How Our Favorite Stores Are Influencing Body Image
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How Our Favorite Stores Are Influencing Body Image

Tag sizes are overrated.

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How Our Favorite Stores Are Influencing Body Image
Melissa Young

While we begin to shop for this upcoming season’s trends, many of us are overlooking a rising problem in the fashion industry. There are more plus-size models hitting the runway now more than ever, but the sizes of the clothing sold to us seem to be getting smaller. This is what I noticed during my last trip to the mall.

As I was looking through the aisles of Charlotte Russe—my go-to store for buying any new outfit—I saw the plus-size section. It was this little corner in the back of the store that’s almost the same size as the shoe section. That’s when I noticed that more than half of the store was regular size clothing. I still can’t believe it has taken me this long to realize this and how unfair this is. Don’t get me wrong, I love Charlotte Russe. Most of my closet has come from that store, but it is still unacceptable to have such a limited selection of plus-size clothing.

After learning this about Charlotte Russe, I wondered what other stores could be doing the same thing. I eventually made my way into Hollister and PINK, two stores whose clothes are always seen on college campuses. I tried to find a plus-size section in both of them and without any luck, I decided to ask where they were. It turns out that neither Hollister nor PINK has anything close to plus-size clothes—Hollister's clothes only go up to an extra-large and PINK doesn't even offer that—their clothes only go up to a large.

If these are the only sizes stores are selling, what is that saying about our society?

It is getting harder and harder to fit into the clothes we want. We are expected to fit into whatever our favorite stores have to offer and it is causing so many girls' self-confidence to completely vanish. We end up thinking we have to look like all of the gorgeous models wearing these tiny outfits—we think that is the only way we will be pretty—and we think this is the only way we will be accepted by those around us.

I don't wear plus-size clothes now, but I used to when I was in middle school. I remember wanting to fit into the outfits the other girls would wear around school. Even now, I still have a hard time finding clothes that fit right because of the way my body is shaped. (I had a lot of surgeries when I was younger so it affected the way my body grew.) I didn't even start wearing bikinis until the end of high school because I didn't have the confidence to try them. But lately, I've been wearing the clothes I want no matter what they may look like on my body. I know I'll never look like the girls you see in the magazines and on TV, but I've learned to be happy with the skin I'm in.

If you ever hear that voice inside your head that tells you you're not good enough, tell it to leave and never come back. It doesn't matter what the tag size says. You are beautiful and don't ever let anyone or anything let you think otherwise.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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