Comments on: So much wrong http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/ Fashion, Lifestyle, and Humor for the Plus Sized Woman. Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: raincoaster http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-48122 raincoaster Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:31:37 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-48122 It's also not true that they can scale up the models on computers. People gain weight in different ways and, for instance, your shoulders' width will change, but not by as much as your waist will. Plus-size fit models are a requirement if you're going to be doing plus sizes. To me, it makes no sense for a mass-market retailer to make clothing that does not fit the average clothes buyer. It's not "aspirational"; it's plain dumb. It’s also not true that they can scale up the models on computers. People gain weight in different ways and, for instance, your shoulders’ width will change, but not by as much as your waist will. Plus-size fit models are a requirement if you’re going to be doing plus sizes.

To me, it makes no sense for a mass-market retailer to make clothing that does not fit the average clothes buyer. It’s not “aspirational”; it’s plain dumb.

]]> By: me http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-47883 me Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:44:42 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-47883 I'm going to have to play devil's advocate here. A friend of mine is at Parson's right now working in fashion design. As a part of her program, she has had to make various types of clothing and accessories. We've chatted several times about the work she has had to do and one day, she told me that she was trying to make a dress for a plus-sized figure. However, when she went to buy the fabric, she learned that she would need to buy more and would have to spend much more money than she had budgeted for the project. As a (very) poor students--she has no job--she realized she had to choose between lower quality fabric and the plus-sized dress or the higher quality fabric and the smaller-sized dress. She went with the latter because her instructor would rip her apart for shoddy construction and poor choice of fabric. The well-established fashion houses can easily absorb the cost of the outfits for plus-sized women, but for smaller, newer designers, they have to worry about the cost of the materials. I’m going to have to play devil’s advocate here. A friend of mine is at Parson’s right now working in fashion design. As a part of her program, she has had to make various types of clothing and accessories. We’ve chatted several times about the work she has had to do and one day, she told me that she was trying to make a dress for a plus-sized figure. However, when she went to buy the fabric, she learned that she would need to buy more and would have to spend much more money than she had budgeted for the project. As a (very) poor students–she has no job–she realized she had to choose between lower quality fabric and the plus-sized dress or the higher quality fabric and the smaller-sized dress. She went with the latter because her instructor would rip her apart for shoddy construction and poor choice of fabric.
The well-established fashion houses can easily absorb the cost of the outfits for plus-sized women, but for smaller, newer designers, they have to worry about the cost of the materials.

]]> By: Plumcake http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-47725 Plumcake Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:57:25 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-47725 I love pedantry as much as the next girl Verelle, but the fine folks at the Oxford English Dictionary seem to respectfully disagree with your assertion. Utopic, adjective That embodies or proposes utopian ideals. 1952 B. WOLFE Limbo '90 438 All such writing is essentially satiric (today-centered), not utopic (tomorrow-centered). 1972 Biblical Theol. Bull. Feb. 44 A pre-history, preliminary to the ‘utopic’ history of tomorrow. 1975 Aviation Week & Space Technol. 13 Oct. 15/1 The document we have prepared is certainly audacious, a bit courageous, and probably utopic. I love pedantry as much as the next girl Verelle, but the fine folks at the Oxford English Dictionary seem to respectfully disagree with your assertion.

Utopic, adjective
That embodies or proposes utopian ideals.
1952 B. WOLFE Limbo ’90 438 All such writing is essentially satiric (today-centered), not utopic (tomorrow-centered). 1972 Biblical Theol. Bull. Feb. 44 A pre-history, preliminary to the ‘utopic’ history of tomorrow. 1975 Aviation Week & Space Technol. 13 Oct. 15/1 The document we have prepared is certainly audacious, a bit courageous, and probably utopic.

]]> By: verelle http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-47527 verelle Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:22:03 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-47527 "Utopic" is not a word. “Utopic” is not a word.

