Body Positivity, Drag, and Perfume

What would drag queen Kalorie Karbdashian wear?

VH1

Kalorie Karbdashian Williams twerked for body positivity during her time on Rupaul’s Drag Race. A plus-sized queen, she walked into the competition in a form-fitting bodysuit, and she left the competition in a different form-fitting bodysuit with more sparkles on it.

In a VH1 promo interview before this season of Drag Race began, she said, “Kalorie is a body queen. She loves to embrace everything that a big girl shouldn’t be. She wants to invoke sexiness, she wants to wear things that she’s not supposed to.”

Clothing “forbidden” for a big girl brings to mind Juicy Couture from the 2000s.

Instagram: Juicy Couture

Even though some of the era-defining Juicy Couture tracksuits had JUICY lettered across the rear, they were not made with the big girl in mind. In The Glitter Plan, Juicy Couture founders Gela Nash-Taylor and Pam Skaist-Levy recall telling their seamstresses, “If you think they look like baby clothes, they are the right size.”

In the 2000s, Juicy Couture tops were cropped, and the bottoms were low-slung. Paris Hilton lived in the brand. And in Juicy Couture’s current attempt to make a comeback, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner are the brand’s ambassadors.

“Realistically, being a big girl, I knew that I would never fit in with the Kardashians, so I figured I’d be the wicked stepsister and become Kalorie Karbdashian,” said Kalorie during a VH1 promo for Drag Race.

And realistically, Kalorie would never be able to wear Juicy Couture off the rack, which still doesn’t come in plus sizes. One of the things I love about drag though is that it’s not really meant to be bought off the rack: sisters are doin it for themselves, exercising creative direction in making their own garments and getting help from others. Although Juicy Couture is not designed for the big girl, there is no good reason for this, especially if one has the confidence to pull it off. I encourage Kalorie to demand something in the spirit of 2000s-era Juicy Couture made just for her. In the meantime, perfume always fits.

Viva La Juicy Gold Couture (Juicy Couture)

While many Juicy Couture fragrances smell like abstract sorbets, Viva La Juicy Gold Couture comes close to having an actual calorie count. It’s caramel all the way down, dressed in a jasmine bodysuit with plenty of see-through cut-outs, and adorned in berry seltzer bubbles. Like Kalorie’s time on the show, this fragrance is short-lived. She seemed nice, though.

Video: VH1

You can order a sample of Viva La Juicy Gold Couture on My Perfume Samples.