Recently, clothing stores such as Brandy Melville have marketed an idea of a ‘one size fits most’ in regards to their clothing options that are available. While this makes the production of the clothing much easier, it construes a false mentality that these clothes should fit most people. However, as the video below shows, most clothes will not fit all consumers the same.
While at first glance this may not seem like such a pressing issue, the false outlook that it construes impact society greatly. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) reports that 30 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder and of any mental illness eating disorders have the highest mortality rates. Obviously, the onset of these disorders are not wholesomely brought on by the idea of ‘one size fits most’ clothing brands, however, the ‘one size fits most’ label is not helping. It is of no shock that teenagers are often self-conscious about their body and their weight; regardless of if they are overweight, underweight, or even a perfectly healthy weight. Yet when trying on these ‘one size fits most’ clothing items, a teen (who these brands market towards) who does not fit into the ‘most’ category may feel as if his or her body is not the majority. This teen may then feel as if something is wrong with their body, whether it be their boobs or butt are too big or too small or their legs are too thick or thin. As shown in the Buzzfeed video, even a teen that doctors would consider at a healthy weight may not fit into these clothing items.
The idea of these ‘one size fits most’ labels continuously pop up everywhere, and it makes sense -- it is easier to manufacture only one size of a clothing item. However, the negative consequences that these labels have on impressionable teens is detrimental to the progression of society and the hurts the body acceptance movement.
These brands can continue to manufacture these items, however, they should remove two words from the label – "fits most." These words lead to teens feeling as if they are not the majority of society and need to lose or gain weight to be able to fit in. For some teens however, this is an unattainable goal and can only lead to a downward spiral in regards to their self-esteem and body acceptance as well as health.
By simply removing those two words, these clothing stores could contribute positively to society.
