Why do companies seem to believe that women have to be stick thin, in order to be beautiful? Companies such as Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, and more do not seem to get the big picture about all bodies being beautiful. Just because you are not a size zero does not mean that you do not deserve to have a model that looks like you or a size that will fit you. Victoria’s Secret models look like sticks and I hate to bring it up, but most people in the world do not look like that. Most people are not this toned and thin model but have their own body shape. How can you know what a product will look like on you if you look nothing like the model? Stores need to step up and include bodies of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
One solution that I can think of to the modeling issue, is to include a model for multiple body types. Instead of just using one model for a style, maybe use two or three, so you can get a good feel for what it will look like on different body types. They usually have a carousel of photos with the outfit from different angles, so why not use multiple models in the carousel. They may say that this will cost more, or maybe there is not enough space to include all those photos. To that, I would reply that eventually, it will fall into equilibrium, and if there is not enough space, then hyperlink to other pages where these additional photos can be viewed.
Another issue other than with models looking exactly the same is the fact that inside of some stores, there is a specific “plus-sized” section. Sometimes this can make people anxious and not want to go into the store because they may feel as though people are judging them. Why not have all sizes in the same area and on the same rack as the “straight-sized” racks? Some may say that there are “plus-sized” specific styles that are not offered in the “straight-sized” section. However, I will again raise the question of why? Why are there specific styles for specific body types, why can’t all styles come in all sizes? You can alter the cut of styles, due to plus-sized clothing needing to be cut differently, but they can still go on the same rack.
There are some size-inclusive brands that I really believe in and love how they are choosing to run their stores. Whenever I stopped shopping at Victoria’s Secret I did not know where I would find good quality and cute, bras and underwear without breaking the bank. Aerie has really great bras and underwear for comparable prices to Victoria’s Secret and they often run sales which Victoria’s Secret rarely does. When I look at Aerie’s marketing, I feel as though I see some models who represent my body type. Whereas when I look at Victoria’s Secret I immediately get self-conscious because I do not look like their “angels”. On the regular clothes side, I think that Aerie’s counterpart, American Eagle, also shows a nice variety of model shapes and sizes. Maurices is another brand that I think is inclusive and makes plus-sized clothing super fashionable. I know that sometimes “plus-sized” clothes are very loose fitting and try to make you hide, but Maurices really makes some nicely cut clothing. This is a store that my sister has shopped at many times, and the clothes seem to fit her very well and are very trendy. The last one I wish to discuss in this article is LOFT because I think that they make great quality clothing for all sizes. This is another store that I think makes very nice clothes for all body types. Also, if you catch them during a sale, you can get their clothes for a decent price. This is another store that I have shopped at with my sister, and she was able to get clothes that fit her very well and were trendy.
Sometimes I wonder where these companies get the idea that women only come in one shape and size, which is stick thin. We are all beautiful no matter what our body looks like and we should not be limited to our “size”. We should have access to all styles of clothing, regardless of what our number size is, and you know what? The whole number system is wrong, so maybe while we are at it we should take the number system away.