Big Fat Hunks and Hotties: Retailers Cash in on King/Queen Size Options

Critical mass happens, even in fashion. Critical mass is a sociological principle in which a trend, habit, or ritual happens so much, at such a rate, and at such a “mass” that it tips the balance, and voila: critical “mass” occurs until it becomes the norm.

The demand for plus size friendly fashion in the real world is most definitely in full effect.  Italian men (and tourists…) are well familiar with the warnings: “When you’re a woman travelling to Italy, you’re going to get pinched. The curvier you are, the more it’s going to happen.” Sophia Loren is no waif. The runway reality check is happening across the globe, and well–decades later, it’s making its way through to the pulp, nestled between sensuous perfumes and colognes.

Byte by byte, the buzz grows: Vogue Italia’s “Vogue Curvy” is in the house, alongside its diversity-conscious site, “Vogue Black,” both housed under the protective wings of Vogue.it.

Full figured women and men, and their advocates, are pounding on the doors of major retailers, designers, and agencies, chanting: “Open, open, open!” And they’re being heard. People want to see themselves reflected, and the smart retailers, as late to the party as they are, are going Open Source.

Little by little, consumers are ditching the “Why can’t I be that thin?” stigma and upgrading to, “Why can’t you sell my size?” Delicious to see.

Enter Beth Ditto, decidedly larger than Tyra Banks’ plus sized protégées, and not looking to change that any time soon. Ditto, a rockstar gone fashion designer (she’s unveiling a line for the UK’s Evans retailers), is the new belle of the ball in the fashion world, most notably overseas, and she’s a born and bred American, contributing to critical (and fabulous) mass so that it boomerangs back into the States.

Tyra Banks, well-meaning though she may be, misinformed models on her “America’s Next Top Model” reality program that full figured models have to maintain a certain height and have a certain “fit look” in order to be successful in the world of high fashion. By and large this is true, however, this is changing on a daily basis in 2010, and it also depends on the agency, designer, type of modeling, and locale (Local? National? International? Artistic shoots? Commercial? And so forth). In Tyra’s defense, the information was most likely accurate at that time–and thank goodness and Beth Ditto, that information is très passé.

“USA Today” informs us that 2/3 of women in the States are either clinically overweight or obese (did you know that today’s physicians define “obese” as 30 pounds or more over a medically-defined healthy weight?). With that in mind, there are at least 73 million men and women of size in the United States, all looking for appropriate and fitting garments. It’s heartening to see that retailers, rather than taking advantage of the fact, are now beginning to cater to robust sizes, making room at the top for the rest of us.

The mainstreaming of big women and men on-screen, in fashion spreads, in stores, and in the media continues. Big men and women used to be only the butt of the joke. Think of John Belushi, Chris Farley, and their comedic peers–household names who used their size as part of the site gag–lovable though they were.

All change: in walks Kevin James (“King of Queens”), and the world shifts. More often than not, James is cast as the suave, humble, and smooth-talking genuine ladies’ man.

And now Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”) is a Jenny Craig spokesman, reminding the guys out there that losing weight and self-care can be cool and fun while it enriches your life. In the fashion world, we’ve yet to see droves of big and hunky male models, but in light of this critical mass afoot, it could happen any day now.

Full-Figured Fashion Week’s Gwen Devoe is looking for the next big fat hunk: could he be waiting in the wings ready to pounce and steal our hearts? We sure hope so. Let the swooning begin.

Figures and numbers don’t lie: charting at number 34 in online sales success, plus size retailer Redcats.com is heading to the front of the fashion retail pack, selling more than perennial moneymakers like J. Crew. Our beloved funky and fun sister site Torrid enjoyed nearly twice as many online sales at Torrid.com within the last year. The rest of the fashion world is finally catching up, and responding.

Recent “Shark Tank” winner Gayla Bentley is debuting a line of full figured fashions (running to size 28). Expect to see it in the coming months at Neiman Marcus’ online outlets. Next in line for higher-profile plus size in-stores are Target, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue (running at least to size 18)–and counting.

Remember Mark Fast? Who could forget him–the debate about his zaftig goddesses in knits rages on. Folks are wondering why he dressed his plus size models in such form-fitting clothes, rather than more flattering shapes and lines. “Flattering” is in the eye of the beholder, one supposes. Big girls wear short skirts and knits, too. The jury’s still out.

When it comes to fashion: is it takes all kinds–form, function, or frivolity–delightful combinations of them all abound. Regardless of presentation, the living, breathing beauty of a woman or man of size is undeniable, no matter what you drape them in, or squeeze them into.

The human form is innately beautiful in nature, and we love to look at ourselves. Seeing every size, fashion, and style in our day-to-day lives provides us with a full palette: petite, medium, larger sizes. All the better to enjoy, all the better to advance societal mindset, and of course–all the better to shop!

Related Links:

• Vogue Curvy
• Vogue Black
• Beth Ditto at Evans
• Gayla Bentley Shop
• Jason Alexander’s Official Jenny Craig Blog
• Redcats.com
• Torrid

Related Articles:

• Gwen Devoe
• Tyra Banks
• Mark Fast