07.17.09 

I am fat. I just am. Clinically. Socially. In every definition of the word by all opinions. I shop in the plus sized sections and at plus sized stores. And I have to vent about something that has been bothering me for some time now.

The big lady stores, the ones that specialise in the extended sizes, the plus sizes, the womens sizes, the real women sizes, the diva sizes… however you wanna freaking refer to them… they flat out suck. You walk in and look around and all you see are the busiest of patterns. Embellishments weighing down every corner of the garment. Metal, plastic stones, glitter, sequins, wood, fringe; whatever they can think to attach to a shirt, they do. But why? Do they think we need decoration? Does it conceal our extra weight? One theory I developed was that people are drawn to sparkly objects and that perhaps they are using that principal in designing their clothes. If fat women are sparkly, people will like them better.

Well if embellishments were not enough of an issue, we also have the actual style of the clothes to struggle with. All sorts of haulters and ‘flutter’ sleeves and cowl necks and a whole array of unflattering cuts that in no way flatter our various and sometimes numerous curves. What these designers don’t seem to understand is that the more curves a woman has, the straighter a cut of clothing she needs. We need straight clean lines, simplicity. Patterns don’t disguise, they overwhelm the eye.

I have watched plenty of Stacey and Clinton to know how they feel about certain patterns and style and the like and I do understand that some patterns have a time and a place… and it is usually UNDER a solid colored, simple blazer of some sort… and for some reason they love to pair it with a metallic shoe. I still don’t truly understand their love of those miserable metallic shoes. I really don’t believe they must be a staple in every wardrobe.

What makes this epidemic worse, is that some of the designer brands in the deparment stores are doing this. They make it harder and harder to be fat and classy. I know, that sounds wrong… but I really do think it should be possible. I go to some department stores and search the racks and I look around and can’t help thinking to myself, oh Liz, what were you thinking? You would think these so-called designer brands would be setting more of an example in class and not an example in how to reuse the crap they swept up off the floor after the bedazzler class was done making their craft projects for the old folks home.

I have managed to find a store or two that I can be contented with. It isn’t easy, but it is possible. And the other stuff does serve some purpose, it certainly is good for a nice giggle from time to time as I browse through a store. It is horrifying though, to know real women are buying this stuff. And many of them don’t know how to wear it properly (like there really is a way). Layering it with something to tone it down or finding something SOMEWHERE that compliments it.

I know this was a long rant and somewhat disjointed, but it had to be done. I do my best to be tasteful despite my weight. I hope others out there who try to do the same know that I understand what a pain it can be. But quite frankly, I can’t see myself being thin. I just don’t think that is a part of who I am. It never has been. I don’t think I would know what to do with myself.