to the orginal topic.
Maybe they make ugly floral shirts and shiny clothes for bigger people so they lose the weight? Maybe it's some sort of marketing thing to make ugly hideous clothing for bigger people so they drop the pounds and they don't have to stand out as much in floral, shiny stuff? (I don't know where I got that from it kind of popped into my head as I read the post...) But it would be a good reason as to why they make hideous clothing. or not. lol
What I struggled with most were the embellishments. When I walked into Lane Bryant or Fashion Bug Plus it was like someone let a toddler loose with a bedazzler.
OMG, all through school I was in plus sizes. Only this was through the 80s and 90s before the husky kids clothes and fashionable plus sized clothes for teens. I too wore mostly mens clothes, but I didnt really pull that off well either. I spent most of my teeens in the band t-shirt and jeans grunge look. All the female clothes that I fit into were in the womens department, and were just too old for a pre teen/ teenager. I felt aweful!!
I think as a result, my fashion sense is plain plain plain. I'm so scared from the FLOWERS and ANIMAL PRINT and BRIGHT PASTELS on all the plus sized clothes (and embellishments!!! yes Tai) that I could be a size 0 and my closet is mostly jeans and plain color t-shirts. I love earthy colors. The plainer the better! lol
What I struggled with most were the embellishments. When I walked into Lane Bryant or Fashion Bug Plus it was like someone let a toddler loose with a bedazzler.
I had always thought that the (110lbs) fashion designers thought that it was pure genius to do that, so on lookers would be distracted from the size of the clothes wearer...like dangling a set of keys infront of a baby to get their attention on the keys an away from whatever you are trying to distract them from. Needless to say, these fashion designers are oblivious to the struggle of clothes shopping in the plus size section.
oh and I almost forgot. They think all plus size women are round blobs. (Well, recently, this has changed, as I think Lane Bryant offers those different cut jeans)
But again when I was going through school, and even into my 20s, all plus size clothing assumed I was round with HUGE boobs. Actually I'm very pear shaped, without super boobs. I need and XL shirt to fit my hips but then the shoulder/boob area I was swimming in. So another reason I fell back on the t-shirt! . Fat people are not Uumpa Loompa shaped as these fashion designers picture. We DO have body shape! Sheesh!!
Ok that was my last post! lol
What I struggled with most were the embellishments. When I walked into Lane Bryant or Fashion Bug Plus it was like someone let a toddler loose with a bedazzler.
I've always wondered about this (& hated it!) myself! And it gets WORSE as you age... I'm nearly 50 years old, but I ABHOR what is "stylish" for my age group. I mean, gag.
You'd THINK that anyone who makes women's clothes, esp. larger women's clothes, would use the "eye tricks" that we all KNOW works! - WHY do they sell ANYTHING with horizontal stripes?!?!?!? Vertical or diagonal is SO much leaner looking! And WHY embellish back pockets on jeans?!?!?!?! And why don't t-shirts & other tops come with elbow length or 3/4 length sleeves? - why "cap" sleeves?!?!?!?! And ohdeargoddess don't get me started on "cartoon characters" on the clothes!
Just so much about the fashion industry that makes me want to buy a sewing machine & become the next Gloria Vanderbilt!!!
I think part of the problem is that many overweight women just dress to "hide" their fat, instead of trying to accentuate what's good about their bodies. I know I've done it. And I never really realized how that just made me look *even bigger*. ~le'sigh!
Last edited by Beach Patrol; 03-26-2012 at 11:48 AM.
I agree, I've never understand why "regular" clothing makers don't just make ALL their clothing in ALL sizes. It's not up to a clothing manufacturer, or designer, to decide what is or is not appropriate for ANY size person - so make them all universal.
When I was a size 20, nothing made me feel pretty or beautiful, but I had a few choice pieces of clothing that were stylish in my size that I would wear all the time when I had something important to do. They were hard to find, though.
And I also do not understand why there are plus-size sections in stores. Why single me out and make me shop in my own section? Why can't you put all the clothing together on the same rack and let me get to my size like any other woman? I'm guessing if designers would make all their clothes in all sizes, stores wouldn't feel like they have to single us out by putting plus-size stuff in a different place.
One of the biggest thrills as I've lost weight is being able to shop in the "normal" section in department stores. I HATED shopping even MORE when I had to walk through the plus section. I would run through so fast, sometimes not even trying stuff on, just wanted to get the heck OUT.
Why can't you put all the clothing together on the same rack and let me get to my size like any other woman?
This is slightly OT, but Fashion Bug did this for a while. I mean, the one by my house did. They mooshed everything together and only did it by style. I hated it. Instead of having to go through, say, the 7-8 plus sizes, I had to go through an additional 7-8 regular sizes in order to find what I wanted. Moreover, not everything was offered in plus-size, so sometimes you'd go through a rack and realize, hey, they stop at 14!
I don't think it was very well-received by others, either, seeing as they don't do it anymore.
It's as if the designers stereotype fat people as annoying and loud, and felt they needed to make clothes to match that. I was a heavy teenager and ended up having to wear a lot of my mom's clothes throughout high school. How embarrassing do you think that was? It's not as if there were a whole lot of great options for my size at the time, but still.
I miss the short-lived days when Fashion Bug wasn't segregated into two sections, as I had a much better chance to find nice shirts and jeans if they were initially designed for a smaller person. Now I have to hobble off to the designated section and wince through all the loud, ugly clothes again in hopes of finding something sleek and flattering.
But at least they have a larger selection than most regular stores. Target is a complete joke. Every time I try to look for something I run out of the section before I know it because it's over-ridden by the maternity section. Walmart's gotten better over time, but they still have a lot of obnoxious tops I wouldn't be caught dead in.
I'm not sure what it is, but I haven't cared much for what Lane Bryant and Torrid have been stocking lately. Maybe I'm just getting old, but then again, a lot of their designs look "old" or outright flimsy to me. I just want something youthful and cute with ample coverage.
This thread has me laughing. Even if my butt was a size 4, I wouldn't want it bedazzled. I don't get the glitz and embellishments on everything, either. Being 61 with a brain that still thinks it's 30 is hard enough without having to second guess everything that I see and wonder if I can pull it off or if it's too young for me. (Sounds better than I'm too old for it.) And while we're at it, what's up with sales people calling you "honey?"
Ugly shiny fat clothes - WHY??
I was a heavy teenager and ended up having to wear a lot of my mom's clothes throughout high school. How embarrassing do you think that was? It's not as if there were a whole lot of great options for my size at the time, but still.
