#GlamazonChat: On Plus Size Fashion, Protests and Placing Blame

Glamazons,

We all know the fashion industry underserves plus-size shoppers. Several brands, especially high-end designers, don’t carry over a size 14 leaving these shoppers confined to the small number of retailers that specialize in sizes 16 and up. But since the average American woman wears a size 14/16 and plus size fashion blogs are increasingly popular, it’s clear there’s a market for women of all sizes. So what’s the best way for plus size shoppers to bring about change in an industry that’s far from inclusive?

Fashionista recently suggested plus size shoppers prove their market value by “thanking” the designers that support them with their dollars. They argued that brands perhaps don’t cater to plus size women because they believe they’re not interested and more importantly, they won’t spend.

There are a number of reasons behind this perceived lack of interest, Fashionista claims, one of them being the assumption that plus size women view their size as a temporary, and don’t see the point of investing in pieces they’ll no longer fit once they lose weight:

“There is of course a body politic that goes into shopping for women. Everyone I spoke with agreed that women who are told that their body shape should be considered temporary, always in need of a new diet or weight loss plan, aren’t exactly going to plunk down $300 for a dress that, ideally, won’t fit them in a month.”

It’s a logical conclusion but how then do you explain the extraordinary success of fashion blogs run by plus size women? Whether the focus is plus size style like Curvy Fashionista or a personal style blog like Gabi Fresh, the blogosphere is full of examples of plus fashion enthusiasts who have amassed a significant following of fans. The interest is right in their faces. 

Gabi Fresh’s Swimsuits For All bikini sold out in just 48 hours in 2013

Fashionista also proposes that plus women just aren’t spending enough for designers to consider them a smart investment. An anonymous blogger told the site: “At the end of the day, you can talk all you want, but if you don’t put your money where your mouth is, then don’t talk. Don’t ask Marc Jacobs to make you something if you can’t even afford Marc by Marc Jacobs. You should have to put your credit card down before you can even have this conversation.”

It’s true that money moves the needle, but plus size women are indeed spending. The plus size market grew 5 percent from April 2013 to April 2014, generating $17.5 billion in sales in one year.

Nonetheless, the article proposes that plus shoppers should start putting their money where their mouth is. Chasity Garner of The Garner Style is taking a different approach: she’s withholding her funds.

After noticing the upcoming Altuzarra for Target line wouldn’t carry anything over a 16, Garner decided to boycott Target altogether and launched a movement on social media under the hashtag #BoycottingTarget.

In a note on her blog, she explains:

“This may seem a little dramatic, but the recent release of the photos of Altuzarra for Target collection have me feeling slighted…  Literally 50 pieces of beautiful (and I mean beautiful) affordable clothing and none of it will be remotely close to the size that I wear…  You have once again made me feel like a second-class customer and because of that I’m going to have to discontinue my relationship with you altogether. […] Year after year, season after season, you put out these gorgeous designer collections and you never include a plus range.  Every time each of these collections is about to be released it feels like a slap in the face. To add insult to injury, over 6 months ago, you took most of your plus size clothing out of the store, promising me something new and improved and that has yet to happen.”

Garner doesn’t plan to end the boycott until there’s a documented change: “I will take you back, when and only when, you include true plus sizes in your designer range collaborations. Until then, I will take my money elsewhere.”

Perhaps in the meantime Garner may take her wallet to Lane Bryant, where designers like Lela Rose have created capsule collections specifically for plus size shoppers. But that shouldn’t be her only option. Surely, Garner would like the same shopping opportunities as everyone else.

The question is: will her boycott actually bring about change? Besides the money Target will lose when boycotters take their cash elsewhere, the retailer could suffer damage to their brand, and perhaps that will prompt them to make a change.

Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesperson, has already responded to Refinery29 saying: “We never want our guests to feel disappointed, and if we’ve let them down, we apologize. We appreciate the opportunity to hear directly from our guests. We’ll take this feedback into consideration as we move forward. In the meantime, we offer a variety of plus options. We’ll also be introducing a new plus line in the near future that features a focus on the latest styles, all at great prices.”  His statement might not end Garner‘s boycott but Target acknowledging the plus size sector and introducing a new (stylish!) line is a step in the right direction.

The most marked difference between Garner‘s strategy and the one suggested on Fashionista is that Garner‘s method places blame on Target while the latter suggests plus size shoppers should take responsibility for their lack of options. It begs the question: who is really to blame? Is it retailers like Target that exclude plus size shoppers from lines like Altuzarra for Target? Or do plus shoppers need to start showing up in record numbers to buy out lines like Lela Rose for Lane Bryant thus proving to the fashion industry that they are faithful consumers? Protests or purchases: what do you think is the best way for plus size shoppers to incite change, Glamazons?

Let’s discuss,

Glamazon Esta Fiesta