Two weeks ago I went down to Times Square for the #PlusIsEqual event. I’ll be honest, since there was nothing shared as to what the even actually was, I had considered not going at all. In the end I took the day off and made my way to the city all the while expecting coupons, or even an announcement of an affordable line offered by the brand once I got there. I got none of that. Continue reading
Tag: body image
+Size Matters: Phat Girlz
Growing up in the United States made me accustomed to the Westernized standard of feminine beauty: thin, tall, of fair skin and straight hair. It never once occurred to me that my body type, skin tone and even hair could be considered the epitome of beauty someplace else. That surprise came when I traveled to Jamaica, W.I. back in 2013 for a conference.
Ironically, my workshop dealt with being single and I had started by telling the women stories of my unsuccessful dating life. One of the mature ladies at one point asked why my last relationship didn’t work out and I responded by saying that the young man had a particular type and I didn’t fit it due to my weight. I followed that by explaining that the unfortunate reality is that most of the men I am/have been attracted to just aren’t interested in women that look like me. At saying that the entire group of 60 women fell silent.
Once the workshop was over I was approached by two of the ladies (who were thin, curvy and model-status beautiful) said that I should not be so hung out for not being “the perfect size 8” because on the island men preferred women that looked like me over them. I was stunned. Of course the idea that beauty standards were not the same around the world was something that had been suggested to me prior to this trip when I was a teenager back in 2006, via a film, but I figured it was just a fantasy created for the sole purpose of giving the story of a plus size protagonist a happy ending. That film of course was Phat Girlz.
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Summer Lights
There is nothing better than unplanned and spontaneous time with friends, especially in the summer. This week the weather in NYC has been very forgiving, so a friend and I took advantage by taking a nice stroll through Astoria, Queens. It felt great to spend some time catching up after spending so much time away from each other with our hectic work schedules. It was doubly special because the casual outing gave me an excuse to wear a piece I got from the first Fashion to Figure sample sale I attended back in February.
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Good For You?
I remember the first time I was publicly fat shamed. I was a 16 years old and on a class trip to the Jewish Heritage Museum in Manhattan for leadership training. We were having lunch in the museum’s cafeteria; honestly I don’t remember if I actually ate anything since this was during the time I would skip meals with the goal of getting thin. I do remember that at one point my friend got up to get a second helping of food at which time I asked him to get me a can of soda. He came back with a can of Diet Coke, I looked at the can and then up at him in confusion. He then said, very loudly I might add, “You could stand to lose a couple of pounds.” The entire table and those next to it laughed. I left the soda right in his hand and walked away. No one stood up for me and he never apologized. He claimed that it was a joke. I wasn’t laughing.
Such occurrences only got worse once I got older. In fact,one of my mother’s oldest friends no longer greets me with a, “Hi, how have you been?,” like the average person would, but with a, “You’re fatter.”
“Healthy” does not equal a specific physical appearance.
My Two Cents: Do we want good quality Plus Size fashion?
Currently its being argued that it is the shopping practices of plus size women that affects retailer supply to their customers. I find this accusation to be ridiculous as you won’t ever hear this same argument within straight size fashion. Nevertheless, retailers and designers stand firm on this stating that their potential customers are just not interested in particular styles or even quality. Could this be true? Do we want good quality plus size fashion? Continue reading
Big City, Curvy Girl, Thin Wallet 