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This post is a short discussion on the stigma behind the label "plus size"
Plus size.. what a horrible way to describe the average woman's body. It is almost like retailers want you to feel bad about not being a size 0-4. Places like Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing and Asos start their plus size clothing at a size 12.
Yet 68% of women wear a size 14 or above, which should make size 12-16 normal.
Many stores claim to be "size-inclusive" but how is a store inclusive if it starts a plus size range at the size which is average for most women? Shouldn't these stores be catering to that range instead of the 0-4 range?
All throughout high school, I was a size 2, yet all throughout high school, I felt as though I was "fat". Now I am a size 10-12 and realize that in some stores I am considered plus size, and the feeling I gained when realizing that was not a pleasant one. Why is it that I associated plus size with being fat? Well, maybe it lies within the word "plus" like you are so much bigger than normal sizes that you need to be added onto the other sizes. Not to mention that some stores do not even carry plus sizes.
So how do we break the stigma surrounding plus size? We could start with calling it something else, giving each size a name and not putting women in a specific category just based on size. We can normalize buying things in plus sizes, instead of downgrading others for being on that size range. We as women need to build each other up especially when it comes to size, as many of us struggle to love our bodies no matter how much shows up on the scale.
Places like AERIE are getting it right, they are showing women of all sizes embracing one another. They show women who battle themselves or medical concerns but still defy all odds. They show these beautiful women who are not just a size 0, women who we can better relate to. We, as women, need more of this!
EVERY body is beautiful and EVERY body is unique.