I don’t remember the first things I bought from a plus-size section, but what I felt has stayed with me. A confusing judgemental feeling that I realized the industry has dubbed me as “plus-size” and curvy. Why was the section being placed in the back corner that no-one could see? Why wasn’t everything being made for that section? As I continued to shop in both sections of straight and curve, I realized brands wanted to place me with a label and in more ways than one, I saw that things were changing.
I love my industry and how it’s developed since quite literally, the beginning of time. But, in this stage of time, fashion and the consumer are going through a transitional phase. More specifically, towards acceptance of body-positivity and the ever-so opinionated world of straight/curve.
Straight/curve; plus-size; curvy. No matter what term you use, each holds a slightly different meaning. Straight/curve is industry standard to describe the two size ranges, plus-size is retail standard to segregate store sections and curvy is standard to those who identify as such. These terms have ushered in an opinionated world of consumers and advocates because through history, women described in these terms have either been celebrated or casted away by society.
In today’s consumer market, these terms have been accepted by fashion and have been marketed positively into consumer society. To the average consumer it has been fully accepted, but to the consumer who shops under the now celebrated category, the acceptance is often debatable.
The demand and the acceptance of the demand, is something that is relatively new to brands who manufacture curve lines. Contrary to popular belief, to make plus-size garments, the garments must be designed in a different manner then what’s being used in the design for straight lines- you can’t just take the same garment and make it bigger with more fabric. The manufacturing process takes a separate approach to the existing straight line- materials need to be analyzed separately so placing the curve line in a different section, in a different rack, makes sense for the brand- financially speaking.
But, for those debating the perceived acceptance, segregating the straight/curve lines and using the now known terminology of plus-size and curve, can denote a sense of disservice to those purchasing the garments simply because a label is a label is a label. The label itself can suggest the brand attaching preconceived adjectives to its consumer, when not every garment is the same size and fit- I myself have pieces ranging in size from small in straight lines to 2x in curve lines (all of which look amazing on me, by the way).
These are two polar views of the subject which brings me to my point of the consumer market being in a transitional phase. Not every brand or designer has developed a curve line for financial and brand image reasons, and the consumer has varying but valid viewpoints on the matter. Many women prefer the segregation because it makes it easier to online shop, while others feel they stand out in an unwanted way when they shop in only one section of a store.
Whatever reason the brand gives for not developing or developing a curve line, the label always comes back to define the wearer in a multitude of ways; have you ever noticed that certain brands who do carry plus-sizes, have placed them “exclusively” online? This is a silent definer, but a definer none the less.
Is this what it looks like to shift to a new norm? Until the ranges are inclusive, there’s going to be a party involved that gets hurt in some way; either a brands bottom line or the consumers perception.
I want to hear your thoughts; regardless if you’re “plus-size” or not, do you prefer labels and segregation of ranges?
Thank you for sharing your view on this. I think that the industry is on track to making it more widely available, however, plus-size is still not accepted. Segregation within stores only increases the differences between what is a ‘good’ body type/size versus everyone else. We can’t expect individuals to love the skin they are in if curvy sizes are in the back shunned away from ‘the rest’ where it’s deemed shameful to be plus size. Yes, I love how easy it is to find pants and skirts in my size in that area but it took A LOT of self love and courage to confidently walk to that area without a care. To accept a fat, plus size body would to include the 14+ sizes in the same range as the straight on the same racks.