Fat and the Fashion Industry

[tahnan]

The fashion industry, as Tina Cassidy of the Boston Globe explains it, is doing terrible things. These things are, unsurprisingly, related to clothes for thin people versus clothes for fat people.

Then again, the evilness may not be what you think:

"The fashion industry, perhaps unwittingly, has done more than accommodate the ever-increasing number of Americans who need larger clothes; it's enabling them, sending out messages that it's acceptable to be fat."

Damn fashion industry.

Comments

[marith.livejournal.com]

Lame article. It's certainly a valid point that the same clothes that look good on a size 4 do not look good on a size 18, and that the fashion industry has no qualms about selling women clothes that look bad on them.

However, most overweight/obese women are under no delusions that their appearance is 'acceptable', and clothes marketing is not going to change this. What, does this woman think all fat clothes should come with a "get thee to a diet clinic, bad person" warning attached? Perhaps something from the surgeon general?

[jadelennox]

Want. To. Kill. The. Bad. Lady.

(For any agents of the JD that are reading my postings, keyed to my terrorist tendencies by my grocery store loyalty card in the name "John Ashcroft", yes, I'm exagerating for rhetoric effect. I promise I'd only kill her if she turned out to be a bad, bad, Al Qaeda agent. Or maybe a Texas Democrat. Feel better?)

[tahnan.livejournal.com]

I urge you, write a letter to the editor.

Grr

[(Anonymous)]

I think what bothers me the most is the implication that fat people have the nerve! to try and look good. No matter that having well fitting, nice looking clothes is often a requirement for high paying jobs and what not. No matter that people treat you better if you are in a nice suit than if you are in a sweat suit. If you are fat, you should look like the stupid, smelly, gross, out of control, unworthy slob that you are. Because, really, it is only about your health.

moo

-leighjen

Oooh, brilliant!

[janne.livejournal.com]

Now what *I* want to know is where all these large sizes made by the fashion industry can be bought! I only seem to find dowdy grandmotherly things in the large size stores :P

[colorwheel.livejournal.com]

One part that makes me crazy is this:

This is not a knock on people who struggle with their weight

A)It is in fact one big honking knock
2)How dare she interchange "people who struggle with their weight" with "fat people?" That's an insidious and powerful little value to slip in there. Everyone who is fat must by definition be struggling with it.

ooo!

[(Anonymous)]

Good point! As always, you are wise in the ways of words.

moo
-leighjen

Re: Oooh, brilliant!

[(Anonymous)]

Well, you can get tons of little see though numbers at Lane Bryant. But try and find something you can wear to work and you are doomed.

moo

-leighjen

[colorwheel.livejournal.com]

Done.

[jadelennox]

And done.