“Not every woman is a size 0.”
We’ve all heard it a million times—at a fashion show, while leafing through a magazine or watching a movie, during a shopping trip to a boutique.
Do you know why we’ve heard it a million times? Because it’s absolutely true. Opinions on what defines “plus size” vary; back in 2007, now-defunct Plus Model magazine said it began at size 10, while more recently some media have pegged the garment size at 14—but remember, clothing sizes aren’t regulated in any meaningful way. They’re so arbitrary as to mean nothing.
Whatever the number-fudging, however, the trend of catering to so-called full-figured women has been on the rise over the last decade. Remember Whitney Thompson, who won the 10th cycle of America’s Next Top Model in ‘08? How about Kate Upton, and Ashley Graham, and, more recently, Hunter Grady? There’s an increased interest in showing off the natural shapes of women’s bodies that traditionally didn’t rock the runway in the past, and it’s wonderful.
More than 60 percent of American women wear a size 14—whatever that may be—or larger, and fashion for teens who don’t look like they’re going to slip through the cracks in the floorboards if they turn sideways is a growth industry, too. Women are more confident in themselves, and their bodies, than ever.
While the television, film and couture industries pay lip service to this brave new world, however, not a lot of high-quality designers are creating flattering garments for larger women. Not every woman is a size 0, sure, but not every size 16 woman is shaped the same, either. Too often, the clothes available are affordable, but look like a smock—no accenting the individual’s attributes, no stunning detail work, no thought that perhaps not every curvy woman is curvy in the same places. There are plenty of bargain-basement chains where a plus-size woman might find a pattern she likes, only to find that it fits her like a tent, and worse, that it becomes unwearable after just a few washes. (No names here, but you all know who we’re talking about.)
Thankfully, there are several labels making custom couture for full-figured women right here in the USA, and Dorothy Zudora will be among them with its next line of designer clothing. The garment should, more than anything, make whoever wears it feel like the most beautiful figure in the world, and Dorothy Zudora founder Heidi Richards is dedicated to providing stunning looks for all women, of all shapes.
“Why settle for a little black dress you can only wear once before it falls apart?” she asks. “We’re going to be debuting amazing looks this winter for every shape that will feel like they’re made just for the woman that’s wearing them, because they are.”
Look for Dorothy Zudora’s stunning line of one-of-a-kind retro-chic Hollywood looks for the full-figured woman this winter.