Are You Settling for Second Best

I'm seeing a trend, my fellow Fashionistas. Scattered out and around the internet universe, circling like malevolent meteorites (meteoroids?) and seemingly incapable of coalescing to a coherent shout.

Many of us complain about not being able to find plus size apparel, fashionable or otherwise. Many rant, many rave, many pose the problem, many propose solutions - goodness knows there are dozens of sites that position plus size retailers within easy view (mine included).

We plus size people (also known as New Normals) are in the majority. As much as 60% or more of clothes-wearing humans fit into our demographic. Why, then, are we New Normals being treated like a minority?

I think the answer is: We act like it. We act like we are the exception, not the rule. We are, as a whole, too quick to accept the mundane instead of expecting the marvelous.

Why? We're not easily clad. We're not size 2. Sadly, too often, we act as if we are not entitled to the finest apparel money can buy. We do not expect the finest of fashion. We walk away, quiet in our disappointment. We settle.

It's time to stop settling for second-class anything.

It is time to let retailers know, politely of course, but in no uncertain terms, that we will patronize shops that have invested the time, energy, planning, design effort, priorities, and results - bringing plus size fashion into an equitable state of quality on par with non-plus size fashion.

The flip side of that message should be evident. We will not patronize shops that hide plus size sections, that provide sub-standard quality plus size apparel, that bury plus size garments only in maternity aisles, that model plus size garments on size 2 mannequins.

I could go on.. but it's your turn.

Using REAL PEOPLE to Sell Clothes

This makes me almost sad. Not the news itself - just the fact that we as a society have reached a point where this IS news.

A major national magazine, amidst subtle gasps and sideways glances, inking the revelation of using real people in ads. Newsweek's full article includes a telling sentence: "Much of this interest in real-looking models is driven by the Internet, which has democratized the once rarefied world of high fashion."

Heaven help us. Perhaps word is reaching Bryant Park that we're NOT all 5'11", 104 lbs and size 0? Next earth-shattering news will be that of a stick-thin model, in a selfless act of bravery and desire to join her New Normal replacements waiting in the wings, consuming an entire banana nut muffin. Something tells me that we 'real people' still have a lot of work to do and that a lot of wake-up calls still need to be placed.

I don't think this was a slow news day - we haven't had many of those in quite a while, what with interminable wars, collapsing economies, diminishing ecological resources, global warming and Britney Spears.

Go read the rest of the article if you haven't already. Then, when you get back, please tell me how in the world we got to the point where the concept of using real people in advertising became a revolutionary trend and a newsworthy event?

Body Drama, Huge Leap toward Body Acceptance

Nancy Amanda Redd, former Miss Virginia 2003, has published a warts-and-all manual aimed at teen and preteen girls, addressing many of the body image issues that confront girls of any age (probably including some of us teens in our 50s!) and providing frankly honest discussions on accepting our selves. Here's a wonderful video that explains much more.