# Dresses + Plus Size = Fugly?! UGH **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 3, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944 "2008-05-03T23:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/41 "2008-05-04T18:22:27Z")
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee] But I like babydoll dresses. [/QUOTE] Me too, but my wife finally got tired of me stretching them all out, and now I’m forbidden to wear her clothes when she isn’t home… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/42 "2008-05-04T18:36:30Z")
[QUOTE=Astroboy14] Me too, but my wife finally got tired of me stretching them all out, and now I’m forbidden to wear her clothes when she isn’t home… ☹ [/QUOTE] So wear them when she is home. Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/43 "2008-05-04T18:38:51Z")
[QUOTE=put down the sabre] At the higher end of the market, though, I suppose talented designers don’t want to design clothes for fat people. Firstly (so they say) clothes look better on the rail-thin. Secondly, within reason, thinner=more attractive, ceteris paribus. So one can understand why a talented designer wants to put their creations on thinner people. Halo effect, and all that. [/QUOTE] I think people that aren’t thin enough to be human coat hangers tend to draw the attention more to themselves than the clothes. I can understand how the haute couture designers would want the attention centered on their work - plus I’d imagine it’s easier to design clothes without having to worry about variables in the clothes hanger. **Astroboy** , cite? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/44 "2008-05-04T20:22:36Z")
[QUOTE=put down the sabre] I honestly think that if there was a huge gap in the market, then someone would have filled it. I think self-reporting is quite unreliable here: the clothes people say they would buy differ from the ones they actually do.\ [/quote] But how much of that is a self-fulfilling prophecy? Women don’t buy cute plus-sized clothes because they can’t _find_ cute, plus-sized clothes, so clothes manufacturers don’t think there’s a market for cute, plus-sized clothes, in spite of the fact that North American women are fat and getting fatter (statistically, something like 60% of women are overweight, and 33% of women are obese). I don’t understand the gap in the market, either. It makes no sense from a business model perspective. I can tell you from my personal experience as a woman who shops for clothes just about every week that in spite of 60% of all women being overweight, 90% of the clothes in stores is for non-overweight women. And that’s just in the one store in the mall that actually _carries_ plus-sized clothing - there’s also the 15 other women’s clothing stores that don’t carry anything plus-sized at all. Who are, if I recall correctly, pissing and moaning that their sales are down. I think you also may not know that there is a lot of body image and self-esteem tied up in this issue, too. A lot of plus-sized women don’t even shop for clothes, because it’s embarrassing to have to try on clothing in larger sizes or go into a plus-sized shop. Size is definitely more than just a number. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/45 "2008-05-04T20:49:15Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] I think you also may not know that there is a lot of body image and self-esteem tied up in this issue, too. A lot of plus-sized women don’t even shop for clothes, because it’s embarrassing to have to try on clothing in larger sizes or go into a plus-sized shop. Size is definitely more than just a number. [/QUOTE] I must concur. I combat this by accompanying my wife when she visits retail establishments. I love spending time with her and in addition it’s always nice to be around women. I don’t work with many so it’s nice to hear their voices and smell their perfume and whatnot. Mostly I enjoy being with her as we both work full time. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/46 "2008-05-04T20:58:45Z")
[QUOTE=put down the sabre] I honestly think that if there was a huge gap in the market, then someone would have filled it. I think self-reporting is quite unreliable here: the clothes people say they would buy differ from the ones they actually do. [/quote] I think that’s because you can’t go naked, and if you _need_ clothes, you have to buy something. So you buy the least hideous thing you can find and hope for the best. If they don’t offer fashionable things in your size, then you can’t buy them. So it goes in circles. > [@](#): > > At the higher end of the market, though, I suppose talented designers don’t want to design clothes for fat people. Firstly (so they say) clothes look better on the rail-thin. Secondly, within reason, thinner=more attractive, ceteris paribus. So one can understand why a talented designer wants to put their creations on thinner people. Halo effect, and