Too chubby for "regular" sizes? Well Chub it up, Chubbo's!!

[wednes]

Oh Lane Bryant, your disdain for your customer base makes me want to die.

You all know Lane Bryant? The store for fat chicks that has always flat out refused to use fat models in their catalogs and ads. Why? Because they sell more clothes when customers can't actually see how the clothes will look on a fat person. Genius, yes? No.

Unhappily, I still buy things from Lane Bryant Woman Within. How can I not? They send me like, 3 catalogs a week. Besides, it really is the cheapest place on the world for fat chick pants, bras, T-shirts (although the King Size Men's catalog has cooler print T's) thermal clothes and casual dresses.

Why bring it up? What's my point?
Well, I came across one of these on the Facebook, then found one more.
I had no idea women were ever referred to as "Stout."
Except that Disney teapot chick. Teapots are stout, and short.





Plus, those chicks aren't actually fat.

Comments

[opaqueplanet.livejournal.com]

I'm currently trying to find a dress my mom might wear to my eventual wedding if she were my maid of honour. I want the dress to be flattering to women of my mom's (and my) figure. I look up plus size brides maid dresses, formal dresses, prom dresses... nearly all sites that sell ONLY plus size dresses have ONLY slender women modeling their wares. How in hell would I know if that dress is flattering on my mom?

I was very pleased with Cassandra Stone (and pleased to BE pleased, since Cassandra is my name). It's the one designer I found that actually features "plus size" models. I use quotes because none of them are, of course, very big, but at least I could get an idea of this dress hides a belly, this one accentuates breasts, this one would hide a mega-bra.

[jeffpalmatier.livejournal.com]

What's amusing is even the 'fat' models are usually pretty thin. Sure, they're much bigger in comparison to their anorexic counterparts. However, I doubt that out and about in the real world anybody would consider them fat.

In the early nineties I read an interview with Carnie Wilson in Details magazine. They asked her what she thought of this punk band that whose name was The Fat Chick in Wilson-Phillips. I respected her for her reaction, which seemed to be sincere amusement. She also cracked me up when they asked her what was the most surprising thing about her. She replied something like, "That every other word out of my mouth is 'fuck'!"

[lachupacabra.livejournal.com]

i forget, are you in fatshionista?
yeah that shit with lane bryant really pisses me off
but then so does pretty much everything about the +sz
fashion industry.
have you seen the latest on old navy's fuckery?
not only are they not carrying any +sz shit in the stores
but now you have to PAY to send yr returns back, which
considering their AWFUL non-standardized sizing (ive tried
the same item in different colors on & had it fit differently!)
is basically PAYING to try their fucking stupid clothes on!

sucks too cause they have great sales & their prices are
usually better than lane bryants.
;(

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I like Holy Clothing, but I've only bought 2 things from them. I've had to restitch the skirt once, but they are very cost effective.

I really wish Zaftique used plus size models. I bought my wedding dress from them...for only $150 or so but needed to adjust my expectations severely once it arrived. It ended up being a good dress, but I wish I'd seen it on a fat girl before I bought it.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Indeed. "plus size models" really means fat, for a model. I can recall Richard "I'm a douche" Roeper posting about how offended he was by the "chubby" girls in the Dove soap ads a few years back. The chubbiest chick was a size 12 or 14, I forget which.

I used to be an admirer of Carnie Wilson. I must admit that I was disappointed when she had WLS. I think if you're really okay with being fat, why get the thin-making surgery? At the same time, I have no idea whether or not her weight affected her health so I can't really judge.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Old Navy sucks. I totally agree about sizing and can't imagine why they'd want to turn away all that cash. I mean, fat girls need to get dressed too.

I am over at fatshionista but I don't check in very often.

I prefer to buy stuff online from smallish custom companies. But when I'm poor, I just get a bunch of cheap knits from LB.

[hellhole.livejournal.com]

I'm a size 10, can I be a fat model, too?

Oh, I keed. That's ridiculous. The world's idea of "beauty" is so flawed, its ridiculous.

I disagree about Lane Bryant being the cheapest...

[(Anonymous)]

Unless you're talking online shopping. If you ever tend to shop in person, I highly recommend, Walmart, K-mart, Target, and definitely Avenue. Avenue's quality is more comparible to LB than the others, but I've had plenty of luck with all the above. I also understand there's LOTS of people opposed to shopping Walmart, but it's hard to beat tops for under $10 for us "Chubbies", especially when we need to get the most bang for our buck these days. Torrid is an incredibly fun site AND store to check out, but not cheaper.

Also, do you find LB getting stingier with their sizing? I feel they're not as generous as before. Avenue remains quite generous, I find I can go a size smaller with some clothing there.

Holly - friend of Sudrin's

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I concur.

[lachupacabra.livejournal.com]

i called their 800# to bitch about that
& how rudely i was treated in one of their
stores when asking about +sz merchandise
& they sent me a $10 gift card!

i wont be throwing it away cause HAHHA
thanx for the free money, shitbags!!!!
but i also wont be buying anything that costs more than $10 from them!

when i have a few extra minutes here & there
when im on the road (i drive a LOT), if i see
a thrift store, i usually stop just in case i
find a good score.

since theres usually only 2 fucking racks of +sz shit in most of them anyway, it only takes a couple of minutes to poke around.

besides underwears, ive managed to buy nearly all used shit in the last 5yrs aside from a few things.

i know yr wayyy on the other side of the world from me
hahhaha
but if you come down this way, there is the ALL
+sz resale shop on vandyke & there are 2 particularly good salvation armies aroun here too!

