May the Odds be in Your Favor...

In a society where skinny girls reign supreme in the media, it can be very difficult to feel good about your body if you are not as thin as a coat rack.

Fashion's Invisible Woman

The average American woman is size 14. Why is the fashion industry still pretending she doesn't exist?

By Emili Vesilind

March 1, 2009

When it comes to shopping, the average American man has it made. At 189.8 pounds and a size 44 regular jacket, Department stores, mall retailers and designer boutiques all cater to his physique -- even when it's saddled with love handles, a sagging chest or a moderate paunch. In menswear, shlubby is accommodated.

But the average U.S. woman, who's 162.9 pounds and wears a size 14, is treated like an anomaly by apparel brands and retailers -- who seem to assume that no one over size 10 follows fashion's capricious trends.

That leaves style-loving full-figured women with a clutch of plus-size chains -- though most of its selection consists of basic, often matronly items. Beyond this, plus-size clothing is largely relegated to the Internet, where customers who already have a complicated relationship with clothes are unable to see, touch or try on merchandise.

It often seems that it's easier to find and buy stylish clothes for Chihuahuas than for roughly half the country's female population.

Americans are getting larger, and 62% of females are already categorized as overweight. But the relationship between the fashion industry and fuller-figure women is at a standoff, marked by suspicion, prejudice and low expectations on both sides. The fear of fat is so ingrained in designers and retailers that even among those who've successfully tapped the market, talking plus-size often feels taboo. The fraught relationship between fashion and plus-size is far from new, but seems particularly confounding in a time when retailers are pulling out all the stops to bring in business. Carrying a range of sizes that includes the average female would seem like a good place to start.

"Plus-size has been a challenge for the industry for decades,"? "When I interview plus-size women, there's really nothing [in the market] that the consumer says they like. Because of this, women in this demographic have learned to make fashion not a priority." The longing for style is strong, but the hopes of finding it are low, and shopping is less fun than frustrating.
 
"Are all big girls supposed to dress like Midwestern farm wives?" asks one reader. "We have money -- why don't they want to sell to us?"

Another adds, "I don't want any more polyester, hip-hop gear, frumpy jeans and themed capris! I want the designers not to assume that I am a frumpy 55-year-old, middle-management employee. . . . Is anyone listening to us?"

Many designers realize this and create some of the sexiest bras and panties anywhere for plus-size women. So are you wondering where to buy plus size designs.