all that. And if you get high-end enough, then you can afford to have your clothes made for you and doesn’t matter what the hell size you are. I don’t think Helmut Lang is going to turn away cold, hard cash because it’s coming from a fat woman. And I don’t think it’s that designers don’t _want_ to design for larger women or are fat-haters; it’s that they don’t know how or can’t see the market. Of course, the people who are willing to spend the money to buy famous designer’s ready-to-wear are probably going to be willing to buy into modern beauty culture, where thinner is better. > [@bump](#): > > There’s a store called “Torrid”, I think, that sells some pretty stylish plus-sized stuff, and they have a website that you can order from too. I’m not big enough to wear stuff from Torrid, and it makes me grumpy, because apparently I have a fervent desire for trendy shirt dresses that is going unfulfilled. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/47 "2008-05-04T23:18:22Z")
For those interested in finding flattering clothes for fat women with a side of size acceptance politics, I recommend [Fatshionista](http://www.fatshionista.com/cms/). ---
**Author:** ![Her\_Royal\_IMFness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f07891/32.png) [@Her\_Royal\_IMFness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Her_Royal_IMFness)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/48 "2008-05-05T01:40:17Z")
[QUOTE=bump] There’s a store called “Torrid”, I think, that sells some pretty stylish plus-sized stuff, and they have a website that you can order from too. [/QUOTE] Ah, yes, got to love that store… Now if only they were more easily found around here. [QUOTE=Omegaman] I must concur. I combat this by accompanying my wife when she visits retail establishments. I love spending time with her and in addition it’s always nice to be around women. I don’t work with many so it’s nice to hear their voices and smell their perfume and whatnot. Mostly I enjoy being with her as we both work full time. [/QUOTE] I must say, you wife is one lucky lady!!! lol [QUOTE=ENugent] For those interested in finding flattering clothes for fat women with a side of size acceptance politics, I recommend [Fatshionista](http://www.fatshionista.com/cms/). [/QUOTE] Thank you for the link! [QUOTE=featherlou] But how much of that is a self-fulfilling prophecy? Women don’t buy cute plus-sized clothes because they can’t _find_ cute, plus-sized clothes, so clothes manufacturers don’t think there’s a market for cute, plus-sized clothes, in spite of the fact that North American women are fat and getting fatter (statistically, something like 60% of women are overweight, and 33% of women are obese). I don’t understand the gap in the market, either. It makes no sense from a business model perspective. I can tell you from my personal experience as a woman who shops for clothes just about every week that in spite of 60% of all women being overweight, 90% of the clothes in stores is for non-overweight women. And that’s just in the one store in the mall that actually _carries_ plus-sized clothing - there’s also the 15 other women’s clothing stores that don’t carry anything plus-sized at all. Who are, if I recall correctly, pissing and moaning that their sales are down. I think you also may not know that there is a lot of body image and self-esteem tied up in this issue, too. A lot of plus-sized women don’t even shop for clothes, because it’s embarrassing to have to try on clothing in larger sizes or go into a plus-sized shop. Size is definitely more than just a number. [/QUOTE] Also, might I add, that some of it does have to do with family history. I know that a lot of people do not believe that genetics has anything to do with weight, but I would like to state that it definitely plays with the build of a person. Take a look at myself and my brothers. All of us are extremely broad-shouldered and are on the heavier side. While the five of us have been fighting the weight issue most of our lives (more and more so as we start to grow older), the fight to find nice clothing is just as hard. I do not feel it is right that I should be punished for something I’ve been working to lessen in my life by not having access to finer, nicer, I-want-to-feel-happy-with-the-image-staring-back-at-me-in-the-mirror-today clothing. (Though this next part may be slightly off topic…) And while I understand that it takes more fabric to make the clothes to cover my behind, I do not feel that stores should up the price on a piece of clothing five times for what it’s worth. I know there needs to be some sort of mark-up to cover materials, production, shipping from place to place before it gets to the store and what not so that there is a profit, but over-pricing an item is just going to turn away more willing buyers who do not have $100 to spend on an item of clothing. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/49 "2008-05-05T03:52:59Z")
