Packing Up and Making Tracks!

Because this blog is about all sorts of Plus Size Issues, and because plus size issues relate to every aspect of our life, I thought you'd like to read about a couple of plus-size girl friends who have re-invented themselves during recent months. Through necessity and through choice.

Starting afresh in a small caravan following a stressful divorce, Rhiann packed everything into a few cartons, had them sent to her cousin's address in another State, and walked out of her home -town with head held high. Losing her home and most of her possessions through unscrupulous dealings and behaviour from her former husband, Julie was determined to find the answer to all her needs under her own "steam". She travelled to Queensland and set up her van near to, but far enough away to be independent, her cousins' home in North Queensland. It didn't take long before Julie made friends and has established herself as a mobile hairdresser and nail technician . She is well on the way to becoming financially independent. Julie has a few more dreams to follow.

Pamela had a slightly different story. She was retrenched from her job in a major city; was going downhill financially; and decided to give a small country town a try. She did some sight-seeing around a town which she had visited many years earlier and had liked; met up with some business people she knew, and made the decision to move, lock, stock and barrel. A job that was offered to her on the spot meant that Pamela fitted into the community easily and quickly.

Jillie who lived in Melbourne, is an "growing-older" woman in her late 50s, and due to a series of "family disputes" found she was on the outer fringes. Her small circle of "friends" took sides with the family and Jillie became isolated. Accepting an invitation to attend a school reunion where she caught up with an old schoolmate, she was then invited to attend her "new-found old friend's" 60th birthday party in South Australia. While in Adelaide Jillie made a momentous decision to move away from everything she thought was safe and secure and has made her home in a small beachside town many miles from the nearest major city. She has happily started up her own small business and has built up a happy circle of friends, including a highly regarded and reputable business man. That's another story!

What these three women have done is to "minimalise" their lives. Each of them stepped out of her"current" situation" and has taken a step in a new direction. With little or no "trappings" from her previous life, each woman has been rewarded in many other ways.

The one thing in common all these woman have is size. They are all plus-sizers and proud of the fact.

I've heard it said, and I've been told many times over the years, that it's difficult for "plus-size" women to make new lives for themselves. It's too hard; they'll never fit in with new surroundings and new people. That's not true. Like the women I've quoted, it's important to have a realisation of your own self-worth. Even when disadvantaged, by, as with Rhiann a bad marriage, with Pamela a loss of a job and with Jillie a fallout with family members and friends. They've looked beyond the problem and pursued new goals. And their determination has meant a successful transition into new life-styles and new friends, and even new relationships. These women believe in themselves, and the fact they are plus-sizers simply has nothing to do with how they feel about themselves. Their self-esteem is steady and healthy.

A "new" Image!

It is always the RIGHT time to start anew! So often we allow opportunities to pass us by merely because we're hesitant, and in some cases afraid, to do or take on something new and different. But going out on a limb is half the fun.

Let's think serioulys about what we WANT from life; from one another; from our careers and from our families. But before we do that why don't we take a moment to sit down and think seriously about what we can GIVE to life, what we can GIVE to one another; what we can GIVE to our families and what we can GIVE to our careers.

So many of my friends and readers are going through a stage of "minimising" thus maximising their lives. Sometimes in our pursuit to "achieve" and "possess" we forget what is really important so it's refreshing to know that there are some who are listening to their hearts and looking towards great things.

Teens and older students want more than just being seen as kids attending school and not contributing to society. Young women want more from life than just being seen as "career climbers" or "empty headed spenders." Young Mums want more than just to be the family handy-person, chauffeur or someone who has opted out of "going to work" (especially as seen by other women). Older Mums and Grandmas want more than just to be seen as the "local bank". Older women want to be seen as being "alive" and flesh-and-blood- women, rather than just being an "old person". Each wants to be allowed to be themselves without being judged as "selfish" by others.

Quite often when we are allowed to be our own person, we find our capacity to GIVE to each other increases. Our feelings of self-worth increase with that knowledge. Does this make sense to you?

Fashion's Big Leap?

The small promo (to whet our appetite, no doubt) on the front page of our major daily newspaper promised "A BIG WIN for FASHION" (page 7).

I didn't bother reading pages 1 through 6, I jumped to page 7. Anything to do with "big" and "fashion" in the one sentence has to take my interest right NOW - not until I've read the front pages of the newspaper!

I find a half page article, under the title "Fashion's big leap". Now this HAS to be news. Doesn't it?

Sub-title then goes: Younger size 16s a target

I'm still "caught" like a fish on the line, until I read the following paragraphs. It's all about "fashion finally widening their ranges for young women who don't fit the size 6 to 14 mould".

I'm mesmerised so I have to go on reading. It seems Sportsgirl (Australia) has introduced a size 16 on most styles in its stores! Forever New (a newcomer to the young fashion scene) is offering sizes 6-16 on its fashion range. And Myer (the so-called "grand lady" of Melbourne fashion stores reports that three plus-size youth labels it introduced late last year are already regarded as high performers.

And Myer has done something else to accommodate the younger shopper by luring them to the Miss Myer Shop (for the young, trendy and fad follower rather than the mature shopper). Their decision is based on them "realising" that someone aged between 18 and 34 doesn't necessarily want to shop in the older women's plus-size area".

Excuse me! Look, I'd like to say a thing or two on this subject.

1. Where's the "big leap"? Going from size 14 to size 16 is NOT a leap, it's not even a jump, it's a tiny wiggle! Size 16 is NOT a new size for the young. It's a normal size for the young. Back in the 60s and 70s (even during the years of Twiggy and the mini skirt) size 16 and 18 were normal and typical for the young woman and were found in amongst all sizes, in the majority of shops selling clothing. Don't tell me otherwise, because I know!

2. And I'm getting tired of the manufacturers, and the retailers telling me that this is a step forward. It's not. It's merely an illusion. For there are many more young women of size 18 and 20 around who now feel isolated, because suddenly the news is that size 16 is being included in the ranges, as though it is the "top" size that should be treated as a young size.

3. Even older plus-size women don't want to have to go into a designed area that says, "Plus-Size" (with the inference "here's what we're offering you, plus-sizers - you either take it or leave it, but don't complain any more that there's nothing for you").

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever why all sizes can't be accommodated on one floor, even if they have their own racks. If they want departments then let the brand-name "labels" have their own departments, but don't departmentalise women! I just "hate"being directed to an area (usually) at the back of the store or down the side out of the way, for plus-size garments, because they don't want me looking at all the luscious, glamorous, stylish, beautiful garments they have for the size 6 to 14 woman! Oh no, "be satisfied with dull, boring, unimaginative clothing, and be quiet about it".

This is all so hypocritical, and the newspapers and women's magazines, and the fashion industry, and the retailers should be ashamed of themselves. Yes, it's good to see that today young size 16 have some "fashion" choices, but they should have had them all the time.

And I've been caught in the trap - again - of believing that fashion, be it manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, really have our interests covered. They're "conning" us again, and because we're so desparate to find lovely clothing for our sizes, we fall for the old 'lie' again and again. It's not good enough, and it's not right.