Recently, we as consumers have seen quite the shift with body inclusion and body positivity within the clothing industry. More and more stores and brands are including extended sizes (1x, 2x, and 3x) within their clothing lines. Stores like American Eagle are being praised for their focus on keeping “natural beauty” and evening refusing to photoshop their ads. This decision has increased sales as more and more women are feeling comfortable shopping for trendy clothing items.

Even though the concept of body positivity and the importance of high self-esteem has come a long way, society still has very far to go.

A local clothing boutique recently opened in my hometown, West Lafayette. I was scrolling through Instagram and looking at some of the options they had. The clothing they advertised matched my style-cute yet casual. Flowy rompers, off-the-shoulder tops, and printed shorts had gotten my attention.

These items also seemed unique meaning I didn’t have to worry about running into someone on campus wearing the same top or the same skirt. A few weeks had passed by, and I finally made time to make a visit and see what they had. Browsing through the blouses, I immediately noticed that they were only carrying sizes small, medium and large. Their jeans only went up to about a size 11 and the items that I did have an interest in were only available in a size I couldn’t fit in or a color I didn’t want.

I immediately was turned off and began feeling self-conscious about my body.

THIS is the problem I have with boutiques.

As women, we are constantly running into unrealistic representations of how our bodies should look. From the magazine covers in the check-out line to WCW posts on social media, we are told what’s physically attractive and what’s not physically attractive. Whatever store you decide to purchase clothing from, should make you feel flawless and beautiful. You should feel beyond comfortable and not have to worry about if a certain store carries your size or not. The fact of the matter is that in a boutique, a “large” is not a “large.” A “large” in a boutique is a “medium” in the real world. Take your business elsewhere. For the sake of your self-esteem. Invest your money in clothing stores that think that a woman can be as sexy at a size 16 as she can be at a size 8.

I understand that investing in extended sizes might not be financially possible for a business owner, but it cost nothing to consider the idea. It cost nothing to make a young woman feel like her clothing size isn’t “rack worthy.” We as consumers deserve to feel good about ourselves every once in a while.