I recently read an article in People Magazine about plus-sized model Crystal Renn. The article mostly focused on a recent retouching scandal in which Crystal had been made to look shockingly thin in a fashion spread by a photographer.
While unrealistic retouching of photos is definitely an issue worthy of discussion, my focus for this post is the definition of “plus-sized” and how outrageous it has become.
Crystal Renn is 5’9,” weighs 150 pounds, and wears a size 10, yet she is considered one of the most successful plus-sized models in the industry. The mind boggles that size 10 is now regarded as plus-sized. If you look at the photo of Crystal in her swimsuit in the People article, you’ll see a slim and fit looking woman who does not appear to be overweight or even particularly voluptuous. At 5’10” and size 8, I am not much smaller than Ms. Renn and am generally regarded as lean and slender by those who know me (I sometimes disagree, but I’m still working on my body image, as my readers well know…).
At What Size Does “Plus” Begin?
Of course, there is nothing wrong with being plus-sized, but shouldn’t the women who model clothing designed for plus-sized women actually be able to fit into the sizes? Lane Bryant is probably the most popular and well-known plus-sized clothing store in the country. I visited Lane Bryant’s website to see what sizes are sold in their stores and learned that they start at size 14 (and sell up to size 32). If Crystal Renn modeled for Lane Bryant, the clothes would either have to be altered substantially or pinned back for pictures.
