Plus Size News Roundup 1/30/2012

<——– this is not me. But that would be cool if I looked so glam while blogging.

Slate.com has an article about the advent of vanity sizing – hardly breaking news, but it goes over a fascinating history of where all this comes from. It does not, however, explain why vanity sizing seems to be making clothes smaller in the plus-size industry.

“The Depression-era Works Progress Administration commissioned a study of the American female body, an effort to instill a method to the sizing madness. At that point, the ready-made clothing industry was in its infancy. If your clothes are made-to-measure—as they were in an earlier era, particularly for wealthy women—there’s no need for a standard set of sizes. But as European couturiers were hobbled by World War II, an American fashion industry developed, with New York as its capital city. New York’s all-star cast of designers, among them Claire McCardell and “Sophie of Saks,” specialized not in couture but in ready-to-wear. And as wealthy women began to purchase premade clothing, pressure mounted to ensure that it fit in a consistent way.”

Reason.com has an article on Supertracker, a US government diet and exercise tracking site that already has 700,000 registered users. It points out – rightly – that the original government food pyramid was designed with too many commercial interests in mind, and the rewrite has its flaws, too. Even among fat bodies, physical needs are NOT universal and never will be. If you use it, remember that your formula for health may well differ from what government regulation indicates.
The National Post brings up the way e-commerce has changed fashion, specifically mentioning coat manufacturer AUI’s measurements-driven order system.
Stacy London of What Not to Wear is joining up with Lee Lee’s Valise in NYC to air an unannounced/unnamed show. While I find the “what not to wear” style shows off-putting and I HATE reality television (there’s little regard for the actual life of the person subjected to the host’s social prejudices) I am curious to see where this goes.
The American Council of Fashion Designers has released updated guidelines for models in runway shows. It’s awkward when you have to peel the dead bodies off the runway in the middle of a show, and stepping over a corpse can just ruin the line of a dress. Forgive my cynicism, this is the same council that created the problem in the first place. I’m glad they’re taking responsibility, but I have my doubts it’s out of genuine concern.
The Atlantic runs a blip on “Stylish Stouts” from 1919, complete with insulting stock footage from the 21st century because y’know, it’s “satire.” We know what editorial really thinks.
Myla DalBesio, plus size model, speaks to Claph Magazine about her experiences with body dysmorphia.
AboutCurves.com has a plus model search going. From the looks of the website, they mean actual plus sized women.
Someone needs to tell James Sanders at the Huffington Post about Chubstr.
Emme speaks to the Daily Mail (of equivalent quality to the New York Post) about how Sophie Dahl may have killed her career with weight loss.
Kim Kardashian will be appearing on Drop Dead Diva as a love interest. Producers successfully corralled Paula Abdul, so why not?

Predictably, there’s an article about how Crystal Renn has betrayed us all by losing weight. It’s her body, and I have to admit it all seemed like a big marketing angle from the get-go to me. Despite the way the headline is written, I don’t think that Madeline Jones is objecting to Renn’s actual weight loss – just how she’s promoting herself with it.

From Madeline Jones of Plus Model magazine: ““You don’t lose that much weight doing yoga and hiking! You have to put a lot of effort to go from a 14 to a size 6,” she told RadarOnline.com. “We’re not that stupid, we know how hard it is to lose weight and she insulted our intelligence.”

I personally think Renn has done something of a disservice to plus-size women, losing weight is not the disservice of which I speak. From my view, the disservice started shortly after Hungry was published and the weight loss began.

I get really bored with award shows and other fashion bloggers cover them beautifully, but now I have one question of myself from seeing those posts: why in the hell does Octavia Spencer keep flying under my radar? She’s AMAZING!
How on earth did I miss that Gabourey Sidibe has a new TV role on the Big C??

Super-Local

A new plus-size consignment shop called Victoria’s Curvacious Consignments is set to open on February 21st in the Charleston, South Carolina area.

Business of Plus

The New York Post reports that Avenue stores are nearing bankruptcy. Most of my doubt is covered by this coming to me first from the New York Post.
Brazilian bikini makers have figured out that there’s money in them-thar hills.

International

A great write-up by an Italian Plus Size fashion blogger on how to blog. In the translation: “Fashion isn’t my whole life.” I get that, and I really appreciate that about this writer!
There’s a plus-size fashion show coming up in Sao Paulo. Brazil’s really coming up even more now!

Subscribe to Fat Chic Sales Roundup

Because this lady needs to buy and wear the shoes if she’s gonna write about ‘em. It’s a semi-monthly sorta newsletter with a roundup of coupon codes from affiliates. There are even occasional give-aways – y’know, all that stuff I never do directly on the blog.

Also, a tip on newsworthiness in plus from Di:

Not news: A long-established plus-size retailer having a new line of clothing for plus-sizes. That’s expected, and most of us are on their mailing lists.

News: A store offering plus sizes when it has not in the past, and/or bringing back plus size when it discontinued them.

News: A store discontinuing plus sizes when it had never bothered to tell anyone it carried plus in the first place.