By Arriel Ginter
Tyra Banks just might be on to something. Speaking to the Huffington Post, Banks said ‘I don’t like the label ‘plus-size’ — I call it ‘fiercely real.’ On ‘Top Model,’ we call it fiercely real. I don’t want to use the term ‘plus-size… It just doesn’t have a positive connotation to it. I tend to not use it.
Though sometimes unorthodox, Tyra’s reasoning about the label ‘Plus-Size’ is not far off base. As a woman who has varied between “regular” and “plus” sizes I have often questioned what does the term actually mean?
The words plus and size combined do not indicate any positive feelings, let a lone make women happy or proud to be in that size range. The use of the word ‘plus’ detonates that this is the clothing for women who are not normal, but beyond and “extra”.
Even the extra cost of plus-size clothing is an insult. Recently at a faved discount retailer I was embarrassed to learn that the large I needed was not on sale, but if I could fit into a small or medium I could get the dress at 50% off.
Not alone, I know that I am not the only one who has experienced such size discrimination. The reasoning? Plus-size clothing needs more fabric.
47% of American women are size 14 and up, clearly indicating that the time is here for a new term for women with curves. The fashion industry –and the world – need to stray further from unrealistic expectations and celebrate the “fiercely real” women out there.
Plus-Size’ Labels Needs to Vanish