What pisses me off: Where are the “big women’s” sections!?

I am a not a size two! Depending on your point of view I’m a “Big girl”, “cuddly”, “well rounded” or just plain “overweight”.

I have come to accept my size means my wants and needs in clothes come well down the list of what retailers think they need to stock. I accept that there are stores I don’t bother entering because they consider size 10 obese, let alone my more generous proportions.

I have also learned that my size will be found in the back of the store, behind all the stock rooms if possible, so as not to offend the young and beautiful shopping elsewhere.

I use the word accept – well in fact I accept myself for who and what I am, but actually I abhor the treatment meted out to the larger woman!

I am asked to pay more for clothes than my smaller friends, and often the designs are poorly made. The garment may be wider, but the armhole is not any deeper; the hips are roomier, but the waist has no give. Skirts in any length are almost unavailable; big women apparently only wear slacks. There is also a lack of garments with sleeves which finish below the elbow. There are specialty stores for me, but they tend to have higher price tags than I am prepared and/or able to pay on a fixed income.

I don’t like it, but I live with it!

But what really gets up my nose is that in a down market department store I couldn’t find anything over a size 18, even the size 18 I swear was too small for my size 10 sister! Turning on my heel to walk out what did I see? “BIG MAN’S SECTION”

Then only a few days later, I was browsing a “Label’s” catalogue, you know the kind beautifully photographed, $200 scarf, $500 long sleeve shirt/blouse, bright young things male and female and… BIG MAN SECTION!!! I kept turning pages, (over 100 of them) did I see a BIG LADIES SECTION?

Adding insult to injury there were not only men of the larger variety, there were men of the older variety! Apparently males can find, and model, clothes irrespective of their size or age and they are available in the mainstream.

Larger, older (or heaven forbid both) women must be hidden from view. Now I ask you where is the equality? Am I the only one p**sed off?

BTW …. Although I am a big lady, I am healthy, have no heart problems, have good blood pressure and cholesterol and I am not diabetic!

Have you faced the same challenges as Karen? What are your thoughts on the availability of clothes suitable for every shape??

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