North Texas Daily

Women in general have it hard. There’s always someone in society telling us how to live, what to change about ourselves and making wild claims on how to deal with our own body. What’s even more disappointing though is how low plus-size women fall on this already crooked totem pole of equality and respect. 

Sure, everyone likes to claim a part in the body positivity movement, but the actual progress for plus-sized women has stalled, especially in the workplace.

In 2014, researchers at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University found that plus-size women earn less money than slimmer women, whereas plus-size men seem to do just as well as slim men. This literally means that size determines how much money women make but, sure enough, not for men. It is astounding to see how superficial the world can be and even worse to know that women seem to be the only ones affected.

Studies reveal what a lot of women go through on a daily basis after the fact. Many plus-size women already have years of their own experiences to share.

A 25-year-old woman named Poppy saw doors open up when she began to lose weight. Even though she was working in the same field and doing the exact same thing, when she shed pounds, people’s mindsets on who she was as a person began to change. Somehow there was a switch in perception. She was no longer lazy and incapable of doing her job, and now deserved to progress in her field because of the way she looked.

Imagine going into the clothing store and seeing a plethora of choices for smaller people but when you make it to the plus-size area something seems a little off. Whereas everyone else is swimming in options, plus-size women get stuck with way less choices and “mom tops.” This is because most of the fashion world has not cared enough to catch up with the body type. 

While mainstream stores like Forever21 and ASOS have invested in the plus-sized market, many high-end retailers have ignored the demand for plus-sized fashion even though the market for it is well over $9.8 billion. I’m sure they know how much money they could be making but purposely choose not to cater to plus-size women.

On top of that, the sizing of clothing in stores aids in making plus-size women feel helpless and lost as to what their true size is. I know this is an issue for most clothing, but since there are less options, there needs to be better sizing and quality because we deserve it just like everyone else. 

The sheer audacity that the world has to judge plus-sized women will never cease to amaze me. It is difficult to be in a system that basically does everything to put you down, from not being able to buy enough clothes, to getting paid less than skinnier people. There is a suffering that is not being addressed enough. 

We are here and you cannot tell how much we eat by looking at us, and even if you could — is that really any of your business?

Featured Illustration by J. Robynn Aviles