New York, 8:52 PM
Sat Nov 21
25 posts in the last 24 hours
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| posts about #bethdittofashion more → |
Kate Harding On Beth Ditto's Clothing Line: "A Slap In The Face" |
Beth Ditto Makes Plus-Size Clothing Fun, Sequined, 80s |
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Jezebel 
07/13/09
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baaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrfffff.
*that was me projectile vomiting*
(i'm only half serious because i know that's not what kate harding was saying, so don't flip out on me)
07/13/09
I have no problem going to Target and finding some decent work clothes that fit nice and flatter, but usually the GO International ones don't work out, so we clearly still have the same issue of designers leaving out the larger sizes as the norm.
But for me, a 22 year-old who is very trend-oriented and experimental in my outfits, I think Beth Ditto is filling a demand. Usually styles I like clearly weren't cut for me (just a larger version of something that is meant for skinny people, so I have to settle for things that are more boring. Now if only this could become the norm, not just for "plus size" lines, but ALL lines.
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Ugh. I almost walked out in tears.
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KH's view, if you bothered to read the link, is that these clothes are deeply reminiscent of the leggings + cartoon character/animal shirt to which women of size (as she puts it) were relegated in the eighties. C'mon, I don't believe for a second that there's anyone out there who doesn't think that when they see the rhinestone-studded cat. I think she can be forgiven for not finding that particularly liberating, no matter how "on-trend" it might be.
Thus the remark re hipster irony: for some people, 80s nostalgia is nostalgia for glamour. For larger women, it was a time of being relegated to terrible, ill-fitting clothing.
Honestly, I had hoped with the new commenting system these threads would get better. But it's still a bunch of women trying to shut down fat women they disagree with on the grounds that they (and often they are not, themselves, the target demographic here) understand this issue "better." I'm not saying there aren't women of size who wouldn't love these clothes. But there are tons who would see them as a throwback to an insulting era, and they are not "wrong" just because trends say they are.
I'm really disappointed.
07/13/09
I do think that the trend will appeal to younger shoppers. Greater choice is ultimately a must for all ages.
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It's the vehemence of the denials here I find shocking and disappointing.
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My point was that it's easy to buy plus-sized stuff from Evans (and Marks & Spencer, although they stop at a 24 or 26, I think) - their stores and concessions are everywhere.
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And my love of sequins prevents me from judging her line too harshly.
07/13/09
Now they want a variety of different styles of clothes? Please. Like we're going to validate their choice to be fat! What's next? They're going to want to be treated with respect? That's not a world I want my children to live in.
07/13/09
I couldn't make it past page 2 (of 6 pages of comments). Gross.
Kate has every right to be upset that the Ditto/Evans clothes are an acid trip straight outta the 80s, but i have to agree with Marianne of The Rotund (quoted), "If everyone else gets the chance to make questionable fashion choices, well, I appreciate having that opportunity myself."
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For the record, I think neither are threadjacks since this piece references availability (or lack thereof) of plus-sized clothing lines in stores.
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As for offering plus-sizes online, a lot of tall people have the same issue with specialty retailers (like J Crew, Gap, etc.). I'm not denying the fact that there is an extreme underrepresentation of plus-size clothing on the market, but if a retailer has chosen to move product online, it's usually because the market for it is relatively small and the overhead is way cheaper on e-commerce.
07/13/09
I know it's often thinner women on this site who complain about "who has it worse" competitions, but this is just changing the subject, which fat women get all the time when they try to identify systemic problems. And I don't see why it's necessary to change the subject.
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And, she's complaining specifically about this line. I do see that every choice becomes more of an issue because there are so little choices overall. But, I'm simply explaining why some retailers may phase out certain sizing/product to sell online.
07/13/09
I whole-heartedly agree. I'm a teenaged (not for long!) fatty, and am seriously considering shelling out the crazy shipping fees for those clothes. If skinny women can wear outrageous novelty-hipster clothes, why the hell can't I?
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http://www.sparklebliss.com/blog/archives/277
"I share Cooper’s ambivalence, and, like her, ultimately found it too hard to resist the seduction of a chance to buy actual clothes designed by an actual fat woman who’s actually ok with how she looks. Beth Ditto is an outrageous activist for fat women, and in a world filled with role models like Kirstie "I was Disgusting!" Alley and Oprah "How did I let this happen again?" Winfrey, we need as many Dittos as we can get. We need to reframe health as something less appearance based, and we need to reframe fashion as something that could conceivably fit onto an average female body."
07/13/09