A few months ago, they redesigned my local Target. While a total overhaul and rearrangement has wreaked havoc on my control issues, the new look has definitely upgraded the place from Target to Tar-jet. Ya know. Like Target, but French.
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| Department store, but make it Fashion. |
Now, I'm a big fan of Target. You go in for toothpaste and mayonnaise, you walk out with four sweaters, a bottle of $6 wine, and a build-your-own snowman from the Dollar Spot. And no toothpaste or mayonnaise.
When Target created their own plus-size line, Ava & Viv, I was stoked. Finally, cute clothes for us bigger gals at affordable Target prices. And both of those things hold true. Cute clothes, well-made, good prices. They even started using curvy mannequins. If you can find them.
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| Although, they still have an issue with assuming that "plus-size" also means "tall." |
And therein lies the rub. Even before the redesign, finding the plus-size section was a struggle. Afterwards, I circled the store three times before I found it.
Because the plus-sizes were on only a couple racks tucked in a corner and down a side aisle by the new dressing rooms, between the Maternity section and Active Wear. Is that a hint? Apparently, if you're fat, you're either pregnant or need to start exercising.
Or both. Gee, thanks Target, for making a judgement on my life.
But it's not just Target. In most department-type stores,
the plus-size section is not only significantly smaller than the rest of the
women's clothing section, but is often also tucked into some obscure corner of the
store. Going shopping is like playing Where's Waldo. The Northridge Mall Macy's plus-size section isn't even on the same
floor as the rest of the women's clothing. It's also next to the clearance Home
Goods, where they put the old Christmas decorations and mismatched dishware. Awesome.
Regardless of your feelings about the growing waistlines of
the American public, the fact remains that the women's plus-size market is a,
ahem, big one. Market researchers estimated the value of women's plus-size at $21 billion dollars, and that was in 2015. Specialized stores like Lane Bryant and Torrid have a corner on the market, but the price of a t-shirt at one of those stores can average you $30; buying a whole outfit could sit you back $100 or more. Having more affordable options without losing style is in major demand, and you would think stores and clothing companies would be ready and
willing to make a buck by fulfilling that need. Isn't that the point of Capitalism? So then why are are department or average clothing stores seemingly trying to
shame us by making us shop as though we've been forbidden from associating with
the rest of the public?
Melissa McCarthy, curvy comedienne who has her own plus-size clothing line at both Lane Bryant and Nordstrom, said it best. When asked what needed to happen to improve the stigma of plus-size shopping,
she said:
"To really improve things, stores need to stop putting
the plus-size section by the tires, up by the Tupperware and the luggage in the
weird shame section."
Bingo.
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| I always knew Sookie St. James was the coolest. |
