Today someone complimented my cardigan and was asked where I had purchased it. I explained I got it online from Forever 21 and it was from their Plus Size range that I had recently discovered. I usually call these separate sections like the Forever 21 Plus Size and the New Look Inspire range – “The Fat Bit” which offends a lot of people. I call it the Fat Bit because that is what is purpose is for, retail companies have to clothe everyone which is why we have different brands and shops that target different people depending on Gender, Sexuality, Age, Class and for some time now Size. These clothes shop offer the larger lady a limited range of clothes that are deemed socially acceptable to wear so that we are always one step behind the latest fashion trend – particularly for an affordable brand of clothing. We are then directed towards the second floor with the Mens, accessories of Child sections of the shop or towards the back of the shop in a dimly lit corner of the room so that ‘Fat’ people do not ruin the general splendor of the rest of the room.
I do not understand how the way someone looks can affect anyone else. How can it make you so irate that you need to subject a group of people in society to mockery and abuse, in order to other yourself from a group that you deem unworthy, because they do not fit a constructed norm.*cough cough* *Katie Hopkins* The positives of campaigns like this and the positive promotion of plus size models fills me absolute joy, I can not believe that there are separate sections. I love the fact that there are particular brands of larger sizes that have been thought about, to cater for a larger body and a different shaped body – however most of the time im not so thrilled by the price tag. I do not appreciate however being restricted and limited by the same thing. Why can I not buy the same dress that my friend wears in a size 14 (the average uk size) In a larger size? How is someone deemed to fat to wear an item of clothing? Is there a scale that I am not aware of….
Take out the argument of economic arguments about healthcare, NO – not every person who may carry a bit of weight is going to be rushed into hospital becasue they’re fat and have diabities of heart problems, no one is pointing fingers at smokers or alcholics about their stain on the NHS. It is a fallback argument for people who spit venom and hatred on a group of women that have been outcast. It is not just having effects of the generation of women who are buying plus size clothing it affects the younger generations that are growing up in a society that are filled with messages of hate. Girls are constantly thrown constructed images of women with sexual, health and psychological normalities applied to them. How about the message of “As long as your happy, It doesn’t matter what you look like?” without being cliché – the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Even when society promotes plus sizes as positive we are slammed with puns and slurs – Fatkini’s or larger than life?
Never be ashamed for who you are, what you look like, there is always going to someone or something telling you that you shouldnt be happy with the way that you look, feel, or say. Never say sorry for that.
Check out #DropThePlus campaign by clicking the link 🙂 It sounds awesome.
Fat and proud….
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Pieces of My Mind 