In another thread, Sarah requested that I post an article I wrote a couple of years ago on the challenges plus-sized youth encounter when trying to dress in age-appropriate style. I don't think things have changed much two years later.
It's a bit long, but enjoy! Sorry I couldn't link to it in a newspaper or online news site: most of those links are archived now, and often they abridge material. The only thing you're not getting here is the picture of the main interview subjetc.
Despite barriers, youth say it's possible to live large and look young (GenY-Plus-Sized-Fashi)
Source:
The Canadian Press
Oct 25, 2007 13:45
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Michelle M----
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO _ When it comes to fashion, Sabrina Conley is a devotee of the Gore Vidal school of thought: <code></code>Style is about knowing who you are, what you want
to say, and not giving a damn.''
In Conley's case, however, knowing who she is has involved embracing a socially stigmatized label and accepting the challenges that come with it.
The 21-year-old music student at the University of Western Ontario unabashedly describes herself as <code></code>fat,'' and puts considerable time and effort into
showing the world that she's comfortable with her size 24 body.
But she acknowledges that her subtle defiance doesn't come easily and that her age makes it more difficult to overcome weight-related stereotypes.
<code></code>Sometimes when you're fat, you feel you have to apologize for it. My way of apologizing for it is by dressing well,'' Conley said in an interview from
her home in London, Ont.
<code></code>I'm not a fat slob, which is the stereotype that a lot of women face when they're fat. People think you don't take care of yourself. . . . I just try
to put an outfit together that people will comment on.''
But for those in Conley's age and size bracket, finding flattering, age-appropriate clothes is not always easy.
In 2006, the fashion industry research company InfoMat published a report highlighting the shortcomings of the Canadian plus-size apparel market.
The report found that 30 per cent of Canadian women wore a size 14 or above, but only five per cent of the retail market carried those sizes.
Since many stores carry merchandise geared towards 35- to 45-year-old women, Conley and her plus-sized peers need to get creative if they want to be fashion-forward.
Amy McIsaac, for instance, has used her sewing skills to stay current.
Disillusioned with the styles and prices found at stores such as Addition-Elle and Reitmans, the 20-year-old native of Port Coquitlam, B.C., haunts thrift
stores for affordable garments, then takes them home to alter them herself.
She admits that her independent approach has its roots in an early antipathy for the plus-size fashion scene that stemmed from teenage discomfort with her
body.
But although she is now content with her figure, she still resents the fact that fashion-conscious, plus-sized teens have to work harder than most to project
their desired image.
<code></code>I think the world, and clothes, and shopping, means we have to put a lot more effort in than someone who can wear mainstream fashions,'' she said.
Some retailers have tried to reduce the burden on young plus-size shoppers.
Two years ago, Rina Rovinelli teamed up with partner Cindy Davigno to launch Maximum Woman, an online retailer specializing in youthful plus-sized fashions.
Within a year, Rovinelli and Davigno had opened a store in Toronto's west end and continue to do brisk business in person and over the Internet.
But Rovinelli is continually frustrated with the barriers that independent retailers face when trying to cater to underserved markets.
Recent attempts to carry styles by trendsetters such as Baby Phat left Rovinelli feeling frustrated and depressed.
<code></code>They had `missy styles' which are basically granny styles, or everything was $80 for a top, which is out of the average person's price range,'' she said.
<code></code>All the nice pieces only went up to an extra large.''
Rovinelli acknowledges selection is less of a problem for plus-sized fashionistas south of the border and laments the toll that customs and duty fees take
on retailers trying to import new fashions to Canada.
She also takes exception to retailers such as HM who quietly launch poorly marketed plus-sized lines only to pull them off the shelves within a year because
of poor sales.
But Rovinelli believes there is a genuine need for plus-sized youth fashions in today's market, and she's determined to address it.
<code></code>For us, at least 50 per cent of our clients are under 30, and there's a struggle, because when you're young, you want to wear what your friends are wearing,''
she said.
<code></code>And there's a stigma sometimes associated with plus-sized stores, and a lot of young women have tried to stay out of them. But . . . when you can find
a store that carries the same thing a few sizes up, it makes it easier.''
Last spring, 19-year-old Ginny Landry combed Vancouver shops for a prom dress to fit her size 18 figure. The high-waisted jeans visible on most store shelves
have also proved elusive in styles that suit her.
Like McIsaac, Landry's budget often dictates what clothes she can buy from mainstream stores and she takes a cynical view of the industry's pricing policy.
<code></code>There's so many women that wear plus-sized and really like fashion and are willing to pay more. But if it were more accessible, they'd make a lot more
money,'' she said.
<code></code>Maybe they feel they're going to be encouraging people to gain weight, but since when do they care more about health than money?''
For her part, Conley struggles with acquiring staples and specialty items.
Winter coats pose a challenge, and items from her university clothing store are acquired in the men's section. When she worked as a restaurant chef, the
company brought in a seamstress to modify their uniform for her.
But on the whole, Conley delights in subverting plus-sized fashion stereotypes.
She steers clear of traditional black clothing, preferring to experiment with seasonal colours.
Like women of any size, she is constantly hunting for patterns and cuts that show off the parts of her body she's most proud of.
And she hopes the Canadian market will improve enough to help her realize her ultimate style goal.
<code></code>I'm not here to be a fashion-icon or a trendsetter, I'm only trying to look good.''
