Friday 13 January 2017

What’s Wrong with Plus Size?

Plus size has become a huge trend in fashion and lifestyle promoting body positive image. In our societies where slim figure is known as mark of beauty, bodies that are considered ‘fat’, ‘chubby’, ‘large’, are often criticized. Starting with TV commercials, fashion magazines, to beauty products, fitness programs, everywhere ‘slimness’ is shown as the only path to success. Such images create social pressure on men and women to look a certain way, feel a certain way, and be happy with it. As a result, extreme dieting ends up in causing anorexia, depression, and other lasting problems.
Plus size challenges these dominant images and makes non-slim bodies more inclusive. It celebrates natural figures and encourages people to be more confident about their body sizes and shapes. Several designer brands have started producing plus size clothing. As a result, many plus size men and women have gotten job as models. In the modeling world where thinness rules the call of the day, plus size concept has definitely brought a welcome change. These models are called ‘curvy’ rather than ‘fat’ because it is more consumer friendly. One of the major benefits of plus size clothing is that it promotes a healthier lifestyle where people do not have to worry about eating less to conform to a particular size.

At first glance, this sounds like a wonderful solution! What could possibly go wrong with plus size, right? Unfortunately, plus size comes with its own downfalls.
1.       Nomenclature: The name ‘plus size’ is a very conflicting term. The term ‘plus’ means addition to something where this ‘something’ signifies zero. So, plus size means addition to sizes that are zero or ‘slim’. By calling a clothing or body type as ‘plus size’, we are paradoxically promoting slimness! Displayed in the shops is a separate side, plus size would automatically bring a sense of insecurity among the buyers. This faux inclusiveness brings nothing but lack of confidence among people of ‘plus size’. Although it is truly commendable that clothing of all sizes are made available, creating a separate terminology for people who cannot wear ‘normal’ sized clothing, further creates the discrimination.
2.       Gender bias: It is perhaps a common knowledge by now that women are the most prominent victims when it comes to body image. Starting with materials used in clothing to makeup techniques like contouring or highlighting, all are intended to make women appear slimmer than they are. The magazine covers flaunting sexy models endorse impossible-to-get figures and encourage women to become like them. The photo editing techniques are contributing in this image making even more. In this scenario, when ‘plus size’ is introduced, naturally the assumption is that women are liberated from fixation to particular body types. But is it really so? Plus size, as mention earlier, creates a separate category for ‘fat’ people. So, women, who reach out for plus size clothing is automatically considered ‘fat’. Although the companies try to create a lucrative market by terming these women ‘curvy’ rather than ‘fat’, the insecurity persists. A term like ‘curvy’ objectifies and sexualizes the female body. Moreover, ‘curvy’ comes with a lot of implications where the body needs to look like a wave with round bust and buttocks but a slimmer waistline. The inclusivity of plus size and its description as ‘curvy’ seem to contradict each other. On the one hand, plus size is for women who are ‘fat’, but on the other hand, the assumption is that they should look ‘curvy’ rather than ‘fat’. Thus the slimming aspect of clothing remains unchanged.

How to solve this problem? Considering the issues with nomenclature and gender discrimination, a possible solution could be erasing the ‘plus’ from ‘plus size’ altogether. They should be considered normal clothing as everything else. They should be displayed in the racks with clothing of other sizes and not in a separate corner.


The rise of ‘plus size’ shows how fashion forwardness is still dictated by dominant gender biased images. True, we have come a long way where we can now see non-slim models posing for popular magazines and brands. But have we truly progressed? Have we truly learned to accept diversity? By pointing out difference as ‘different’, are we not following the path of discrimination? At one glance ‘plus size’ may seem a relatively harmless clothing size. But when put against these questions, ‘plus size’ appears to be a dangerous weapon that enhances discrimination. Therefore, the time has come to truly give these labels and be inclusive!

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