Written by Keyaira N. Boone
Plus. Extended. Womens. No matter what you call the section of a store that caters to size 12 and above, it’s separate.
And when I walk into the Mall at Short Hills with a slim friend I know I’m preparing for a separate but not so equal shopping experience. As we enter * insert the name of your favorite department store here* the escalator will foreshadow our fates as she is led to the area for “ladies” and I’m left to languish in the limited offerings of whatever is on the sales floor for the full-figured and fashionable.
This type of size segregation extends far beyond suburban New Jersey. And now author, actress, and former host of the Biggest Loser Australia Ajay Rochester is speaking out. Labeling the use of the plus-size label as “harmful” and “damaging” for young women, Rochester is spearheading a campaign to promote inclusivity by encouraging magazines and retailers to “Drop The Plus”. Publicly supported by model Stefania Ferrario and burlesque performer and entrepreneur Dita Von Tesse, the campaign intends to change the industry practice of labeling women as plus-size. As Ferrario stated on her instagram “…Let’s have models of ALL shapes, sizes and ethnicities, and drop the misleading labels. I’m NOT proud to be called ‘plus’….”.
On her blog Rochestor indicated what she felt were the potential psychological effects of labeling the bodies of young women according to size. “It instantly defines them as different, not accepted…. If you define it by “Plus” size and “Regular” size, then plus means “irregular” which means not of the norm”.
A big girl since birth I’ve been wearing women’s size clothes since the 7th grade so I’m no stranger to feeling like an outsider when shopping. And as familiar as it is, I still believe that it’s unfair that my size 8 counterparts can shop with ease while I have to hunt for age appropriate plus size finds because apparently department store buyers assume that if you’re heavyset you’re also matronly . I get annoyed when I’m checking out the latest trends on the racks and I’m redirected without request. So occasionally I do wish that I were smaller merely for shopping’s sake. Because while I’m proud of my DDs and full thighs, I don’t always want to be singled out for them, especially when the majority of the country looks like me.
But I have to admit that a part of me fears that stopping size segregation will be the first step towards slipping back into the shadows. Like Christina, for years I’ve hoarded magazines where I didn’t see myself reflected in the pages. I’ve clicked through slideshows of brand sponsored events hoping to see a glimpse of one of my favorite plus-size bloggers to show that we were finally being invited to the party. And now with brands like Target, Swimsuits for All, H&M, The Limited, Charlotte Russe and more starting to actively engage with all of their customers it feels like we’ve not only been invited but have arrived in style!
I feel immense pride when I visit Old Navy’s website and see that they’ve placed trust in what Gabi’s wearing, I love knowing that some of my longtime staple brands like Lane Bryant are committed to placing fashion over function with innovative and inspiring methods like the “I’m No Angel Campaign”.
So now at a juncture where we find ourselves at a major crossroads in the fashion community I’m torn about “dropping the plus”.
With curvy being used to highlight the Kardashians of the world and thick bringing about a myriad of unwelcome implications, I’m concerned that “dropping the plus” without picking up a replacement will leave us without language to effectively address and service the needs of shoppers like me. This could give brands an easy out allowing them to neglect our body shape and instead address with what they think should be at the forefront of fashion.
Among the possible outcomes one thing is for sure, Rochester’s movement is bound to have fashion insiders on both ends of the size spectrum engaging in a conversation that is truly one size fits all.
How do you feel about “dropping the plus”? We want to know! Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts and opinions.
Check out a clip of model Tess Munster and Rochester discussing the campaign on Huff Post Live here.
I may be playing devils advocate but shopping in “regular” sizes is a nuance (sorting through Mediums that are cut too small or smalls that magically fit what should be a large bottom) I would imagine it would be a little easier to know there is a section dedicated to me if I know I can only fit petite tops or bottoms. There are no signs that say one can’t browse other sections of a store. I actually have a guilty pleasure of browsing through the ‘plus size’ section especially for dresses. But hey, the grass is never guaranteed to be greener on the other side.
It’s no BIG deal. If you’re PLUS….then your PLUS. I don’t care as long as I get trendy, fashion forward clothes, who cares! It doesn’t bother me, its just a word. Some people need to stop being so sensitive.