Larger women in ads for Target and Athleta

[Anonymous]

I'd be more excited about this if Athleta sold more than a few items in women's sizes. If they want to be more inclusive of larger body types, then sell clothing that will fit them.

The irony is that those of us who are larger and trying to lose weight/get more fit want cute workout clothes like Athleta sells, but can't find them in our size. They would have a very eager market if they sold more stuff in women's sizes.

[Anonymous]

I wish brands would also use models that are "regular" weight. Not size 0s or 16s only.

[Anonymous]

Being obese or even overweight is not healthy. So just like I am appalled at anorexic models, I am not especially thrilled by normalizing overweight models either. I woudn't want women think "Hey, they use overweight models so I must be fine and don't need to lose weight".

(And I am not thin myself, after having my second child, but I am steadily losing fat, in a healthy way.)

[Anonymous]

I was really confused by Athleta. I already thought their clothes run HUGE and then the catalog started showing up in the mail with big women (some are healthy/muscular), but many are just plus-sized.

I really had to ask if they had become like 'Lane Bryant'. Are they now a plus-sized chain?

[Anonymous]

I'm very supportive of the brands offering clothes in larger sizes. But I think that the current trend to pretend that "beauty comes in many sizes" is fake because it doesn't. Just because you put a size 16 woman on display, it doesn't make her beautiful, and nothing will make people think that she is. Beauty is inherently discriminatory but for whatever reason, some people get upset with the truth that not everyone is beautiful and not everyone can be.

Also, most ads showcasing larger women photoshop the hell out of them. For most women size 16, skin will not have a nice tone, it will look obviously flabby and dimpled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one that looks at the larger models and is turned off from buying it? I think I want to be sold the dream...

Good for them, just not sure it will help sales.

I wonder if skinny women don't want to be caught wearing the same clothes fat women wear?

Maybe.

There is tons of research showing many white people stop buying brands that people of color start wearing it.... Polo, North Face, etc.

Please cite some of this research. Troll.

[Anonymous]

Everlane shows their jeans on four different models of various heights and sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one that looks at the larger models and is turned off from buying it? I think I want to be sold the dream...

Good for them, just not sure it will help sales.

I'm sure you aren't the only one but I think you will be the minority. I love seeing the athleta bathing suits especially on women in great shape but not models. Like how a top looks on someone who is 5'5", where does it hit. How does it lay if you have generally toned but not narrow xyz body part.

Noticed some of the "bigger" target manaquins are probably a 6-8 dress form. Which let's be honest is a good looking figure for most shapes and gives an idea of how clothes actually look. And sure some are plus size, not everyone is small, why should all displays be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one that looks at the larger models and is turned off from buying it? I think I want to be sold the dream...

Good for them, just not sure it will help sales.

I wonder if skinny women don't want to be caught wearing the same clothes fat women wear?

Maybe.

There is tons of research showing many white people stop buying brands that people of color start wearing it.... Polo, North Face, etc.

Please cite some of this research. Troll.

I think this is common sense. People buy brand names to signal class status. One day Helly Henson meant "I found this european brand whilst in bording school near Westminster." Now it signals "I'm urban and listen to Jay-Z". It's why Tommy Hilfiger doesn't want to be featured in rap videos. And honestly, when was the last time you popped some Dom or passed the Courvosier? You drink Hennessy? Ok. Point made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish brands would also use models that are "regular" weight. Not size 0s or 16s only.

Isn't 16 the average size of an American woman? I am sure there are way more women at a size 16 than at a 0. And yes, I think we'd all like to see more diversity in models' sizes. Especially if I am buying online -- I'd like to see several different sized models in a garment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everlane shows their jeans on four different models of various heights and sizes.

God help me for knowing this but so does Khloe Kardashian line Good American

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish brands would also use models that are "regular" weight. Not size 0s or 16s only.

Isn't 16 the average size of an American woman? I am sure there are way more women at a size 16 than at a 0. And yes, I think we'd all like to see more diversity in models' sizes. Especially if I am buying online -- I'd like to see several different sized models in a garment.

I think it's probably the mean size, but not necessary the mode. But who knows

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being obese or even overweight is not healthy. So just like I am appalled at anorexic models, I am not especially thrilled by normalizing overweight models either. I woudn't want women think "Hey, they use overweight models so I must be fine and don't need to lose weight".

(And I am not thin myself, after having my second child, but I am steadily losing fat, in a healthy way.)

I totally agree. I do not think these overweight models are a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd be more excited about this if Athleta sold more than a few items in women's sizes. If they want to be more inclusive of larger body types, then sell clothing that will fit them.

The irony is that those of us who are larger and trying to lose weight/get more fit want cute workout clothes like Athleta sells, but can't find them in our size. They would have a very eager market if they sold more stuff in women's sizes.

Try Skirt Sports! Founded by a wonderful now-retired pro triathlete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one that looks at the larger models and is turned off from buying it? I think I want to be sold the dream...

Good for them, just not sure it will help sales.

I wonder if skinny women don't want to be caught wearing the same clothes fat women wear?

I sort of struggle with this. I am a huge fan of sites using curvier women - like aerie uses girls who are probably size 8 with lots of curves, but are still very fit and in shape. Athleta does this; journelle recently started. I'm seeing it a lot more and it feels good. I also really like the addition to madewell and other sites that lets you see the item on four different body types. fwiw, i'm 40 and size 0/2 and in good shape, so it's not about being turned off my skinny models. I just like the message of using different shapes (and often the accompanying ethnicities - the curvier models are often black and Latina).

But one of my favorite sites -- modcloth -- started using very plus size models a few years ago for a lot of their primary photos of clothing items. For some of them, if you drag your curser over the image, it shows you some alternate images, sometimes with a skinnier model. But as you're just scrolling through a page of 300 images, a lot of them will be very plus sized women. Not curvy. Not healthy but different body types. But really obese. I've always liked the retro cuteness of modcloth (I gravitated to retro clothes even in high school), but I've probably never clicked on a item where the primary photo is obese. It doesn't sell the clothes well, and there's something subconscious that I'm not thrilled like dressing like obese women (who statistically share little in common with me - geography, income, education).