by Lily Garner

Created on: July 15, 2009

Should plus-siz clothing be modeled by plus-sized models? It is a difficult question to answer; after all, "plus size" can mean a variety of things. In a size zero world, "plus" can mean for some what "skinny" can mean for others. Yet I stand by the belief that the models chosen to wear the clothes should reflect the market it is aimed at.

Why? For starters, it is economically sensible for the label in question. Clothes designed for curvier women will no doubt look better on women with curves. Certain styles and materials flatter different body shapes, and "plus sized clothing" will be designed to accentuate the curves that some women are blessed with. Some clothes have the ability to make an athletic shaped woman look terrible (and vice versa). It makes sense for designers to want to display their clothes on women who suit them best. For "plus size clothing", that will, of course, equal plus size models.

In addition, seeing pictures in magazines of clothes displayed on women who have a similar body shape to you would most likely influence you into buying the clothes. Picture the scene; a curvy woman is flicking through a magazine, and comes across a picture of a model displaying fashionable clothes. If this model is a skinny size zero, it could inflict doubts in the woman's mind. "I don't have her body shape. I wouldn't look as good in those clothes as she does". By contrast, seeing a model who has a similar body shape as herself could show her that the same clothes would look just as good on her as it does on the model. The choice of model, therefore, contributes to the psychological impact. Recognising yourself in the model contributes to your decision to buy the clothes; you can see that they would look good on you. Therefore, it is important that smaller models model the more petite range, while larger model the plus.

It is also arguable that fashion labels have a duty to represent their entire market. If they are selling clothes to plus size women, their models should surely include that proportion of the market. Is it not discrimination to only employ people of a certain shape? It is understandable when it is for clothes designed for smaller women, but when size zeros are modelling clothes designed for people with curves, it becomes an issue. Then, it seems, it is less about choosing someone who is right for the job, but more about discriminating at certain sizes.

In my opinion, the question we need to ask is, in a world where weight is such an issue, is employing skinnier women to model clothes designed for curvier women really sending out the right message? We need to be showing that every size that is healthy and not under or over weight is acceptable. They way to do this is certainly to use different sized models according to the audience the clothes are aimed for. Plus sized clothing needs to be modeled by plus sized models.

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