Re: I disagree about Lane Bryant being the cheapest...

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I do shop LB online most of the time. The staff at the ones near me are quite snotty. Plus the sizes online go larger than they do in-store. I have noticed that their blouses don't fit me as well as those I bought years ago, even though I have lost weight since then. Frown.

I don't think I could actually go to a Walmart, but I've never even looked at Avenue. Methinks I shall.

Thanks!

[lachupacabra.livejournal.com]

oh my fucking shit dont even get me started
on the whole fashion industry wants to help
wreck the world rant.

its DESIGNED to make us feel bad for being FAT
& feel bad about everything about ourselves!!
I REFUSE to feel bad for the way i look!
FUCK THEM ALL!!!
;P

Re: I disagree about Lane Bryant being the cheapest...

[lachupacabra.livejournal.com]

ill go naked b4 i shop @ walmart.

avenue has some VERY nice stuff as does catherines
but they are both very pricey.
altho from what ive seen, the quality is better than LB.
also, i know the name is awful (in fact, i have a gf who REFUSES to shop there 100% BECAUSE of the name)
but dress barn WOMAN (thats their +sz part)
has some pretty nice stuff too...altho it tends
to be a little more old lady-ish.

the staff @ all the LBs ive been to are pretty snotty.
fuck them too.
;(

[opaqueplanet.livejournal.com]

Thanks for referring me to Holy Clothing! I just checked it out and it looks like a) stuff my mom would wear, and b) similar in style to my wedding dress (I've had it drawn out since I was 17... I'm such a girl). Awesome! I was planning on just sewing the bridesmaid dresses (I'm doing that for my dress) to reduce costs and make sure I get what I/my girls want, but this site looks very promising... I might go this route instead.

You're awesome!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Oooh, me likee the Salvation Army!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Well, dieting is a huge industry.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Right on.

[lachupacabra.livejournal.com]

yeah but dieting doesnt change why ppl feel bad about themselves.
its only addressing an outside issue.

i am ALL for doing whatever you want to do,
be it WLS, dieting, getting fake boobies, gender reassignment, WHATEVER you need to do to the outside to make the inside feel good, better etc
its just with most ppl who feel bad cause theyre fat,
if someone wasnt telling them theyre BAD
because theyre fat, there would be no problem.
just my 2¢...

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. I think that there are a lot of companies with a huge stake in making sure women feel bad about themselves. It's especially heinous because they masquerade as wanting to help women "beautify" themselves with whatever crap they're peddling. Grrrr.

[jenx.livejournal.com]

IGIG has everything from sundresses to wedding dresses, and they are *flattering*, unlike the crap from Lane Bryant. Lola & Gigi only go up to 3X, but they have some *really* cute stuff, too.

Re: I disagree about Lane Bryant being the cheapest...

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, and let's not forget Fashion Bug, they usually ALWAYS have a plus-size side of the store. I know they've cut way back on locations, and I'm unsure of the greater AA area (I only have about 3 or 4 left around me, and you gotta go a few miles to get to them), but if you can find one, and hit the sales racks? Honey? You in bidness!

Or go online!

-Holly

[locakitty.livejournal.com]

The catalog was actually not a part of the Lane Bryant company (which also owns Express and I believe NY&Co, posb even Petite Sophisticate). The name was being leased by that catalog company which is why it changed to Woman Within. I think when Charming Shoppes merged with the other company, I can't remember the corp name for all those stores, they canceled the contract with Woman Within.

How do I know this? I worked the email support for charming shoppes which handles Fashion Bug, Catherines and Lane Bryant's websites. Yay! I wasn't really fond of that job, the customers were pretty insane. At least the LB customers were, most of the Catherine's customers were old Southern women who were very polite on the phone.

I know LB the store uses plus size models, but, I think the largest is probably an 18. the stupid mannequins still aren't plus size, though.

[thehula.livejournal.com]

Don't they know that a chubby is an erection, not a fat chick? Sheesh!!! :P

Re: I disagree about Lane Bryant being the cheapest...

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Man...I forgot all about Fashion Bug.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

At my work, we take calls from all over the country and I have to say the southerners are unfailingly polite. Even when they're pissed they call me ma'am and abstain from profanity.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Ha! Good one.

[hellamama.livejournal.com]

I keep trying to teach Cecil to be polite and abstain from profanity even when he is mad. I think you get better service that way, and it's rude to cuss at people. He's still too Yankified to comply :)

Meanwhile, I also hate it when regular models are used for plus-sized clothing ads, but I find myself distracted when women who are my size are used. I actually kind of prefer the "plus size models" who are about a 16 to a 20 or so. Of course, that's big for a plus-size model, and the terminology bugs me...

Maybe that makes me a bad fat person. I don't know.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Even when I worked at crapshacks like McDonalds and Blockbuster, I didn't have to wait on people who swore at me. I will never understand why people think I'm going to go out of my way to help them when they're acting like a petulant child. When someone is screaming like a loon, it's almost always because they want me to break policy for them--why on Earth would I do that for someone who's being mean to me?