Clothes that Tell You What You Want to Hear
I'm a tall gal, and up until about 10 years ago it was nearly impossible to find a pair of jeans that passed my ankles. Prior to that it was a neverending quest, and daunting task, for me to find a pair of jeans that fit properly. The problem was, it wasn't the 80's anymore and, being a self proclaimed fashionista, I was no longer wearing my ankle length pants tucked into my boots. I wanted jeans that touched my toes and that I could still wear heels with. The dilemma was if I bought them long enough, they were swimming around my waist, and as you probably guessed, if I bought them to fit my waist I looked as if I were trapped in 1989. Finally designers caught on that there are tall, thin women out there who wear jeans.
Cut to 2006. Designers are now cutting styles larger and labeling them in smaller sizes. It's a marketing ploy and one that I don't think is such a bad thing. If it boosts a size 12 woman's self esteem to not have to shop in the plus size stores, where's the harm? If she is a size 10 in an average sized department store and it helps to make her feel good about herself, thus giving her a positive outlook, why not give her that bit of happiness?
Stores aren't just cutting sizes larger and labeling them smaller to make women feel good about themselves though (that's just a benefit to the women). The truth is, women are getting larger. It's no secret that obesity is on the rise and the average size American woman is overweight. If the stores don't cut their sizes larger, the majority of women won't be able to buy clothes in their stores because they simply won't fit. Thus leaving the stores no choice but to expand the waistlines of their merchandise, to keep up with the expanding waistlines of their clientele. A phenomena most likely brought on by ready-to-eat meals, an over indulgence of refined sugar, and this country's obsession with super sized fast food (with a giant diet Coke to wash it down). It is a necessary means in order to stay in business. The malleable sizing of garments are leaving petite women to shop in the junior's department, and probably quite literally...flapping in the breeze. What's next? Negative sizes, -01 perhaps?
Fox News calls it "vanity sizing". I prefer to think of it as good business sense.
Size 00: Sizes Shrink as Women Get Bigger
Cut to 2006. Designers are now cutting styles larger and labeling them in smaller sizes. It's a marketing ploy and one that I don't think is such a bad thing. If it boosts a size 12 woman's self esteem to not have to shop in the plus size stores, where's the harm? If she is a size 10 in an average sized department store and it helps to make her feel good about herself, thus giving her a positive outlook, why not give her that bit of happiness?
Stores aren't just cutting sizes larger and labeling them smaller to make women feel good about themselves though (that's just a benefit to the women). The truth is, women are getting larger. It's no secret that obesity is on the rise and the average size American woman is overweight. If the stores don't cut their sizes larger, the majority of women won't be able to buy clothes in their stores because they simply won't fit. Thus leaving the stores no choice but to expand the waistlines of their merchandise, to keep up with the expanding waistlines of their clientele. A phenomena most likely brought on by ready-to-eat meals, an over indulgence of refined sugar, and this country's obsession with super sized fast food (with a giant diet Coke to wash it down). It is a necessary means in order to stay in business. The malleable sizing of garments are leaving petite women to shop in the junior's department, and probably quite literally...flapping in the breeze. What's next? Negative sizes, -01 perhaps?
Fox News calls it "vanity sizing". I prefer to think of it as good business sense.
Size 00: Sizes Shrink as Women Get Bigger
posted by Tootsie Farklepants at 8:04 AM
3 Comments:
I can relate to what you are saying about being tall and buying pants back in the dark days. I am 5'12" and .. well, it's exactly as you said. Either the waistline up to my neck or my pants legs up to my mid-calf.
At least when cropped pants were in, it didn't really matter. What a sad, sad day it was when cropped pants were no longer in fashion....
5'12"? Wouldn't that make you 6'?
I'm 5'15'' so I can relate.
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