[QUOTE=Astroboy14] Me too, but my wife finally got tired of me stretching them all out, and now I’m forbidden to wear her clothes when she isn’t home… ☹ [/QUOTE] You shouldn’t wear her clothes at all, whether she’s home or not. You should get your own dresses that fit you properly. And some [manties](http://www.manties.net/) to go under them. ---
**Author:** ![Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intravenus_De_Milo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/50 "2008-05-05T04:06:51Z")
> [@Her Royal IMFness](#): > > Also, might I add, that some of it does have to do with family history. I know that a lot of people do not believe that genetics has anything to do with weight, but I would like to state that it definitely plays with the build of a person. I can definitely sympathize with this. The females in my family all have the similar annoying traits of large hips and large chests. A large chest is a burden, you say? Absolutely it is. I have a substantial rack but relatively small waist, so trying to find shirts that fit me correctly and flatteringly is often an unpleasant ordeal, to say the least. And no matter how much weight we try to lose, our chests do not grow that much smaller to compensate. My sister, who lost about 50 pounds over the course of about six months of a weight loss regime, still ended up having to get breast-reduction surgery because the weight of her chest was starting to put major strain on her back and shoulders. It’s true, not all overweight people are created equal. Losing weight is a well enough goal, no doubt, but I wish I could just type Command-A for “lose weight in ass”, Command-B for “lose weight in boobs”, and so forth. It’s not easy. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/51 "2008-05-05T04:08:01Z")
Lynn, why does that site have flashing blue balls? ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/52 "2008-05-05T04:12:55Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Fuck off, troll. [/QUOTE] 😕 this from some one who said > [@](#): > > You should have sat on her. > > _d & r_ (admittedly, you intended it as a joke, but come on now. You of all people should know better) I am another BBW dismayed at the lack of flattering clothing. I recall two things in particular. One brought to mind by this [QUOTE=IdM] It’s pretty much saying that not only are they NOT attractive, but that they shouldn’t even attempt to BE attractive, because god forbid if some plus-size woman showed up at prom wearing the same style dress as me, I think I would just, like, die or something. [/QUOTE] (and I am assuming **IdM** was voicing what a size 3 might think, not her own opinion) I actually did show up at a dance in the same dress as a size 3 (myself a size 20 at the time). I was the one who was mortified because she was able to take off the matching bolero jacket and walk around in the spaghetti straps, while I had to leave mine on to hide the non-matching bra straps underneath. The other thing that comes to mind is my personal pet peeve about the fashions hocked in catalogs like Roaman’s, Woman Within, and Jessica London. Set aside the fact that all the models in these 'logs are slender and small chested (even the bra models), the clothing - spandex fabrics, short skirts, belly shirts, pencil line dresses - wouldn’t flatter anyone except a well toned slender woman. I can design better stuff than that for a plus sized woman (but I haven’t the construction skills to back it up). ---
**Author:** ![8675309](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ea5d25/32.png) [@8675309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/8675309)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/53 "2008-05-05T04:24:15Z")
[QUOTE=Her Royal IMFness] “These fat dresses are so ugly! Fat people have no right to look beautiful. It should be illegal!” [/QUOTE] If she thinks the “fat dresses” are ugly and fat people have no right to beauty, shouldn’t she be happy? ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/54 "2008-05-05T04:25:24Z")
[QUOTE=Intravenus De Milo] I can definitely sympathize with this. The females in my family all have the similar annoying traits of large hips and large chests. A large chest is a burden, you say? Absolutely it is. I have a substantial rack but relatively small waist, so trying to find shirts that fit me correctly and flatteringly is often an unpleasant ordeal, to say the least. And no matter how much weight we try to lose, our chests do not grow that much smaller to compensate. My sister, who lost about 50 pounds over the course of about six months of a weight loss regime, still ended up having to get breast-reduction surgery because the weight of her chest was starting to put major strain on her back and shoulders. It’s true, not all overweight people are created equal. Losing weight is a well enough goal, no doubt, but I wish I could just type Command-A for “lose weight in ass”, Command-B for “lose weight in boobs”, and so forth. It’s not easy. [/QUOTE] I find Bebe to be one store that leaves room in the chest even for smaller sizes. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/55 "2008-05-05T04:29:35Z")
