subject: Bringing The Sexy Back: Plus Size Fashion [print this page] In 1901, Lena Bryant, a young Lithuanian immigrant, did not know what to do after her husband died. Selling the only luxury she had- her diamond earrings, she bought a sewing machine and that began her plus clothing business. Starting her dream with the creation of plus size wedding gowns, the company now, is one of America's biggest clothing empires.
BBW, or 'Big Beautiful Women' were lauded in the past. Associating a big and beautiful body to the abundance of wealth and health, women with full-bodied physiques appeared in almost all the covers of fashion magazines.
It was the arrival of the 60s that buried plus size fashion. The Twiggy-generation commenced, and the sensation she brought into the fashion scene invaded the covers of magazines and the silver screen. Gone were the plus size dresses, blouses, and skirts. Twiggy, wore slinky dresses that hugged her body so tightly. She was below a hundred pounds and looked very ill, but the sensation that she was, everyone else who did not have her figure, began to feel more insecure of their bodies. It also did not help that small-framed clothes were bright, fashionable, and affordable because in the 1960's and throughout the 70's and 80's, plus size fashion was blatantly out of the scene.
In the 1990's 'Big Beautiful Women' fought back and brought with them the new generation of plus size fashion. The pressure of competing with the stick figures went on but this time, they were determined on staying. Celebrities like Anna Nicole Smith, Claudia Schiffer, and Cindy Crawford, who are full-bodied individuals, began to dominate billboards, magazines, and television shows. And when tabloids exposed the truth behind the glitz and glam of fashion models, many people realized that being thin was not really as fabulous as magazines forced us to believe. What is fabulous about having to starve your self just to feel gorgeous? By this time, the 'Big and Beautiful Women' were fighting full on, and this kind of fashion was definitely back in the picture.
In fact, you can now find designs that fit a body like Eva Longoria's to be available to fit the likes of Oprah, too. Fashion has indeed become friendlier to the plus size, just as it was in the beginning of time. With major clothing companies carrying sizes from 0-20, and with every day that passes, more and more shops that cater purely to plus size women are open for business and the 'Big and Beautiful Women' are back. Gone are the days when a full-bodied woman can only wear an old sweater over her body. Moreover, the growing portfolio of plus size models that are in high demand, signify the acceptance of the modern world.
History finds a way to repeat itself and Heidi Klum's famous line, is more than just a tag line. Because in fashion, today you may be in, and the next day you are out- but who knows? Just like plus size fashion, maybe you can find your way back.