]]> By: SaraDarling http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-46998 SaraDarling Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:36:37 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-46998 I usually put the refusal of "high end" designers to make clothing in larger sizes down to laziness and lack of talent. On a stick thin body, the clothing tends to hang from the shoulders and [what there is of the] hips. Easy. You're designing for a nearly two dimensional form; not much more complicated than designing for a coat hanger. Design for a larger woman with curves, you have to consider how the fabric will fall over breasts and belly and ass and thighs. Much trickier. I usually put the refusal of “high end” designers to make clothing in larger sizes down to laziness and lack of talent. On a stick thin body, the clothing tends to hang from the shoulders and [what there is of the] hips. Easy. You’re designing for a nearly two dimensional form; not much more complicated than designing for a coat hanger. Design for a larger woman with curves, you have to consider how the fabric will fall over breasts and belly and ass and thighs. Much trickier.

]]> By: teteatete http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-46943 teteatete Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:05:48 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-46943 I've been getting increasingly irritated with Old Navy's "vanity" sizing. I want to know my real size, dagnabbit! It makes shopping elsewhere difficult because I'm not really sure what I wear. I’ve been getting increasingly irritated with Old Navy’s “vanity” sizing. I want to know my real size, dagnabbit! It makes shopping elsewhere difficult because I’m not really sure what I wear.

]]> By: La Petite Acadienne http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-46927 La Petite Acadienne Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:43:52 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-46927 Actually, though Esther, Gap and Old Navy are rather renowned for their "vanity sizing", so they're not really a good yardstick. I still fit into a certain pair of size 10 Old Navy jeans. And I'm sorry, but at 5"8 and 210lbs, there is no freaking way that I am a size 10. In most everything else, I'm a 14/16. Actually, though Esther, Gap and Old Navy are rather renowned for their “vanity sizing”, so they’re not really a good yardstick. I still fit into a certain pair of size 10 Old Navy jeans. And I’m sorry, but at 5″8 and 210lbs, there is no freaking way that I am a size 10. In most everything else, I’m a 14/16.

]]> By: OCCaliAKA http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-46852 OCCaliAKA Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:51:11 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-46852 To the poster on Paige, they had to redo the jeans. The first run of Paige plus had ridiculous-fitting legs. In most plus jeans, I take a 16. I had to go up to 22 in the first Paige run because I have pretty muscular thighs. Overall, I liked the article. I did chuckle, though, because Binkley used Queen Latifah as the celebrity archetype of plus. I think that's because Latifah still has a positive image and is fairly well known in the wider society. To the poster on Paige, they had to redo the jeans. The first run of Paige plus had ridiculous-fitting legs. In most plus jeans, I take a 16. I had to go up to 22 in the first Paige run because I have pretty muscular thighs.
Overall, I liked the article. I did chuckle, though, because Binkley used Queen Latifah as the celebrity archetype of plus. I think that’s because Latifah still has a positive image and is fairly well known in the wider society.

]]> By: GradualDazzle http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-46198 GradualDazzle Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:54:05 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-46198 Very, very well said... and a topic very near and dear to my heart -- and my pocketbook. I wish that department stores wouldn't segregate "Plus Size" clothing to a separate, hidden department in the back corner of the store. As if it were something to be ashamed of! Some designer labels actually DO offer larger sizes, but they're displayed in a different department. Very, very well said… and a topic very near and dear to my heart — and my pocketbook. I wish that department stores wouldn’t segregate “Plus Size” clothing to a separate, hidden department in the back corner of the store. As if it were something to be ashamed of! Some designer labels actually DO offer larger sizes, but they’re displayed in a different department.

]]> By: Jenny http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-46032 Jenny Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:35:58 +0000 http://manolobig.com/2008/08/27/so-much-wrong/#comment-46032 I actually think the line is "I wouldn't want to join a club that WOULD have me as a member"... It's Groucho Marx. I actually think the line is “I wouldn’t want to join a club that WOULD have me as a member”… It’s Groucho Marx.

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