rage! RAGE thy name is Leish...

[leishpod]

So I am a consultant for UnderCoverWear - a brand I've been very proud of as they create great clothes that are suitable for all shapes and sizes. however, it always irks me that in their catalogue they just have skinny models for all of the clothes and then a double page spread (sometimes not even that) of 'plus size' girls modelling a sampling of

Comments

[anonymous]

Hey bub ('tis Julian, on Im's work compy)

Ludicrous as it sounds, their reasoning is actually kinda sound - the research they're stating apparently means that if there's any model on the page you don't relate to, then you switch off and turn the page, thus having a plus-size model and a skinny one on the same page (thereotically) is a turn off to both a plus-size and a skinny reader.

Even if this is true - which I'm sceptical of - what it should mean is that they should have a whole bunch of different sizes throughout the catalogue, rather than one (in this case, skinny) dominating it. Imagine if it went from size 6s (say), through to size 9s, then a size 12s, then size 15s, etc.

[leishpod]

yeah that would be pretty good, I just don't think they'll ever change - I don't see where they're getting feedback from that the models look great because they don't even look human *shakes head* grr.argh.

[comedychick]

If that's your fucking logic, then surely 90% of your customers are skipping through looking for the plus sized page?

This is pretty much what I thought when I read that part of her email.

OK, I get she's concerned that having larger women and smaller women on the same page, the smaller women might avoid buying anything on that page. But delegating the larger model to only two pages in the whole catalogue is entirely unfair, and she (or they, if they hired more plus size models) deserve more pages for the customers who can relate to that size.

[leishpod]

yeah definitely. it makes it seem like plus people are the minority when really they're not. and as someone else pointed out it says on the page 'something for everyone' like you're some kind of mutant if you're above size 12.... gr.

[comedychick]

Agreed. I mean, if they can do research on page skipping, surely they can research the size of the women who buy their products. It can't be that hard if they're selling products in those sizes! They have to know how many to make and have some sort of inventory!

[trillian276709]

OMG, I totally agree with your post. The plus size shop Lane Bryant over here uses thinner models for their catalogue. It doesn't help me get an idea of how it's going to look with a few lumps and bumps. And also the thinner models get swamped by the plus size and look like they're wearing a sack! GRR ARGH. I agree with your customers, you have to try everything on.

*high fives you for trying* :)

[leishpod]

thank you! It really sucks and if you want to look at the catalogue to see what I mean its at www.ucw.com.au :)

At least the clothes fit the models but it's very hard to look at them and think 'yep, that'll look good on me' when they're a size 6.. psh. annoying.

[bekscilla]

Plus, gotta say, the skinny models dooon't look good in some of those clothes. Having a little bit more flesh under the clothes fills them out better, and makes for prettier clothes that *I* am more likely to buy.

[leishpod]

I totally agree! The new models are particularly bad - at least the previous ones looked like real girls, but a couple of these ones are boney, it's disgusting and I have NO idea why they've chosen them. there's one picture with the girl in their new full-length leggings that's just awful. and the heels they put them in make them look even taller and skinnier, it's ridiculous and the clothes look waaay better on the plus size girl. grr.argh.

[bekscilla]

Oh wow, there's some scary stuff in that catalogue. Those full-length leggings are baaad. The raquel top - I don't really find protruding *BONES* to be attractive. And the girl on the Urban Chic page is kinda scary looking - she has a wide variety of scary smiles

Is that the normal "plus" sized model? She's looking amazing :) Maybe they're right about being put-off by not identifying with the models, cause the page with the title "Plus, there's something for everyone" has a lot of clothes on it that I'd love, because i can see them on someone with a shape, rather than bones.

[suze2000]

Really, if they are honest about who they are selling to (and not delusional as they clearly are), there should be more than half of the catalogue pics featuring plus-size models.

I mean, are they trying to sell to us fatties or not? Sheesh.

[leishpod]

yahuh. I have only had a few girls at my parties that have been really skinny, but girls like that *know* pretty much everything looks good on them, and that if they pick their usual size it's going to fit - whereas girls like us usually have to try things on to pick the size that suits...

The thing I liked about their clothes is that they're NOT the same as everything out there - why try and make them more like everything else?