Politics

What is ‘Plus Size’?

July 3, 2012

I have been trying to develop a plus size fashion figure croquis to start sketching some designs. This morning I was doing some research online to look for pose inspiration and I was shocked at what some websites consider ‘Plus Size.’

When someone who looks to be about a size 8 is modeling plus size clothing–how does this make sense? How can someone who is actually plus size envision themselves in the clothing? How does this make us curvy girls feel?

Well, it bothers me. It’s not much better than looking at ‘normal’ sized clothing on super skinny models. It made me a little sick seeing it.

Some pictures from Asos Curve of “plus size” models:

 

I know that not all plus size clothing companies have this small of models for their plus size, but what if this eventually becomes the norm? Doesn’t this have the same affect on women, especially young girls, who will think that they still need to look like these thinner models to be beautiful and accepted by society? Doesn’t this just personify the bad self images the mass media puts into our heads?

So, tell me, what is ‘Plus Size’? If these girls are ‘plus size,’ then I must be giganto plus size.

To me, this is what a true ‘Plus Size’ model should look like:

Picture from Vogue.it.

Maybe I am going over board, or maybe not… Things change, they sneak up on us. Before we realize it something has been hijacked and is no longer what it started out being.

“Twenty years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less.”

(Source: Plus Size Model Magazine)

 

Will the same thing happen to Plus Size models? Will things change? Are they changing?

 

“Ten years ago plus-size models averaged between size 12 and 18. Today the need for size diversity within the plus-size modeling industry continues to be questioned. The majority of plus-size models on agency boards are between a size 6 and 14, while the customers continue to express their dissatisfaction.”

(Source: Plus Size Model Magazine)

 

 

To Tumblr or Not To Tumblr?

June 28, 2012

To tumblr or not to tumblr? I am asking myself this question right now. This is based on my views of how I want myself, my blog, and my shop to be seen. I want to be associated with a certain standard of ethics. I believe that you can be sexy with all your clothes on. There is a time and place for everything.

Since I started this blog, I have used tumblr as a form or advertisement. I use it to post links to my new post, links to new shop items, etc. The results have done their work–I have received a good number of new readers from the site, but I have increasingly been questioning if I should continue posting on tumblr….

The reason for this is, the type of pictures that are sitting next to my own when I am being reblogged. I came alert to this when I started viewing the people’s tumblr pages who were reblogging me (entirely out of curiosity). Page after page was full of images of curvy girls with their vaginas and breasts hanging out–and not for artistic purposes, they mainly looked like porn (to put it bluntly).

This is something I have been noticing for weeks. I really don’t want my pictures, which I put the utmost love and thought into, being posted next to raunchy pictures. This goes against everything I am trying to do and the image I am trying to build for myself.

Added to this, it is sad that so many plus size/curvy girls think so little of themselves to pose like this. It gives the view that if you are plus size you have to be raunchy and trashy to be sexy. This is way from true, and I hate that girls out there are personifying this. I wish that these girls would learn to love themselves instead of posting these pictures.

Granted, a lot of people posting on tumblr are genuinely doing a real blog or posting pictures that actually mean something to them.

Maybe I’m just a big prude….?

So, my question is: “is it worth it?” I know that once you put your pictures and information out there, you give up control, but is my posting on tumblr adding to this? Should I just ignore  it? Try blocking them? Just forget about it? Tell myself, “who care?!”?

Anyone else out there have an opinion on this?

To tumblr or not to tumblr, that is the question...

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