Have you ever seen ads aimed at “small-size women”? I got curious, so I Googled it. Ohhh, I see. These women get a dignified, delicate word to describe their shape: Petite. Meanwhile, the rest of us? Slapped with Plus-Size.
Let me tell you why that’s a problem. Grab your wine, honey, you’re going to need it.
Back in the 1920s, when fashion became big business, manufacturers wanted to standardize sizing to control costs. They came up with a system combining bust size, height (T for tall, R for regular, S for short), and a hip symbol (- for slender, nothing for average, and + for full). Yes, a literal plus sign for fullness. Cue side-eye.
Over time, women in the “full” category got stuck with labels like stout, outsize, chubby, full-figured. Check out these old ads. One even reads, “THAT’S THE STOUT DRESS PROBLEM! Make a stout figure appear slim, a curved line straight!”
Excuse me while I barf. And please, refill my glass.
This toxic idea – that slender equals beautiful – has been around forever. By standardizing sizes this way, the industry basically gave itself permission to create labels that judge us. Any time someone calls your body a problem, in bold caps with exclamation points, trust me, they are judging you.
From there came vanity sizing, a.k.a. size inflation. That’s when brands slap smaller numbers on bigger measurements so you “feel good” about fitting into a smaller size. A study even claimed it boosts self-esteem. To that I say… we need something stronger than wine for all this confusion in the fitting room!
Because of vanity sizing, there’s no universal standard for “normal” sizes anymore. So the big question is, if no one knows what “normal” is, who gets to decide what counts as plus?
Originally, the term ‘plus-size’ described clothes, not women. Then, in 1953, an ad for Korell dresses read:
“Wonderful Action-Plus dress for the plus-sized woman.”
This is one of the first documented times that the moniker changed from referring to clothes to referring to the woman herself. It spread like wildfire, and a whole stereotype was born.
Ever since, plus-size women have been shoved to the back of the store, given limited sizes, dull colors, and designs that look like they were sewn by someone who hates joy. The label “plus-size woman” reduces complex, intelligent, daring women to the same disregard used to design those clothes.
Here’s the thing: you can call yourself whatever you want, even embrace plus-size as a badge of honor. But language matters. It shapes culture, perception, and identity. At Gird Power, plus-size refers to the activewear. But our customers are called buxom women.
bux·om /ˈbəksəm/
adjective: (of a woman) plump, especially with a full bust.
Example: “A buxom blonde walked into the room like she owned it.”
We choose buxom because it’s bold, beautiful, and unapologetic, just like you.
#IAmABuxomWoman #GirdYourselfWithStrength #GirdPower
Social Media