No longer Jim Crow, Now Big Bird laws
I got a clothing magazine in the mail last week, from a company that sells regular size and plus size clothing. As I flipped through the magazine, I realized that instead of looking at the pictures of what interested me, I should instead look at the descriptions to see what is actually offered in my plus size. The answer: hardly anything someone would feel good wearing.
I turned page after page of nice looking business suits, decent in-style casual wear, and glamorous evening wear, not finding on article of clothing listed in my size. At the very back of the magazine in a section invisibly named "Muumuu's and other uglies galore," were a few pages of potato sacks and chiffon/polyester "evening wear" tents, in my size.
I feel as though every "regular size" clothing company does this, if they ever do offer a plus size option. When I think about all of the pieces of clothing in my size that are for sale at shops in my area, I realize that we are being forced to be marked "definite outcast" by the skinny fashion designers. Even the clothiers who only offer plus size clothing still have a long way to go when it comes to offering decent attire that is similar to the in-style fashions of the skinny clothiers. Every now and then I will find some decent clothes at one of these plus size stores, only to find that each piece is marked with something glittery, lacey, zipped, or something extra tacky to say "this must have an extra tacky ruffle to ensure this fat person will be laughed at."
Where are my decent clothing options? I do admit that there are rare times when I may find something decent, and if I don't buy 10 of them at the same time, I will never see it again. I say 10 of them, because I wear them so much (due to lack of other decent clothing) that they wear out quickly and I am reduced to shopping at Old Navy's clearance MEN's section hunting for XXL shirts to go with my $10 Wal-Mart "stretch" (ewwww like we want something hugging our bodies and showing every curve, roll and bulge) jeans. This made attending an all women's college extra difficult, because most people couldn't tell if I was a butch lesbian, or a fat tom-boy.
These are the Big Bird laws of today. Voluptuous women are forced to dress in ugly, out of date, itchy and cheap looking attire because they are different, and that will never be accepted by society. Not only do we have to be this big, but we have to dress appropriately. I'm sick of it, I hate it, and my husband wants his XXL sweatshirts back (not to mention all of his comfy socks but that's another story). How can I look professional in the workplace, when my polyester/chiffon business suit has ruffles on the sleeves with HUGE bright pink plastic buttons and bows?
It's time we take a stand, and start an organization that will fund and support overweight women to get the education they need to become fashion designers. Where is the Bertha Louise May label? Or Donna KanKan? Give me Verfatche, and Dooney and Pork.
I turned page after page of nice looking business suits, decent in-style casual wear, and glamorous evening wear, not finding on article of clothing listed in my size. At the very back of the magazine in a section invisibly named "Muumuu's and other uglies galore," were a few pages of potato sacks and chiffon/polyester "evening wear" tents, in my size.
I feel as though every "regular size" clothing company does this, if they ever do offer a plus size option. When I think about all of the pieces of clothing in my size that are for sale at shops in my area, I realize that we are being forced to be marked "definite outcast" by the skinny fashion designers. Even the clothiers who only offer plus size clothing still have a long way to go when it comes to offering decent attire that is similar to the in-style fashions of the skinny clothiers. Every now and then I will find some decent clothes at one of these plus size stores, only to find that each piece is marked with something glittery, lacey, zipped, or something extra tacky to say "this must have an extra tacky ruffle to ensure this fat person will be laughed at."
Where are my decent clothing options? I do admit that there are rare times when I may find something decent, and if I don't buy 10 of them at the same time, I will never see it again. I say 10 of them, because I wear them so much (due to lack of other decent clothing) that they wear out quickly and I am reduced to shopping at Old Navy's clearance MEN's section hunting for XXL shirts to go with my $10 Wal-Mart "stretch" (ewwww like we want something hugging our bodies and showing every curve, roll and bulge) jeans. This made attending an all women's college extra difficult, because most people couldn't tell if I was a butch lesbian, or a fat tom-boy.
These are the Big Bird laws of today. Voluptuous women are forced to dress in ugly, out of date, itchy and cheap looking attire because they are different, and that will never be accepted by society. Not only do we have to be this big, but we have to dress appropriately. I'm sick of it, I hate it, and my husband wants his XXL sweatshirts back (not to mention all of his comfy socks but that's another story). How can I look professional in the workplace, when my polyester/chiffon business suit has ruffles on the sleeves with HUGE bright pink plastic buttons and bows?
It's time we take a stand, and start an organization that will fund and support overweight women to get the education they need to become fashion designers. Where is the Bertha Louise May label? Or Donna KanKan? Give me Verfatche, and Dooney and Pork.
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