Plus size fashion is an ever growing industry, this is a trend that is strengthened by plus size celebrities that are currently in the media spotlight. In recent years plus size women have taken their fashion inspiration from icons such as the singer Beth Ditto and actress Amber Riley.
American Singer-songwriter, Beth Ditto
American Actor and Singer, Amber Riley
Many shops now offer a plus size ranges while a few others cater exclusively for larger women. You only need to do a Google search to discover the large number of online sites that deal exclusively in plus size fashion.
This is obviously a positive as everyone deserves choices in regards to what they wear. But it also raises some concern. With more plus size offerings on the high street, it could be argued that this availability does not necessarily help promote a healthier society in the future.
While there a many negatives around the idea of plus size fashion, there are also many positives that can’t be taken away from it. If you look at the example of Amber Riley, the star of the Fox’s hit show Glee, you will see an example of a woman who is clearly very comfortable within her own skin. On her twitter account she once said:
“I’m so honored to be a part of @seventeenmag’s Body Peace Council! It feels amazing to be awarded for just LOVING MYSELF”
We are a society that is increasingly worried about our image, especially since we are bombarded on a daily basis, with pictures of ‘perfect’ celebrities. Yet it is always refreshing to come across people, whatever size they may be, who are comfortable with who they are.
Image aside, there are also financial benefits to the greater availability of plus size fashion. If more companies offer plus size fashion then competition will be greater and this may help to push the prices down.
These increases in the availability of plus size fashion may also have positive impacts on the fashion industry in general. At the moment the fashion industry is often dominated by super skinny women, and many large fashion events have faced criticism in the past. This is particularly true when you look at the main fashion weeks such as those in New York, London and Paris.
Skinny Models in Fashion Weeks
There is Even a Drink for Skinny Models
This might change with the introduction of Fuller Fashion week (FFW). Fuller fashion week is an event based solely around plus size fashion, it will take place in June 2011 in New York and the organisers aim to bring it other major cities in the future. This may sound great but could the new fashion week may lead to an industry of extremes?
A Fuller Fashion Week
While FFW is empowering for many women, this is not the case for every woman. A study carried out at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University found that women with average BMI levels did not respond well to plus size models. It found that these women suffered from lower self esteem after seeing plus size models in ads.
Overall it is obvious that plus size fashion is here to stay. It is certainly a positive in terms of giving all women the opportunity to express themselves through the clothes that they choose to wear. What do you make of the new trend?
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