Try That On For Size « Sizzle Says

Try That On For Size

September 20, 2007 at 7:22 am | In everyday frustrations, soapbox |

This whole business of size has been on my mind.

The other day while hanging out with a friend, it came up in conversation what size clothing I wear. I don’t recall the context but when I told him that I wear a 16/18 he was a bit taken aback. He was under the delusion that I was a size 12.

Bless his heart.

I haven’t been a size 12 for going on 10 years and even then I think I was only that size for about 5 minutes. Ok, maybe for a month. I once managed to be a size 10 for almost 2 years though I was miserable in my fear that I would gain the weight back. (Self-fulfilling prophecy!) The best part about being a “normal” size was the clothes. I could shop just about anywhere. I felt like I fit in, finally, after years of not being able to wear the cool Esprit and Guess clothes of my youth. Plus, I wanted to be naked all the time which was a total bonus for my then-boyfriend.

I am considered a plus size woman by the fashion industry’s standards. Who came up with this term “plus size” anyhow? Why do we differentiate different from “normal” like “petite” or “junior” or “plus”? Does that somehow reinforce what is “normal” then? Why do we have to have special, mediocre stores just for larger sizes? How come certain brands will carry sizes 16+ on line but they won’t carry them in their stores?

That fucking pisses me off!

By the very fact that they MAKE clothes in a size 16 and up they are admitting there is a market for such styles. Why not put them in the store? Do the larger sizes take up too much room on the rack? Do they worry that chubbettes shopping in their stores will make skinnier people fret? What kind of bullshit thinking is it to relegate larger sizes solely to on line? What? We don’t need to try those jeans on to see if they fit properly before we purchase them?

What the fuck, man?

Any time this topic comes up I flare up in a fit of indignant rage. My panties get all in a twist. Bear with me. I am nothing if not a loyal defender of the underdog. And I’ve been struggling against this size-ist bullshit for most of my life.

I read yesterday that America’s Next Top Model has a contestant that is a size 8 and they are referring to her as “plus size.” WHAT? Knock that shit off! 14 is about the lowest I’ll go when considering someone a plus. And even then, who gives a rat’s ass? Chubbettes need more people of their size looking hot and in the pages of magazines. We need to have clothing that isn’t made out of grandma polyester. And don’t even get me started about the plus size stores who use thin women to model their line of clothing. I swear if I start talking about that my head will explode.

Bottom line: We need some fucking respect, man.

“Squint your eyes and look closer/I’m not between you and your ambition/I am a poster girl with no poster/I am thirty-two flavors and then some/and I’m beyond your peripheral vision/so you might want to turn your head/cause someday you’re going to get hungry/and eat most of the words you just said…” -32 Flavors, Ani DiFranco

43 Comments »

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

And they wonder why some many women have perception issues and there are so many eating disorders.

I think it is ridiculous that ANTM thinks they are being “generous” for keeping a “plus sized” model on for as long as they do. Apparently, plus sized women are not supposed to have modeling goals!

Comment by DCChick1 — September 20, 2007 #
Sizing sends me insane as well. To add to my woes I come in over 6ft and even though they may carry longer pants online they don’t in the stores. Gah!!

Comment by just a girl — September 20, 2007 #
That really does seem silly — isn’t the average size something like a 12 or 14? So wouldn’t it follow that half the population is “above” and half is “below” that?

Comment by sandra — September 20, 2007 #
As someone who has bounced between size 14 and 20 and back again, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

It is insane what society does to us and what we do to ourselves in the body image arena. I would love to see a movement toward overall health and wellness rather than this ludicrous notion that we are nothing if not thin.

What a world it would be…

Comment by AppleTree — September 20, 2007 #
Sing it Sister! YES! YES! YES! I agree with everything you said. I, too, would add my voice to Just a Girl that I’m tall and that adds to the woes. Pet peeve: jeans (that I wear all the time, to work, etc.) not only shrink around when washed but shrink UP, making what was long enough when you tried them on (as a long, or tall label) now short again. WTF?

Can you tell you hit a very personal nerve here? ;)

Comment by sue — September 20, 2007 #
I have no idea why they don’t carry certain sizes in stores. That has always confused me, why there are like ten size 2’s and nothing else left. You’d think retailers would take a hint.

And as for calling a size 8 woman plus sized, I am in shock. What a world some people must live in.

Comment by justrun — September 20, 2007 #
I saw your comment on Brookem’s blog and wandered over. Your post strikes quite the chord with me as I am also a “plus-size” (depending where I shop, I can wear 16 and others it’s a 20).

I’ve often wondered as well with the stores carrying stuff online, but not in the store. The Gap is a perfect example of this. If I go to the store I can’t find anything, but online they have everything. And yeah - why wouldn’t we want to try things on?? ARe they thinking that we are so full of shame that we would prefer to shop online and try everything on at home rather than the store or something? I think not.

