CLOTHING RANT

I heard an interesting statistic today.  Supposedly 64% of American women fit the plus-size dimensions as determined by the "fashion industry". The same industry that designs 90% of their clothing line to fit the 8-10 year old body that apparently they believe is the norm or perhaps what we should strive to emulate.  Even more disturbing is their definition that plus-size starts at size 14.  I would daresay that if I checked any "normal" American woman's closets, including mine, I would find clothing from size 8 to size 14 or higher.  It depends on the designer. That is why when many of us go shopping it does take several hours as we must try on multiple clothing items (all claiming to be the same thing of course) to find one that actually fits!

If you linger near the very limited number of dressing rooms available (what's up with that by the way, as no one can buy off the rack without trying it on) you will no doubt hear the sounds of grunting, sharply drawn in breath and quiet,yet fluent, cursing as we try to fit our very real bodies into very poorly designed clothing. My assumption is that the designers and store buyers must believe that little girls have all the money. NEWS FLASH-we mature women have the money, the need and the desire to purchase well-made and flattering clothing. Don't even let me get started on boots and shoes.  As we mature, our feet become wider yet I defy anyone to find a comfortable, flattering shoe in a wide size and yet again, we are the ones with the money!

Why do women put up with this? Men buy a pair of pants by waist and length and it doesn't change based on a designer's whim of what they think a man should wear. Same with jackets and shirts-neck and length and a little more generous tailoring where needed.  My theory is that we don't complain and demand the industry listen to what we want. Instead women are allowing themselves to be brain-washed into believing they must look a certain way or be a certain size to be acceptable.  To that I politely say bushwah (thought really it's spelled bullshit)!  I complain every time, but then I am known for my impatience with incompetence and bad service. However the clerks, store managers and buyers do not really care as we continue to buy this crap.  Money talks and maybe we don't realize how much power we actually have.

 We all need to step up and support our normal sized sisters and demand better choices. We need to celebrate we are built like women and not 10 years old children who dress way too provocatively by the way. We need to stop cramming our beautiful curves and slightly wider feet into things that do not fit and quit being so damn polite about it. Support designers that "get it" and design for all shapes and sizes.  Get noisy ladies-change doesn't happen in silent acceptance-you just get more of the same.