"I don't care to belong to any club that will have me as a member" ~ Groucho Marx

In a shot heard 'round the world, Abercrombie & Fitch's CEO doesn't want fat chicks wearing their clothing.

I feel you and all of your righteous indignation when clothing makers decide to cut-off their sizes at a certain point and that just so happens to not include you.  I empathize to a degree.  I hear all of your love for brands that decide to include larger sizes.  I see your pom-poms.

But the truth is that even if they did go up to size 16, there would still be people left out.  Even if they went up to size 20, there would still be people that can't shop there.  And that's okay.  That's their choice.  Producing clothing over a certain size requires the patterns to change, which requires different factory setups.  At some point, they just do a cost-benefit analysis and decide that they aren't going to expand the sizes.

What people are mad at is that this CEO decided to paint a very bleak picture about size and acceptance.  Are we mad because he's a jerkface and pointed out the disparity about how differently people are treated because of their size, or are we mad because he's making money off of it?

That's for y'all to debate if you wish.  I just want to remind you that, as consumers, we yield not just a lot of power with our dollars and how we spend them, we also have a voice. And in this case, I choose to believe that Abercrombie & Fitch just wants to see me naked.  I mean, I don't blame them.  I'm pretty hot naked.

So wouldn't that be the best kind of protest?  A naked flash mob of people they're unwilling to clothe.  I don't like flash mobs in general (the kind that sing and dance) but heck, if you're going to flash someone, might as well bring friends.


Yesterday, I also took the time to cause a little trouble:

  1. For me to be "skinny," I'd have to lose a lot of muscle.  And well muscle is sexy, so that isn't happening.  I'd rather be healthy, strong, fast, confident.  Skinny is for the birds.  (That isn't to say that I know plenty of people who are healthy and slim, but "skinny" seems to be a status symbol, not an indicator of actual health and happiness).
  2.  from what I've heard (and the BL history supports this) -- he's recommending women eat a diet of 800 calories (for 2 weeks).  That type of calorie restricting (no matter how long) IS NOT HEALTHY and promotes disordered eating habits.
  3. If you've been reading my blog (thank you) or following me on Twitter (thank you), we're probably like-minded (i.e., don't have our heads up our asses) in that we know that exercise requires fuel. 800 calories is barely enough to support someone in a coma, let alone someone leading an active, physically fit life.
  4. He's teaching people how to live 2 weeks of their life -- not how to live the rest of their life.  If you can't do it every day for the rest of your life, then it's a gimmick (right up there with his diet pills).  And slapping the word "skinny" on it just panders to all the insecurities we have.  And because it's Bob Fucking Harper (or Jillian Fucking Michaels), people buy into it. 


So... please take a stand with me and show the world (see where I get the whole "vs World" bit from?) that HEALTH and HAPPINESS are more important than labels ('fashionable' or 'skinny').  That's the club you want to belong to.

8 comments

Naked flash mob: I'm in.

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Yes, we speak with our dollars but I like the nakey flash mob idea as well. =)

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What about vanity sizing that makes clothing in size ZERO too big for some people? I am a very muscle-y, broad-shouldered, athletic 145 lb, 5'4" woman (14.9% body fat). I wear a size TWO at Ann Taylor LOFT. A TWO.

I wear an XS in shirts there...I wear a 36C bra and I am a size 7 or a medium in most other stores...but they call me an "extra small."

My cousin is a very petite 5'2" and 105 lbs soaking wet. She can't wear a zero there. Even the size 1 in the juniors department at most stores is too big on her. My marathon-running neighbor, age 42, is literally the same size as my 12 yr. old daughter: 4'11" and 92 pounds. Where can she shop for adult-appropriate clothing? Online, mostly. Justice and Limited Too don't sell business suits.

my 6'4", 250-lb semi-pro athlete boyfriend has to special order shoes -- no one carries a size 14; not many manufacturers even produce them.


My point: manufacturers can't make everything in every size for every shape, and department stores can't carry an unlimited range of brands, styles, and sizes. There is no profit in that.

I don't go into Lane Bryant or the women's department at Kohl's and lament that nothing there is made for me.

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Eileen, Cris: Heck yeah!! Though, I might want a bra. Running is hard with these knockers.

Norma: I think you're getting at what I was trying to say (but with much better anecdotal evidence) -- "can't please everyone" is a nicer M.O. than "let's offend and marginalize a single group." I think you can "know your target demographic" without having to say that it's to the exclusion of everyone else, yanno?

I'm not mortally offended by A&F -- but I still want to streak to prove my point that a dumbass CEO can't say anything to make me feel ashamed of my body.

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I don't care that every store doesn't carry my size. I do care that the CEO of A&F is a jerk. I do fit into his clothes but I'll be damned if I buy them. This "cool" kid shops at H&M and I'd say that Mike Jeffries can kiss my sexy ass but I wouldn't want his diseased lips anywhere near it.

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Well...clearly this guy needs some sensitivity training....

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I agree with MacMadame. The CEO is a jerkface. Yes, he can do whatever the he## he wants with his company, but to make a statement like he did and not expect some negative feedback is insane. #RockingLaneBryantproudly!

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