The Cost Of Fatshion: Why People Arenât Embracing Celeb Clothing Lines
There have been a lot of posts and comments lately surrounding the new clothing line by Beth Ditto, and it all seems to boil down to accessibility, both in the case of size as well as cost.Â
Weâve seen it before with Melissa McCarthy, and Rebel Wilson. Small-fat celebs have stated that the lack of plus size clothing options is dreadful, and that they would use their platform and finances to provide newer, fresher looks to a part of the fashion world which too often repeats the same tired trends ad nauseam.Â
As would be expected, the fat community cheers with excitement, ready to see clothing lines by the few people that, for better or worse, are our only representation in mainstream media. Sadly, as has become the norm now, each time we have been met with less than stylish fashions, at prices far higher than the average person is able or willing to spend, on often monochromatic, baggy, shapeless items that seem to cry âhide your problem bodyâ.Â
Melissa McCarthyâs line was one I recall so many people getting amped up for, only to discover that a saggy sweater with a poorly drawn cat on it cost over $100. It was an overpriced potato sack of a top, and much to the disappointment of fat people everywhere, the rest of her line was on par with that *quality*. I donât know of a single person who actually purchased one of her garments, and that doesnât surprise me in the least.Â
The most recent celeb to put out a clothing line in the name of cute-fashions-for-fatties was Beth Ditto. I know I was pumped. I had seen a few items from a previous line years ago, and recalled the prices being a smidge higher than your average torrid item, but still relatively accessible (not completely outlandish).Â
The second I saw that her new line of clothing was live, I rushed to her website, and was instantly crushed. $395 US for a jumpsuit that vaguely looks like a Glad trash bag with a cinched waist? $115 for plain black leggings? What is going on here?Â
Some posts about the costs that indie clothing lines incur, while coming out with and producing a line of clothes, have cropped up in response to the shock others have shared with this line, too often with condescending tones meant to belittle and even shame their target audience into silence. There are indeed ways to discuss costs and overhead with people in a way that does not involve turning your nose up to them, but no amount of explanations will really change the fact that some indie artists are definitely charging far more than others, and that $395 jumpsuits are just wild.Â
A simple example of some differences include that as a super fat, I am very limited in where I can buy basic leggings of any colour, even standard black. I get mine custom from chubbycartwheels.com, a designer who makes her own patterns, sews everything herself, and ships every item herself. She works her ass off, and still the most expensive leggings she has (based on cost of beautifully printed mermaid material) is $49 US. That is less than half of a pair of plain black leggings from Beth Dittoâs line, and Beth has far more resources at her disposal.Â
One could argue that, just as straight sizes have inexpensive stores and high end stores, that it makes sense that so would the plus size industry, but that would be creating a false equivalency. For starters, there are not the same number of plus size stores as there are straight sized stores. In fact, for every 1 plus size store, you could probably name off 10-20 straight sized stores that are of equal or lesser cost.Â
While thin people have many shops including Old Navy in which to buy inexpensive clothing, the only shop I know that comes close to those low prices for plus sized clothes is Forever21+, and yet that store cuts off at a junior 3X, is rarely stocked with anything of note, and the racks are crammed in the back of the store beside a mop and boxes of trendier straight sized clothes that have yet to join the other 95% of the store. So to act like this is a fair balance, and that we are on par with straight sized stores, and thus somehow need (why exactly?) a store that charges $400 for a non-staple item (no reallyâŠ.why?), seems incredibly privileged and ignorant.
The problem with size accessibility is present in the Beth Ditto line as well, as most items stop at a 3X, and the few that go to size 28 are all incredibly fitted, and so people like myself, even if we felt like spending half a monthâs rent on one piece of clothing that isnât even *every day wear*, still have no hope of fitting in these items. The same sizing issues were present in Melissa McCarthyâs line, and to a degree, Rebel Wilsonâs Torrid line.Â
I refuse to shop Rebel Wilsonâs line for several reasons, but even her clothes were so similar to those already on Torrid, but with a price jack all because her name was attached to them. I wasnât wowâd by any of the pieces to begin with, and thatâs a personal style issue, but then to see how a bomber jacket by her was so much more than a nearly identical one I already owned from Torrid really drove home how these celeb clothing lines arenât about making plus size clothing more accessible for a wider range of sizes, especially when they make the size cut off less than the average items already sold in stores, but about providing the same thing as always at a name-induced mark up.Â
Now literally no one is saying that you cannot still love Melissa, or Beth, or Rebel (although I wouldnât since Rebel is awful and recently even made a transphobic comment), and no one is saying that you shouldnât buy their clothes and roll around in a pile of them if you can afford to. By all means, do as you please, and enjoy your purchases!!
What needs to stop however, is that when people speak up, and critique these clothing lines, and in particular, the sizes and costs offered, that suddenly people creep out of the rafters to attack, belittle, and sneer at those making the critiques, essentially implying that you are obligated as a fat person to stand behind everything another fat person does, and act as a cheerleader, regardless of the fact that there are problems.Â
I absolutely believe that fat people can benefit from supporting each other, that the community benefits when we support indie plus size designers, and that women can benefit from supporting each other. What I want to know though, is who exactly is supporting the super-fats, and those without immense amounts of disposable income to toss away on $400 jumpsuits? Who is helping them find accessible clothing, both in size and cost? How is telling them to be grateful for clothes they cannot fit in or afford helping them dress themselves? How is repeatedly leaving them in the dust supporting them?Â
The fashion industry is one that, no matter the size, style, or target audience, cost and fit will always be discussed. People of every size have voiced opinions on these issues for an eternity. We have countless shows in which clothing is analyzed in every facet.
These fat celebs all seem to have looked into the fashion industry and made the judgment that there are not enough fat fashions for people, and that too often plus sizes are left out, but when their line comes out and the target audience offers up opinions on what is lacking, or what could have been done better, suddenly the celebs have fingers in their ears, and die-hard fans are attacking those who are speaking up.
You cannot enter the fashion industry expecting to be immune to the same critiques that drew you there in the first place.Â
If you wanted to provide more options for plus sizes, about 10 seconds of research would have told you that the biggest complaints tend to be affordability and fit. To declare yourself a warrior of plus size clothing, and then ignore those two key points anyways, is to set yourself up for negative feedback.Â
Negative feedback isnât always a bad thing. Negative feedback can tell you what is lacking, what needs improvement, what people truly want. You can learn so much from the complaints of those who have just been disappointed by someone they idolize. Of course there will be some outlandish remarks as well, but to lump *all* negative feedback into the âhaterâ or âjealousâ bin, is to mark yourself as someone incapable of listening or learning from the very people you claim to want to uplift.
You must be willing to listen to those you demand support from. You cannot expect everyone to conform to a hive mind status of positivity, while actively leaving people behind. Support is a two way street; letâs work on removing those road blocks, ok?
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