I've had my fair share of body shaming. It all started when I was in middle school and I was made fun of for being tall and having developed earlier than most girls. I was called countless names and laughed at for slowly gaining weight throughout middle school. I'm 21 years old and only now I am learning to love my body and appreciate all it can do and all its been through. However, retail stores make it very difficult to make you feel accepted in their store. Sure, every clothing store has different sizes and they all fit us differently; only now do some stores add a plus size section to their layout.
Some stores I've encountered that have a plus size section are Forever 21, Wet Seal, Rue 21, Macy's, Torrid, Charlotte Russe and JC Penney. (There may be more stores that offer plus size, these are the only ones Iv'e seen in person). Not much selection, right? Another problem with some of these stores, they segregate the plus size clothing. The clothing is in a completely different section marked "plus size". If you're shopping with friends, it can get uncomfortable when you can only shop at certain stores or go in a completely different section of the store just to find clothes that fit. Here's a thought: why don't clothing stores just put the plus size clothing in the same sections? Seems like a simple concept. That way every size person can shop for clothes without feeling like their being segregated.
Not only does plus sized clothing come in very few stores, it is actually more expensive than other clothes. For example, Forever 21 tank tops sizes small-large are $1.90/ea. Good deal, right? Well if I want to buy one in my size (XL) then it costs $3.90/ea. I'm paying an extra $2 for the same clothing, just bigger.
There have been quite a few controversial articles arguing that there is a "Fat Tax" on clothing. From what I've seen, there are a few stores that have a "fat-tax" such as Forever 21. Some people argue that the "fat-tax" saves lives...that people will lose weight in order to pay less for clothing. On the contrary, that is a terrible excuse. People will lose weight if they are ready or determined due to health or personal reasons. "Fat-taxing" is cruel and companies are doing this to justify charging people for extra fabric. Not only does this apply to clothing, but plane seats and unhealthy foods. Fat taxing has been enforced in Japan, Denmark and India. Now the U.S. is starting to get on board. Do you think fat taxing is the right way to combat obesity?
