I had an epiphany today, as I ate my lunch in an Arby’s today. I realized I was looking at an elderly woman, and the only real reason I noticed what she was wearing was because I forced myself to notice. She happened to wear the stereotypical “old lady” clothing, the kind of stuff that women over seventy seem to wear unless they’re Sophia Lauren.

This kindly faced white haired lady wore white elastic pants, some sort of sweater top that was probably a knit blend, and Ked-style tennies that matched her pants perfectly. Admittedly, at her age, she’s earned the right to comfort over style, but I also have to wonder – if I had to give her a label, I’d have to slap an “age appropriate” sticker on her polyblend knit-covered shoulder.

Then it hit me: her “age appropriate” attire was part of what caused me to almost overlook her. She was one of only two elderly women in the restaurant, and I can’t even remember the face of the other. She was living up to her fashion industry assignment: because she was old, her clothing was tailored to ensure no one noticed her.

At last the connection was made. The fashion industry does have this attitude that unless you’re a certain age you should simply disappear – and that’s why so many plus stores have offerings that I, among other, refer to as “old lady selections.” Their designers are of the opinion plussies should disappear! Flagrant current offenders include Macy’s, Sears and Kmart. Although each will sometimes offer something fit to be worn by a plus size living being, for the most part, their very plus lines send the message: “Cover yourself up with this so that we don’t have to notice you at all. You’re plus. To us, you’re like the old. You should just disappear.”

I am reserving for later discussion plus catalogs like Blair and Woman Within, because I suspect their reasoning is different, and because, in many ways, they are inchingly changing their design, demographic, and approach. The decisions made in marketing in these two catalogs is reflective of the assumed age of plus sizers, and now that the entire market has changed, a new question has come up that piece by piece, is being reflected throughout the catalogs like random flash floods in a desert.

What is age appropriate, and how is that different for plus sizers? I for one do not think that the puffy kitten sweatshirt is the law of the over 80 – I’d like to be one of those women in nicely tailored suits and classic lines at that age, or even still wearing flare-leg jeans and getting paint smattered on my shoes. I’d like to open up the floor to discussion, because all I know for sure is that the fashion industry’s answer, “Disappear,” is definitely not the way I’m going to go when it’s time to tap my IRA. What are your thoughts? Please comment and share!