So, Target has a new line out called AVA & VIV. (I’m still not really sure how to pronounce
it...) I’ve seen a lot of comments, read a few articles and the general
feeling I got from the “plus-size community” was “ew”, “the clothes are
boring”, and other general bitching. There seems to be some residual hurt
feelings, leftover from the pulling of all plus clothing from stores last year,
as well. I wanted to share my opinion and thoughts, ‘cause I think everyone
cares. (Just kidding. I know they don’t.)
Here it is. It’s not personal. It’s business.
I’ll elaborate in a minute, but first of all, I have read
comments about the current or former or past items of plus size clothes at
Target being ugly and frumpy and whatever, and I have to strongly disagree. I
have purchased some great shit from there. You want to talk about frumpy, let’s
talk about Old Navy, OK? I mean is it not high-end couture, no, but it’s Target
- what do you expect?
The new AVA & VIV line is, similarly, not that
interesting, but there are a few wins that I think we all have to acknowledge.
Fatkinis? Cute fatkinis, at that? I mean, I’m interested! I can remember the
days where it was incredibly difficult to find cute bathing suits, at all, let
alone 2 pieces. Also, have y’all stepped into an H&M lately? There are
literally no skirts. Maybe they think we only wear pants? Target has been
offering plus-size skirts for awhile, so give them some credit.
 |
| Fatkini. Cute. |
Also, a part of me has to wonder if retailers aren’t making
more interesting clothes because they think there isn’t a market for them. I
mean, I know I want interesting clothing, but I’m not sure the plus-size
community, at large, wants that, as well. And when you think of things from a
business perspective, they would be taking a risk to make a bunch of weird-looking
plus-size clothes just to see if they sell or not. If they don’t sell, they
lose. The fact that there may not be
a market probably has a lot to do with the shame and stigma fat people face on
an everyday basis in our society, and the feeling of unworthiness that comes
from that, contributing to the idea that fats don’t deserve nice clothing until
we are thin, blah, blah, blah...
Basically, fatshion is a fat-activism issue. (IMO, at least.) Which is why it
bothers me when I see popular “plus-size” bloggers participating in the diet
industry, because they are contributing to an industry that profits from our
body-hate, while being rewarded by the opposite agenda. It’s sort-of hypocritical
to me.
Which brings me back to my original point. Virtually
everything that corporations do is based upon profit. Money is the name of the
game. If Target projected making a fucking fortune, double or more of the
profits from straight-size fashion, from plus-size fashion, in-store, the
plus-size department would be huge, and the straight sizes would be delegated
to the area in the back, near the maternity clothing. But, that is not reality.
And, until it is, we will just have to suck it up, buy our clothes online,
support independent designers (if we can afford to), etc. I think the worst
thing you can do is decide you’re going to “take a stand” and not buy any
plus-size options Target has to offer in the hopes that your lack of money will
convince them to make more clothes… that you will not spend money on.
I know it all seems very personal because we feel like we
are being attacked for our fat ALL THE GOD DAMN TIME, but in this case, I
really don’t think it is.
It’s like the other day when I went to the grocery
store and I couldn’t find my Organic Valley Hazelnut flavored Half & Half.
I asked a man in dairy if they still carried it and he said they had stopped
because it wasn’t selling. Was I disappointed? Sure, but it wasn’t a personal
attack on all the hazelnut-loving, creamy coffee, drinking folks. It was just
business.
 |
| Gimme. |
Most corporations (outside of religious-based organizations, like
Hobby Lobby, Chick Filet, and Cracker Barrel) only care of profits. When
plus-size fashion is profitable (hey, a
girl can dream), we will have all the options under the sun and they will
all be in-store. Until then, I mean, it’s just fashion. It’s mostly a
disgusting industry that preys on our insecuties in order to
make money, so whatever.
