What Size Does Plus Size Begin?
I tweeted a poll asking the above question and the results are very interesting.
As you can see there is no consensus as to what size plus size begins.
The main response was at size 18 but it only beat out sizes 12-16 by one vote.
I would love to know the reasons why people choose the answers that they did.
I imagine that for some people like myself it was based on their own size or the size of people that they know.
I also know that there is a huge divide, especially amongst woman as to what is plus size and what is not and i am talking about real world and not the modeling world, which an entirely different beast, although there was all that hoopla recently about the size 14 model in mark fast’s show.
I have been on plus size message boards where women actually got into nasty riffs because they were upset that someone who wasn’t their definition of plus size was posting or asking questions about different things.
Its really a very interesting dynamic to witness.
I would love to hear from some of you women who come and take a peek on a daily basis at my blog!
Yes, i know you have been here and i appreciate it but this would be so much more enlightening if you left comments!
So, please chime in.
What size do you think plus size begins and why?
Thanks!
(Note there were really great comments on this post from a variety of women but they didn’t survive my switching over to the disqus commenting system…boo)
I say 14.
And why Glama16?
What do you base that on?
To me plus size begins when people feel that they don't fit in a pair of pants they haven't wore in a year. To further explain, when I didn't fit in my size 10 one year, I already thought I was plus size and I know many females feel this way. To some it's how hard you find your size in your store or what a store labels as "plus size". Plus size to me is size 16, I think it all depends on your weight and where you are carrying your curves. You are never going to get a clear consensus on what is plus size because everyone has their own opinion
thanks for the comment Big Gurls are Fashionable Too.
i know that there will never be "one" answer to the question because we all have our own opinions based on our experiences, biases, etc which is why i think its important to hear them and what they are based on.
Size 14 has just always been my my ingrained starting point working in the retail industry all these years. I think 12 is the end of average size.
ok, glamah16 that is understandable and it is inline with a conversation i had with someone last night.
it seems that a lot of it is based on the sizes that you can readily get while shopping at "traditional" stores.
If we're going by what the clothing industry dictates, I'd say that plus size begins at 14/16.
Personally, I think it's much more complicated than that. I think there's still a stigma attached to the term "plus size." I've seen women who are sizes 10 or 12, but are completely uncomfortable in their own skins because they aren't smaller. I've also seen women who are size 20 who own it, and I just think of them as fabulous.
thanks kimono74 i totally agree.
and part of why i asked the question is because i wanted women to think more about what it means to them and not what the fashion industry dictates because we see on a daily basis that there is a huge disconnect within that industry.
another reason why i asked it is because i am hoping that more of us will work to dispel the negative connotation that is associated with the word.
until recently i was at the heaviest weight i have ever been at but never once did i have to body issues that i see all around us.
and yes at every size.
its all so distorted.
Great blog.
I think there is so much disparity in the answer because a lot of women don't want to be viewed as plus sized. Like I've worked with women (to no avail) who wore too little clothes just to say they were a size 10.
The biggest issue is why does it matter? I honestly believe it matters because plus size women are the one group that its ok to belittle, ridicule, and discriminate against and some women don't want to be a part of that.
Retail standards dicatate a size 12 is the beginnings of plus, while curvier women lean more towards a size 14.
Sorry, I love to talk about anything plus fashion related.
Prissi Chic
http://www.prissi-chic.com
http://www.fashionlovescurves.onsugar.com
thanks Priscilla
and no need to be sorry.
this is the kind of dialogue that i am hoping comes to the forefront.
you make a great point that "plus size women are the one group that its ok to belittle, ridicule, and discriminate against" and that too is why i raised the question.
to get women to speak up and out.
and i am with you.
i could talk about this issue all the time because its about my life and how comfortable i am and want to continue to be in my skin.
and how i really want other women to be also.
how we view ourselves effects every area of our lives!
and so to how we define ourselves and the energy behind it.
because the real issue behind asking wasn't really about the number per se but about perception and what that perception inevitable means.
I wear a size 14 now and would say this is the entering size for the plus size category. However, I'm
5'2". Maybe someone who is taller can wear a larger size without being considered plus. I've been anywhere from a size 26 to a size 10. Even though I experienced a major weight loss, I will always be plus sized in my own mind. That's why I started my blog all about living Plus Figured life to the fullest. I will be sharing my weight loss journey very soon along with reasons I am now an advocate of size acceptance. You can visit me at http://www.plusfigured.com.
thanks for the response kay.
interesting, your statement that you will always be "plus sized" in your mind.
i would love to know why you say that
To me the term 'plus size' was invented for retail so I'm going with that as the definition.
Like I tell my customers…it's just a number. If you don't like your number, cut out the tag!
thanks for chiming in oh Cheri
although the stores have somewhat influenced what plus size is by the way that they market, display, etc, the goal here is find out what individuals think.
it is not so much about the size on the tag but more so what the "label" means to the individual.
what being labeled it or taken on the label of "plus size" means to the individual.
to hopefully dispel the negatives and promote and celebrate the positives.