Fashion Goes Full-figured

By Kendra Gilbert on July 13th, 2009

Here’s the skinny on the new face of fashion, it’s fat! Full-figured girls are rebelling against the pencil thin models of mainstream fashion by creating a full-figured fashion week.

I desperately want to scream, “You go, girls!,” in support of the plus-size ladies, but I can’t. Yes, I agree the fashion industry creates and unrealistic and unhealthy image for girls. But, being fat isn’t healthy either. So, I can’t really say I’m in favor of this new fashion movement. These are two extremes, and neither is desirable.

Beth Ditto is praised as being one of the leading fat-shionistas, as the ladies who founded the fashion week call themselves. I absolutely applaud her positive body image and how it balances all the skinny images that are crammed down our throats daily. But, I don’t think that being heavy is necessarily an image girls should aspire too, either.

Why can’t we just meet somewhere in the middle? Why does it have to be fat or skinny? Kate Moss or Beth Ditto? Why can’t it just be healthy?

Maybe this is the first step towards balancing the scales of body image in the fashion industry. I hope it is. If it’s just an event to promote unhealthy excess, than I think we’re right back where we started. Fat or skinny? Neither is really that fashionable or the majority.