Whether you have been dubbed a “prep,” “jock,” or “geek,” it's time to face it —we've all been judged. We love to use labels but loathe being labeled. These labels need to go, especially the term “plus size.”
Nowadays, there’s an increasing diversity on the runway and in magazines. Even though there is some progress in displaying different body types and forms of diversity in the fashion industry, problems still exist.
When one’s favorite store includes “plus” clothes, one may think that it is great to have more diversity regarding sizes. In reality, “plus size” implies a second-rate or substandard category. Initially it was good to indicate that stores carry larger sizes, but nowadays this is expected. Why do stores still have this label? It is not revolutionary to carry larger sizes, so this label is irrelevant and outdated. Instead of having “normal” clothes and “plus size” clothes as two separate categories, women’s clothes should have a wide variety of sizes in the same section. What's the logic in having larger women shop in a separate section because of size? If anything, it's offensive because this discriminates against larger women.
By using the word “plus,” people are contributing to the fashion industry’s problem of discriminating against different body types. The term “plus size” does more than hurt the impressionable and insecure, as it is offensive to establish a second-rate category for larger women. When we were young, we were taught that “beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.” Now, isn't it time that we reflect this in our culture? We need to stop using the word “plus” and start putting women’s clothing in the same section, regardless of size.
