The Spin Cycle

Have you heard about the hot water Old Navy’s gotten themselves into in regards to their plus-size clothing pricing practices? It all started when a savvy shopper noticed that Old Navy charges more for plus-sized items than for straight-sized – for women. Men’s clothing costs the same no matter the size. Here’s an excerpt from the petition:

For example: Old Navy’s Rockstar Super Skinny Jeans cost $27 in a size 6. The same jeans in a size 26 cost $40. Alternatively, the men’s Slim-Fit Jean costs $25–no matter the size.

Notice there's no "Men's Plus" section.
Notice there’s no “Men’s Plus” section.

As of the writing of this post, the petition has over 87,000 signatures (and yes, one of them is mine). Pretty hard for Old Navy to ignore that many voices, right? Well, the company responded, and as you can imagine, they had some lovely spin:

“Old Navy is proud to offer styles and apparel designed specifically for our plus-size female customer, which includes curve-enhancing and curve-flattering elements such as four-way stretch materials and contoured waistbands, which most men’s garments do not include,” Gap spokesperson Debbie Felix told The Huffington Post in an email Tuesday.

Sure, okay. I need special curve-enhancing and -flattering materials in my pants, and men don’t. Whatever. You know what really gets my blood boiling about this? That not only are my pants pricier than a man’s because of all my special pant needs, but apparently my pants have $13 worth of extra material than a skinny woman’s pants. Thirteen dollars! And don’t even start with the “bigger sizes cost more to produce” argument, because wouldn’t that mean a size 12 (still a straight size, mind you!) should cost, oh, I don’t know, maybe $13 more than a size 0? Straight-sized women would never stand for that! No, companies upcharge for plus-size clothing because they can.

Check out the price on these pants. And all the options!
Check out the price on these pants. And all the options!

 

Fat women have far fewer choices, and a higher price point.
Higher original price point than the straight size, with far fewer options.

Okay, so let’s take a look at some of the arguments folks are offering in defense of Old Navy’s pricing practices. (Check out the comments section of any article about this controversy, and you’ll find loads of people who are experts in women’s fashion, health, and the economy!) As you can imagine, people are sympathetic and understanding about fat people’s clothing needs. Just kidding!

Fat Women Shouldn’t Wear Skinny Jeans Anyway

This is probably my favorite. Nothing to do with the actual issues at hand, just fat-shaming at its “Don’t make me look at your disgusting body, fatso!” ugliest. Thanks, concerned commenter, but I’ll make my own fashion decisions, regardless of your opinion.

Stop Shopping There If You Don’t Like It

Written by a person who has endless options for buying clothes. Guess what, skinny person? I don’t have endless options. I have very few choices in brick and mortar stores (and there are plenty of fat people who are completely sized out of mall stores). There are more options for me online, but very few are economically priced like Old Navy clothes. I have limited choices, so completely eliminating one isn’t as easy a decision for me as it would be for you. This is what’s known as thin privilege. Please check yours at the door.

They Make Less Money On Plus-Sizes

I see this argument a lot, especially in regards to why stores – like Old Navy and Target – have stopped carrying plus sizes in their brick and mortar stores. Just last year, I had a clerk at L.L. Bean tell me that they stopped carrying plus sizes because “no one was buying them.” How does that work, exactly, when we live in a nation that is constantly reminded of how fat we’re all getting? If the average American woman is a size 14, why is it that so few stores sell products meant for half the population? Where are fat women buying their clothes? Are we are just running around naked and I haven’t noticed? I refuse to believe that plus-size clothing is not profitable. So the garbage response that stores can’t make good money on duds for fat women is just more spin.

Ooh, "boyfriend" style! And a nice price point, too.
Ooh, “boyfriend” style! And a nice price point, too.
Fewer choices, higher price.
Higher prices for the same style. And we don’t get to call them “boyfriend,” either.

What can you do? Sign the petition. Speak up. Write to clothing stores and tell them what you want. Wave your dollars in their faces. If we make enough noise, we can make change. And if it really comes down to the fact that fat dollars are less worthy to companies than thin dollars, then I guess we’ll just have to start our own clothing company. Should we call it Big Fit Deal?

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