I have so many strong feelings about societies treatment of people (mainly women) who are larger than a certain size. I hate it that I feel like I need to try and get back to my 130 pounds of my early 20’s. Why isn’t it OK for me to be happy with myself as I am now? I think I look pretty good and I’m healthy, so why the hell does it matter?

Anyway, I will stop for now since this is the first time commenting on your blog. Good post. We do need some respect. Fo sho.

Comment by armalicious — September 20, 2007 #
What a great topic! Fight on, Sizzle!

I thought that EXACT same thing last night while watching ANTM. I also find it amusing that Tyra is always critical of a “plus size” girl, when in the reality of her industry, if she wasn’t TYRA, she’d be “plus size.”

I have it on good authority that a model at 5′8″ and 125 pounds is too short and too heavy for runway modeling. Agents and clients prefer 5′10″ and 115 pounds. How messed up is that?

Comment by LVGurl — September 20, 2007 #
Yeah!

Comment by Alison — September 20, 2007 #
dcchick- yes, as plus size women we are supposed to wear craptastic clothes and keep our mouths shut. well… fuck that noise! :)

just a girl- i have heard about this woe from my taller pals. same for the petites. i think there is a very small percentage of women who actually can shop and find clothes that fit them, regardless of height or weight.

sandra- you’re so logical and correct. why aren’t you in charge?

apple tree- so i can count you in on the revolution then? great!

sue- there are far too many of us pissed off about this. let’s do something!

justrun- yeah why ARE there so many size 2s left? uh cuz no one is that size? hmmm. . .

armalicious- welcome! one of the best way to make a difference is to love ourselves as is and stop buying into the bullshit. i say go for it!

lvgurl- yeah come to think of it, tyra would be plus size by their standards! most astute point my friend.

Comment by sizzle — September 20, 2007 #
Seriously? They’re talking about using a girl who is a size 8 as plus size? I watched the Devil Wears Prada the other day and remembered the line where he says “2 is the new 4 and 0 is the new 2″ Yikes.

Comment by alissa — September 20, 2007 #
I am amazed that a guy would even have a guess as to what size a woman wears. I have absolutely any idea what any of the sizes mean.

I don’t even know what MY size is.

Guys can be kind of clueless sometimes. (Not me, of course; OTHER guys.)

Comment by Lefty — September 20, 2007 #
I like how every one thinks Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and many more stars of their day were fantastically beautiful, still to this day- HELLO, PEOPLE, THEY AVERAGED A SIZE 12!! Yet, in today’s standards (see size 8 references) that’s huge! So, absolutely, freaking ridiculous. Starved, sickly, sticks of women with no hips, ass, or breasts is not attractive. It appalls me that girls and teens think that is what they should look like. Oh, to get that size and stay that way you’ll need a lettuce leaf, a box of laxatives, and maybe a little cocaine on the side for your daily diet.

Sign me up for the slightly passionate on this subject…

Comment by mackies — September 20, 2007 #
A big hearty OH YEAH to everything you’ve said here. I myself love clothes and yet it takes me for-freaking-ever to find cute stuff in my size because apparently all chubby gals are supposed to love nothing but polyester floral prints and sequins on your ass.

And don’t get me started on the appliques. The applique madness on “plus” clothes makes me CRAZY.

Comment by laurie — September 20, 2007 #
ABSOLUTELY!!!! Some stores consider my butt a 12, some say a 14….either way, I will never, ever, ever, every be able to buy a pair a jeans that fit my height and shape. I saw that chick on ANTM and she was in a bikini and looked amazing! Much better than the skinny girls, I was shocked they called her plus size.

Comment by Filtering Life — September 20, 2007 #
alison- can i get a “hell yeah!”?

alissa- seriously. i am SO serious. and double yikes!

lefty- some guys are clueless. i’m just happy to hang with one who doesn’t give a hoot if i am a 16 or a 12 or a 2. a man who appreciates a woman with curve is a rare man indeed.

mackies-mmm laxatives… jk. ;) i’m glad i’m not the only one who is passionate about this. thanks for chiming in.

laurie- note to self: do not get laurie started on the appliques. doesn’t it often seem like the people who design plus size clothing all used to work at a craft store but fired?

filtering life- it’s so weird how stores differ in their sizing. i have to get most of my pants tailored because i’m short. i feel ya on that!

Comment by sizzlesays — September 20, 2007 #
I agree that it’s just ridiculous how they call someone an 8 a plus size. I was just reading in gossip things this week about how that stick Kiera Knightly says she is bigger than most women in Hollywood. Totally warped perception.

It is annoying how stores cut off at around size 14 but carry stuff in size 0 that just sits on the racks because few people are actually that size. I wish women’s clothing was sized more like men’s, based on height and measurements instead of these random numbered sizes.

