Monday, February 6, 2012

Size 6 is The New "Fat"

I was having a conversation with my little sister about Karl Lagerfeld's comments about Adele being "beautiful... but too fat" (insert eyeroll and middle finger here). I thought that was enraging enough but she went on to tell me that recently an article had popped up on the internet saying how size 6 is the new plus size. Say what? Not only is that completely ridiculous but it's so dangerous. I mean, let's say you're one of those people who think I'm the one being completely ridiculous. Just think about it this way: what message does it send to actual plus size women when you tell them the spectrum has been broadened to include girls who in their minds are downright tiny, especially in comparison to their own selves? Is the mission to make them feel fatter, to make them feel even more that they are not accepted? And to the "new plus size" girls, is the mission to make them feel fat, period? Fat. The word itself is so... abstract. What is fat? That squishy yellow matter they always bring out on doctor shows? That little roll that sits on top of your jeans when you sit down? A few extra pounds, or a few hundred? Personally, I wish we lived in a world where no one had to be considered plus size. Why can't all women be catered to at one store? Why does one group of women "deserve" nicer clothes? Why does one group of women need their own special store? Why can't we all just co-exist without looking at the size of our bodies, without ostracizing another group of people into their own respective corners so we can pretend they don't exist. The fashion industry as a whole (whether it's Dior or Forever 21) needs to step up it's game in terms of catering to more than one type of girl. I'm afraid the end result will be a world full of eating disorders. But I'm also afraid people would be more comfortable with that.