Goddess Sized Rant

I was happily browsing some new items by a favoured seller on Ebay who specialises in plus size items when I saw something which rocked me back on my heels.

Size 44 = XXL or 14-16

Now, I am not a slim woman - I secretly long to be lean and lithe and svelte and all those other words which imply healthy (ie non overweight) bodies - but I have railed for some time about the complete catastrophe that is female clothing sizes! What is wrong with the world? There are so many different problems it is hard to focus. 1. Why is it so hard to find something that fits and makes me look good despite the fact that I do not have the shape of a 5 year old girl from a third world country. 2. Why do shops only stock clothes which will fit 5 to 10 year old girls from third world countries? 3. Who exactly is responsible for deciding that size 14 is otherwise known as Extra EXTRA Large? It would follow logically then than size 12 is merely Extra Large (*puzzled expression*) and size 10 is Large (*who are we kidding*) and size 8 is then medium and since when did we start having a size 6 which surely fits only 6 year olds? I've seen size 6 underwear - I dont think I can get them over one foot!

I call on the worlds fashion designers - I am (**) [figure removed to protect my identity] kilograms and 172cm tall. I am a full blown curvy woman. (I wish I was a little less full blown but this is what I am and it is good). How hard is it to arrange some fabric, with all your skills, knowledge and experience, that when draped makes me look like I am not wearing something which is too tight here or there or several feet shorter (and wider!) or something! I know I cant do it but then I'm not a fashion designer - you are - so design something - please? We'll pay you - lots!

I am not Extra EXTRA Large. For a while I liked those designers who bucked the trend and styled their sizes as Voluptuous or Goddess size. It doesnt seem to be catching on though. Statistics show (somewhere) that most Australian women are size 14-16 - why oh why is that Extra Extra Large? Why is it not medium? Or Standard? Or Average? Or Everyday Goddess? Or some-bloody-thing other than Extra Extra Large? You could then make the day of those who manage to keep their diet under control well enough that they can wear a size 12 by designating them Slim Goddess Size ... or In Control Size .... or Nymph! Size 10 could be Pixie and size 8 could be "for god's sake eat something!" and come with a personal counsellor.

Lastly and definitely not leastly - since most of us are size 14-16, why are there a plethora of chains (you know who they are) who sell size 00 to size 8 only? Some dare to include up to size 12 with one or two 14s as a sop to the poor fat girls of society. Okay so they are catering to the teeny-bopper crowd with far too much pocket money (I wasnt buying my own clothes as a 10 year old - when did they start that?) - but then again these shops sell business wear. I work in an office with a dozen other women - 2 of them would be size 12 I think - the rest are larger, and we vary in age from 20 to 40s. How hard is it for shops to stock a larger number of larger (grrrrr) sizes. If you only stock 2 or 3 size 14s and these go in the first day or two, doesnt this tell you something? You wind up with sale racks full of size 6 and 8 and larger women are left prowling the stores, snarling at each other over a rare size 16 skirt which has gotten hidden amongst the ones which wouldnt cover a knee cap, resorting to food because they feel hefty amongst the close packed clothes racks and 16 year old sales assistant wearing the size 8 stretch jeans and a tank top with enough jewellery and makeup to stock a second store who you just want to grab and forcefeed like a duck for making pate.

Do they really think that size 14-16 or bigger women dont want to wear fashionable clothes? We prefer to wear oversized shirts which dont tuck in, to minimise that large waistline (yeah right), in somber colours so we will blend in to the background and not be noticed?

Bugger that!

I want bright colours. I want nice fabrics. I want fashionable and well designed and well made. I want something that shows my shape - I have a waist and I'm proud of it. I have a damn good cleavage too and I want to show it off. I have good legs (okay from the knees down) and I'd like to wear a pretty skirt and high heels from time to time if I could only find one!

Anybody? Surely I'm not alone in this. Women! Rise up! Demand good clothing that makes you feel good and which doesnt suggest that you are anything other than the inner Goddess that you are!