Today, the average size of the American woman is hard to agree upon, but it’s debated to be between sizes eight and 14. Yet, by fashion industry standards, the average woman also is considered plus sized.
“A plus sized model, in the past, was a size 10 to 12 — up to a size 18 for fashion,” said director of MSA Models Anthony Higgins in an article published on NYCastings.com. “Now they are calling a size eight plus sized.”
This is no surprise coming from an industry that plasters the faces and bodies of models averaging from size zero to four on nearly every advertisement, catalog and runway. Year after year, women are expected to abide by beauty standards set in place to sell clothing — and in this world, thin sells.
While this doesn’t really affect the average American woman shopping for an outfit to complement her features, it’s a different case for those who are actually plus size. Due to the industry’s skewed understanding of what plus size really is, many girls and women are left with limited choices as retailers devote themselves to petite bodies.
What designers within the fashion industry should understand is that they are overlooking a fairly large market of plus-size consumers — worth about $9 billion in 2014, according to Australian research company IBISWorld. These are women who are ready and equipped to purchase their merchandise if only it fit.
At the University, assistant professor in the Department of Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising Laurel Romeo conducted a study in which she used body scans and in-depth interviews to reveal that there are three issues that interfere with plus-size female teens purchasing desired apparel: lack of plus-size apparel in the Juniors category, confusion over size designations and fit concerns with online purchases.
According to the study, 53 percent of participants suggested that sizing charts be updated by manufacturers to reflect the size and shape of today’s female teens.
“[Manufacturers] didn’t make sure that a [garment] fits where it should or is comfortable where it should be,” disclosed one participant, 17, during the study. “For curvier girls, give it space for those curves to fit.”
The study also found that there is a stigma associated with the term “plus size” that has some consumers, especially younger ones, shying away from the clothes that fit them as fat-shaming is still a prevailing issue in our country.
“For a preteen or teenager, they should never call it plus size,” commented a participating mother of a 12 year-old.
“Because teenagers are mean, and preteens are worse.”
Luckily, there has been a growing trend of acceptance toward people, especially women, of all shapes and sizes. This shift is exemplified in the award-winning “Dove Campaign for Real Beauty” and among hashtag campaigns such as #EffYourBeautyStandards, #AskHerMore and #NotBuyingIt.
However, as long as models are the face of fashion, women will be faced with an unrealistic beauty standard — despite the fact these models have a team of makeup artists, stylists and Photoshop experts who make them look the way they look in the pictures we see.
As a woman, I can better relate to clothing when average-sized women are placed in advertising campaigns because it tells me the way I look is OK. I’m sure the same would apply to plus-size women if there were actual plus-size women in fashion.
For centuries, females have been adapting themselves to fit these beauty standards set by the fashion industry — from attempting to change the shape of their body to adopting new grooming habits.
Now, in 2015, we celebrate the diversity of beauty and empower women with the confidence to not only accept but love the way they look. With that said, it’s time the fashion industry start adapting itself to fit females for a change.
Zoe Geauthreaux is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from New Orleans. You can reach her on Twitter @ZoeGeauthreaux.