The struggle between fantasy and practicality in the fashion industry.
Discrimination in the fashion industry is like in any other area of life. Discrimination occurs when a person or group is in a position of power and they force others around them to comply with their demands or else suffer the consequences. Those who aren’t in a position of power exercise discrimination in sneakier, or less direct ways.
Some designers openly proclaim disparaging remarks against women who bear curves. Macdonald. In the fashion industry, a size in the 6-to12 range is considered a plus size. Plus-Size-Crystal-Renn. Many models on a plus-size catwalk are still skinnier than the average woman in America.
Has anyone ever seen a really nice blouse or dress for a 22 to 28 sized woman that actually looked interesting and was at a reasonable price? Paying more for more fabric seems reasonable. But, 50% more for one or two sizes difference is outrageous!
I consistently fail to find clothes that accommodate my shape. And, my shape is a normal kind of over weight for my age. Shirts are often too short and don't fit in the boob area. Pants are usually too long or too short. And dresses look like something Frankenstein's mother would wear.
The fashion industry discriminates against plus-sized women because designing clothes for us actually requires thought. They discriminate against a large number of us by increasing the cost beyond what is appropriate, they make designs that don't flatter larger sizes, the quality is often less and the variety is dismal.
Few clothes in the plus-sized departments of most stores show any enthusiasm for fitting or looking good at all. Specialty stores that sell large sizes seem to be targeting more affluent clients. In addition, the quality is less than standard. And these stores are usually only located in large cities.
It’s possible that the target buyers in the fashion industry are teens and young people because they are easy to attract and manipulate. However, “…plus sized women now account for 50% of the overall market.” Hubpages.
Women are tired of being bullied into a size 0, clothes that don’t fit comfortably and that look like tents. Humanity, as a general rule, doesn’t promote love and peace. It promotes fear, loathing, and all things negative. That’s at least one reason why many people are so overweight.
It’s possible that the skinny sized subzero models on the catwalk are no more than an artist’s canvas and those designs aren’t intended to be emulated by mere mortals in the real world.
The fashion industry is starting to come around. (Slowly. Very slowly.) Let us use our buying power to communicate what is right and reasonable!