I know, I know, in the face of serious discrimination, fashion ain’t much to complain about, but…

A steampunk convention I’m due to attend later this month just posted a status asking for models for the one designer wanting to use plus size models in her fashion show.

The status itself is pretty passive aggressive, like the organiser’s doing us fatties some huge favour by having ONE designer include SOME plus size garments:

So many have complained about designers NOT creating dresses for plus size fans- or using them in the show. Now we have a designer who is doing this and NOBODY is getting back to her.

Uh… maybe that’s because you never advertised it on the convention page before?



But what really ticked me off is the designer’s definition of plus sized:



Still in search of a runway model size 12-16 for the [convention] fashion show…



That’s a US 12-16. So a UK 14-18 (maybe a UK 16-20, if the designer cuts generously… which other comments on this status indicate she does not).Now, since she says she’s had no replies, I don’t think it’s just that she’s already got the bigger models she needs: that’s as big as the ‘plus sizes’ are going to go.



ALL OF THOSE SIZES are sold in straight sized stores here in the UK. I consider myself a medium sized fattie, and I now know for sure there is going to be nothing at that fashion show for me. And yet from the organiser’s message I get the impression that I’m supposed to be grateful that there’s going to be a nod to (the pathetic, fashion industry definition of) plus size.



How inclusive. How thoughtful. How incredibly noble of you, Convention. See how grateful I am?