Comment by Fluffycat — September 20, 2007 #
what ever happened to the chubby girl revolution?

Comment by doke — September 20, 2007 #
Yes yes yes!

It bugs the crap out of me too when companies just cut clothes larger without considering giving them, you know, shape! We have boobs too! And they shouldn’t be swimming in extra fabric! We have waists that should be accentuated! GAH!

Comment by Bre — September 20, 2007 #
I’m with you all the way. If I could afford it, I would be getting my clothes tailored, but alas I cannot.
What I don’t get is the whole polyester/elastic waist/clothes my grandmother would have shunned industry that there is for plus sized girls. Who wears those? It somehow feels like giving in or giving up to me.
As for the whole “When does plus size begin?” debate, I’d cry if I fit into an 18. But DH tells me how beautiful I am all the time, so I’ve managed to get to the point where I know I should do it for my health, but not my self esteem.

Comment by Sarah — September 20, 2007 #
Something is seriously messed up with the fashion industry. I see girls in my classes who have legs the size of my arm and they still think they need to lose weight. I agree with Mackie…if celebrities still looked like Marilyn Monroe we’d be alot better off.

Comment by em — September 20, 2007 #
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Marilyn Monroe, size 14, no?

What guy didn’t want MM???

I think it freaking sucks that when she was alive, those were the beauty standards… and by today’s market, she’d be considered “plus.”

And to answer your question about online shopping…

Do they worry that chubbettes shopping in their stores will make skinnier people fret?

You hit the nail on the head.

This was a great post, Sizzle. It comes out that you feel strongly about it, but you bring up some really important points.

Comment by TC — September 20, 2007 #
Size 8 is not a Plus size. It’s not even large. It’s trim and small-ish. Apparently, some idiots in TV-land need to get a clue.

Comment by Jennifer — September 20, 2007 #
fluffy- women’s clothing sizes like men’s clothing sizes? totally!

doke- it’s a seed in the garden of my mind. i’ve been neglectful about watering it.

bre- shape?! like we have curves or something? ;)

sarah- seriously who DOES wear those clothes? maybe that’s why there is so much of it? no one is buying it! if you do it with your health in mind, the self-esteem boost follows it seems.

em- we have a really big problem with body image issues nowadays. if kiera knightly thinks she’s big, i’m a hippo. heh.

tc- and doesn’t it suck that we even have to label people as “plus”? i mean how does help? how does pitting skinny people against heavy people make the world a better place? i wonder about these things. thanks for chiming in.

jennifer- just another reason to question the media. :)

Comment by sizzlesays — September 20, 2007 #
How very timely your topic is! I’m attending a charity event on Saturday (brunch/fashion show) and I was chosen as one of four women to get a make-over for the event. (We were selected at random, it’s not like I looked like I *needed* a makeover or anything…) I spent my lunch hour yesterday at one of the local stores trying on clothes to see what my outfit would be. My fellow make-overee was about an 8-10 and they were throwing clothes at her fast and furious. Me, not so much (I’m in the 16-18 ranges). A couple of the salesgirls (all of whom were about a 4) actually thought that if they handed me a 12, closed the dressing room curtain, shut their eyes and wished REALLY hard, that I would somehow magically fit into that 12. I’m usually pretty self-confident, but that little field trip kinda bummed me out. And it shouldn’t have. Damn the media and the people who buy into it. We voluptuous gals rock! (And my goodness, don’t get me on my soapbox about how single people are treated…)

Comment by Laurel — September 20, 2007 #
*applause*

Comment by Ruby — September 20, 2007 #
great post….well said. I have felt the way you do many times in the past. If size 8 is plus then I will ALWAYS be a plus sized girl!!!

Comment by Megan — September 20, 2007 #
there are so many new websites popping up for plus sizes, you would think companies would see the $$$ in having physical stores! torrid is always busy when i am there…

and yeah, “plus size”, who made that shit up?

i’m down for the fat girl revolution!

Comment by jenny — September 20, 2007 #
size 8? whatever…. i was a size 8 and i totally had to starve, consume diet pills and exercise twice a day.

Comment by gorillabuns — September 20, 2007 #
size 12 isn’t that great, i’ve been that most of adult life… been down to a 10 and briefly to an 8, but not for long (thank-you, atkins)… as much as i dislike lane bryant, i always used to say that they should carry size 12’s because they would fit better (more room in hips/thighs)…

size 8 — plus size my ass! WTF?!?!

Comment by blue eyes — September 21, 2007 #
This sounds so much like a rant I had the other day!

It was more about the fact that UK shops have increased the dress-size so that although I was happily wearing size 14 clothes (16 sometimes in jeans) they went and confused me by changing the sizes. So now I’m in a 12, which I am in no way a size 12, nor do I need the fashion industry to make me “feel better about myself” by pretending to me that I’ve lost weight!

