Olympic Inspiration

I can’t speak for fat men, but when you’re a fat woman, finding clothes that fit, are flattering, and (gasp!) are fashionable can be a real challenge. When I was in high school, I wore leggings every day – jeans never crossed these wide hips, because I didn’t want to wear the super giant denim pants that were available at the time. My legs are one of my best features – I couldn’t hide them like that! I shopped mainly at Lane Bryant, because where else could I shop? Not at The Gap and The Limited like most of my friends, that’s for sure.

Plus-sized clothing choices have improved over the years, especially now that we can buy clothes from all over the world from the comfort of our living rooms. My favorite website is Simply Be, which is a British clothier. Their clothes are expensive, and you have to wait while they cross the pond, but for me it’s worth it to look as good as I feel.

Have you heard the name Sarah Robles? She’s an Olympic weightlifter who has essentially been ignored by sponsors. This woman can lift more than 550 pounds, people! But because she is not thin and bikini-ready like many of her counterparts, she doesn’t get the lucrative sponsorships and endorsements that keep Olympic athletes going (they are often too busy training to hold down full-time jobs). Thankfully, a little bit of media attention garnered Sarah a sponsor. Great news!

But Sarah still struggles with something most fat women can relate to:  finding clothes that make her look and feel great. Until now. Reader Mary sent me this great article from People magazine, about a plus-size clothing designer who fitted Sarah with some super stylish dresses, skirts, and tops. London, here she comes! And those outfits will look even better when she accesorizes with an Olympic medal.

Image from People.com.

The size of the average American woman is a 14. Wander through the mall, and what do you see? Clothing stores and do not cater to – and some that refuse to even acknowledge – this majority of women. When will designers and stores wake up and see the very lucrative market in fat women who want to look fabulous?

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