[QUOTE=8675309] If she thinks the “fat dresses” are ugly and fat people have no right to beauty, shouldn’t she be happy? [/QUOTE] We’ve been over this. See my posts and other’s on page one. 🙂 So Lane Bryant isn’t a go here? I don’t see their fashions as being so horrible. I am finding it harder and harder to actually find clothes that I like. I’m a size 10 or 12, but I’m middle aged. I don’t like fuzzy bunnies on sweatshirts or embroidered birdhouses, either. I also don’t like dressing like some overgrown toddler. But I don’t want to look like a well worn Steve Nicks. Let’s be honest here: if you’re not a size 4, about 20 years old, and tall, finding nice stuff can get tricky. I hate shopping. ---
**Author:** ![8675309](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ea5d25/32.png) [@8675309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/8675309)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/56 "2008-05-05T04:47:35Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] We’ve been over this. See my posts and other’s on page one. 🙂 Let’s be honest here: if you’re not a size 4, about 20 years old, and tall, finding nice stuff can get tricky. I hate shopping. [/QUOTE] Point 1 - oops, I missed that. Point 2 - amen! ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/57 "2008-05-05T05:33:24Z")
[QUOTE=Miss Purl McKnittington] They look great on actresses, but not on everybody. For example, I look like a pair of boobs on legs when I wear one. Sounds good? Yeah, not so much as you might think. [/QUOTE] Pics or it didn’t happen. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/58 "2008-05-05T12:01:13Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] We’ve been over this. See my posts and other’s on page one. 🙂 So Lane Bryant isn’t a go here? I don’t see their fashions as being so horrible. I am finding it harder and harder to actually find clothes that I like. I’m a size 10 or 12, but I’m middle aged. I don’t like fuzzy bunnies on sweatshirts or embroidered birdhouses, either. I also don’t like dressing like some overgrown toddler. But I don’t want to look like a well worn Steve Nicks. Let’s be honest here: if you’re not a size 4, about 20 years old, and tall, finding nice stuff can get tricky. I hate shopping. [/QUOTE] Lane Bryant’s definitely getting better, since they have more options than the huge tent-y tunic caftan things they used to be inundated with. The clothing is still _extremely_ low quality, though, and not worth full price at all (and usually not even worth the sales price). Also, they’re just as guilty of “this is in fashion, so we’ll just size it up for larger women” with the results being… not so good. Also: Lane Bryant, if you sell clothes starting at 14, maybe your jewelry should have some scaled down, too. My ribcage is too small to wear your tops but I can wear your pants and it’d be nice to get some cute silly rings on sale there. However, the smallest size rings I’ve seen (and I’ve _worked_ there) are 8s. Also: don’t assume that everyone has ginormous wrists. Make bracelets in two sizes, dammit! Personally, I want to set up a store for tween-sizes (no, not the age range). It’d be something like sizes 10-20 or 10-18. Once you get above an 8, it’s hard to get trendy boutique clothing, even though a 10 or 12 isn’t really fat. But 10-12s can’t shop at plus sized stores either. I’d like to make high quality clothing for that size range that’s cute but also _cut to be flattering_. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/59 "2008-05-05T12:15:43Z")
[QUOTE=zweisamkeit] Also, [Lane Bryant]'s just as guilty of “this is in fashion, so we’ll just size it up for larger women” with the results being… not so good. [/QUOTE] That’s kind of the point I was making about the catalog stores. The problem is there are plus sized women who somehow must believe that if it’s sold in a plus sized clothing store, it must therefore be flattering to a plus sized body. Tell you what, I’ll go in partners with you on that boutique idea, only my store will be for sizes 20 and up. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944/60 "2008-05-05T12:23:26Z")
[QUOTE=anyrose] That’s kind of the point I was making about the catalog stores. The problem is there are plus sized women who somehow must believe that if it’s sold in a plus sized clothing store, it must therefore be flattering to a plus sized body. Tell you what, I’ll go in partners with you on that boutique idea, only my store will be for sizes 20 and up. [/QUOTE] Dude, we could have sister shops! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dresses-plus-size-fugly-ugh/447944.md?page=4)