Why do they think we all want to be a size 6? I was always very happy being a 14; 12 I just don’t feel comfortable with cos I know I’m not actually that size. Put the sizes back to where they’re meant to be!!

Comment by Ys — September 21, 2007 #
OK: Hell, yeah!

This makes me so mad. I also hate how every store has a different size. I might be a 12 here, but there I’m a 14, and then I go to Lane Bryant, where EVERYTHING is too big (but I was too chubby for the stuff at Macy’s).

And yeah, at Old Navy, all the sale stuff is size 0 and 2. Hello? Start making clothes for real women!

Comment by Alison — September 21, 2007 #
I just want everyone here to know that not only the big girls have problems finding clothing that fits correctly. The whole system is screwed up. I’m a 37 year old woman who unfortunately has no curves to speak of and the only pants available to me are those stupid super low ones. Now although I may not have much, what little I have I’d like to keep covered up! I speak with my friends (all shapes and sizes) all the time about this issue. The clothing choices we have now are either for little girls with all that baby doll crap or for what people think older women should dress in. The people in the fashion industry know what the deal is - they just don’t care and as for ANTM, Tyra should be ashamed of herself. I think they put on a couple of big girls just so they can’t be accused of anything. I never get the impression that they actually want them to win.

Comment by curlychick — September 21, 2007 #
There is also such a difference between a “normal” store size 18 and then the plus size 18. I remember for years being in clothing pergatory (I am now firmly in plus size territory). Too fat for normal stuff, too “skinny” for plus size. Also, why are the plus clothes three times the price as general rack stuff? It is all a rig!

Comment by skyzi — September 21, 2007 #
i couldn’t agree with you more. it really irks me. and freaking america’s next top model! damnit. it totally sucks, societies perception of all of this. it’s frustrating and… i … just dont have the words for it all either. very iritating.

Comment by brookem — September 21, 2007 #
oops, irritating.

Comment by brookem — September 21, 2007 #
Have I told you lately that I love you?

Comment by scarlet hip — September 21, 2007 #
Followed a link from Sue’s to find your rant.
I have recently (through stress and heartache) gone from a size 20 to a size . . . apparently, 12. In one way, it feels great! I think I look better, and am finding my way through the heartache, so lookout world!

However, yeah, I totally get the “WTF” reaction to a size 8 being a “plus” size. Marilyn puts them all to shame. And in my heart, I will always be a “plus” size, no matter what size the tag on my butt says. I always think of kindergarten teachers when I see the clothes they manufacture for the “plus” girls. It’s a shame. I think they just don’t want us to look sexy because *gasp* what would that do to the perceptions of the younger people?

On the other side of the argument (and I’m NOT condoning it), you’ve seen the scenario: a size-14 or -20 squeezed into a size-10 pair of jeans. Totally embarrassing for those who notice her (and EVERYone notices her - unfortunately, she thinks it’s because she looks good). Now I don’t think stores have that in mind when they refuse to carry anything but stick-figure (no offense to any “normal” size ladies) apparel.

My first time here, and lookit me, I’m blabbering in your comments. Sorry.

Comment by Emma Liar — September 22, 2007 #
Women of all sizes need some fucking respect. What’s the point of sizing if there’s very little consistency between brands/stores?

Also, why do men get four or so inseam variations per waist measurement when we rarely get any? And god forbid they actually use measurements instead of the bogus sizes for women… they might actually have to be consistent then.

I’m on the thin side of the spectrum, but it still takes me around a 14 to get something that might be long enough for my height. The numbering actually made me self-conscious which is totally fucked up. By the time something was long enough at say The Gap, the waist no longer fit. Ggrrr. I gave up on women’s pants years ago.

Comment by claire — September 22, 2007 #
Great post Sizzle! I hate shopping, it’s just not fun to see cool clothes, but never any in my size.

Comment by Geeky Tai-Tai — September 23, 2007 #
There is a designer… and I can’t remember who it is… but she wont make any of her runway styles any larger than a size 8. The model must fit into that size or she doesnt model. I actually thought that was large for a runway model. Arent they usually a size 1 or 2!?!? Seriously, they are starving skinning. I think the average american female is a size 12… so they saying almost all of american females are plus size!??! I think NOT! I depends on what designer label you’re trying to wear too. In some lines I can wear a 7 but in others I have to have a 10. It just depends. I think designers are cruel and mean and jack with our minds!

Comment by Kerry — September 24, 2007 #
I absolutely hate to shop for this very reason. Props to you Sizzle for hitting the nail on the head.
I am giving you a standing ovation right now.

Comment by Josie — September 24, 2007 #
[...] weight, etc. I know many of you are fairly new here so you haven’t had to read my numerous posts where I struggle to come to terms with my body. The truth is, I have always been chubby and by [...]

Pingback by Full Disclosure « Sizzle Says — May 14, 2008 #