For all of the plus-sized fashion mavens out there, I'm sure you all know the feeling. You enter the department store with high hopes, wondering, "Maybe I might find something cute today!" You make your way through the labyrinth of fixtures dedicated to straight sizes until suddenly, you've arrived. It's a piecemeal portion compared to the rest of the store, with a few racks of clothing, most of them ravaged from other desperate shoppers before you. You can almost hear the tumbleweeds rustle as they are blown by an errant wind. You've just entered the plus size section, or what I would like to call, "The Corner of Shame". You heave out a sign, look back sadly at the desert landscape, and head for the accessories.

Now of course, there's obviously no shame in being plus-sized, but from the way that most mainstream stores treat us, it certainly feels like there is something to be ashamed of. It's almost as if we are supposed to be hidden away from the general public so we don't take up too much space, or perhaps too many plus-sized individuals might contaminate the rest of the store and make their image look unappealing. Whatever the case, it's totally unacceptable and people of larger sizes deserve better. And no, before I go on, this is not about "glorifying obesity" or "advocating unhealthiness". This is a real problem that REAL people face, and real people all have different stories and different health issues that are, quite frankly, none of our business to begin with. It should not be an issue of whether or not someone deserves to wear pretty clothes based on how healthy someone else determines them to be. Because, let's be honest, no one should be able to tell you how deserving you are of the things you yourself choose to buy. It should be everyone's right to feel good in what they wear.

Of course, the body positive movement has made great strides toward advocating for more body-inclusive marketing, but just how body-positive are companies trying to be? Forever 21 boasts cute clothes for teen to twenty-something plus sizes, but upon picking through their selection at my local mall, I found nothing but a wasteland of sickening neon, shapeless athleisure wear, and a clearance section with styles from over two years ago. Other outlets, sadly, offer even less, such as a rather disappointing trip to Altar'd State that did not even offer a plus-size section, but a meager rack of a few items that were sold in larger sizes. Some try to offer larger sizes, like Hot Topic, but most of their larger sizes are exclusively online. For a girl like me who is interested in Harajuku fashion and other non-mainstream trends, online shopping is usually the only way to go, but with jacked-up prices and shipping costs, we dish out a great deal more cash than our straight-sized friends. And while online shopping may seem like a simple (yet expensive) answer to all our shopping woes, it just seems like another way for companies to provide excuses for not carrying more plus sizes in-store.

Not only is the plus-size shopping trip stressful as all get out, but it can take an emotional toll as well. As a young teen, I was very well-developed for my age and had to buy larger shirts to accommodate my larger bust. Seeing all of these other girls being able to wear certain things that I could not cut me to the core and caused many shopping trips to end up in a storm of anger and tears. Inclusivity is important, and it's a shame to see so many girls (and boys!) feel bad about their body image just because we live in a world where corporations dictate the warped beauty standards we know today. Companies should want to do better by us, and with so many body-inclusive movements being created, companies should start getting the memo that a wide variety of sizes is beneficial to everyone. It would only create a wider range of customers, generating more profit for said companies, and that in itself should be incentive enough. But for now, voicing our opinions on the subject and making our voices heard is what will be the driving force behind more body-inclusive fashion, and with passionate minds and creativity abounding within the plus-size community, we can bring our own talents to the table and perhaps create what other businesses refuse us. It's a struggle that is known to many, but with many, perhaps we can make things better.