I'm a Blogger - I'm a Slogger!

For those overseas readers who may not know what a "slogger" is, and I'm not being disrespectful, it's just that so many words we use daily are not words that are used in another State, let alone another part of the world!. a "slogger" is a person who pursues an ideal but doesn't find that pursuit to be easy. In other words, it's hard work! "She "slogs" at her studies", for instance.

So there are times when I find I'm slogging away, thinking I'm not achieving much. Then out of the blue, someone tells me - hey, I learnt a lot from what you said. So that makes me feel good, and I feel I have achieved. Because I'm a great believer in doing small things right, and big things may be accomplished. Take the little acorn for instance, for from that will grow a mighty oak!

I went shopping yesterday. I need some new winter clothes. Even though we're still in the middle of summer (and the terrible bushfires are still burning), the nights get surprisingly chilly - 3 or 4 degrees overnight and daytime temperatures up in the high 30s (that's Celsuis). Called in at the so-called "boutique" stores - 5 or 6 of them.

Here's something of the conversation at one of them. "Sorry, we don't have much in the way of your size". "Well, what do you have in stock?" "Ummmm. Well nothing to be honest". "But you have a sign written in big gold letters that you stock from sizes 14 through to 30". "Yes, well, we can get you something in if you want it in a bigger size, but we don't hold anything here". "Why?" "What?" "No, I asked why?" "I don't know". "Well could I suggest that the proprietor thinks seriously about either removing the sign on the window or else at least getting half a dozen nice frocks in the larger sizes. Otherwise you're misleading prospective customers, and that's not quite legal". "Oh".

After walking out of the 5th store, once again frustrated and annoyed, I walked along to K Mart. Now, I usually get something from this store, even though it is "mass produced" and every other lady who is my size and more will be wearing the very same garment come the winter (or summer as the case may be); not that I am really over the moon about the styles, or the fabrics, but at least they usually sit on the body and can make me look OK. Those garments don't "fit" the body or flow over the body, they just "sit", but that's beside the point really because they are "usually" available. They're "servicable" and sometimes "affordable", that's about all that's really going for them. Went through rows and rows and racks and racks of slacks (pants); jackets; tops; tee shirts; crop pants; shorts (yes they're promoting shorts for winter!); and I found one (yes one) top that took my eye. Found it fitted me and will go well with my selection of black pants for everyday wear. Nice.

I then went into the lingerie department. My eyes goggled at the sight of so many bras and pantie sets - a kaleidoscope of colours, satins, laces, embellishments; bust maximisers; bust minimisers; cleavage enhancers, you name it. In "all sizes"say the billboards above each rack. I'm excited. I'm almost jumping for joy. I look at my watch and give myself an hour to find a couple of bras and pantie sets, a couple of nice nightgowns, and even a dressing gown.

Thirty minutes later I'm almost at the stage of stamping my foot. Nowhere in this store are there bras or panties in my size even though the racks are clearly marked "18-24". It's not that I'm in the higher bracket of being plus-size, but anyone would think that a woman size 18 or more is invisible. "Sorry", came the explanation again, "we don't have much call for the bigger sizes". "That's not the point", I answer. "Your signs expressly say larger sizes, you nominate 18-24 and then you don't have any stock." "There's not much call for it." "Do you have a moment or can I speak with your supervisor please?" "I am the supervisor". "Good, then, please come with me". I took her to the cash register and said, "Look at every woman who comes through your cash registers and tell me there's no call for the plus-sizes in your store, or for all your stores in the country." She looked, she nodded, and then she started taking notes.

She then said to me, "I hadn't realised". I respectfully told her that that was the trouble. Retailers and the fashion industry on the whole don't realise because they don't care a jot about the plus size women of this world.

Until such time as these industries, retailers, fashion and indeed the media, come to realise that plus-size women are just that - plus size, and treat them with courtesy and respect, then we will continue to be discriminated in many of the fundamental aspects of life - particularly as in this instance, in our clothing (or lack of it!)

Suffice to say I walked out of the store with no purchases at all. I didn't even bother going to see the nightgowns and dressing gowns. I'll leave that to another day, when I have the energy to take the store on again!