Overweight Teens Get More Clothing Choices
Posted on April 13, 2005
In her article for Salon, "Living Large", Lynn Harris explores the world of hip plus-sized fashions for teens.
That was before Torrid came to town. Torrid is the curvy kid-sister company to California-based Hot Topic, a popular punk clothing chain (insofar as a "chain" can be "punk") that netted $39.7 million last year. Now four years old, Torrid offers only plus-size clothing -- that is, only cool plus-size clothing -- to fashion-starved Junior XLs like Kathryn. "We believe that plus-size young women should have just as much opportunity to feel feminine, beautiful and sexy as their thinner counterparts," says Regina Woodhouse, director of marketing for Torrid. Translation: Anyone looking for stretch pants or muumuus will be disappointed.After running the article, Salon was deluged with letters from readers praising Torrid and its clothes, and blasting the one moronic "expert" (Dr. T. Joel Wade) quoted in the article who said that providing nice clothes for overweight teens will make them want to stay overweight (yes, we know, he's an idiot).
Other stores which provide trendy clothes for plus sizes include The Gap, Banana Republic, Nordstroms, Saks 5th Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Designers who have gotten on board the plus sized bandwagon Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne, although these lines are not aimed at teens.
Hip-hop star Nelly, (you remember his hit, "Shake Ya Tailfeather"?) has launched a clothing line called Apple Bottoms, and JLo by Jennifer Lopez and Baby Phat both offer extended sizes. Online retailers include Alight and Beauty Plus Power. Bloomingdales and Macy's also carry plus sizes.
So, what do the experts have to say to Dr. Wade -- the guy that wants to make fat teens as alienated and miserable as possible, so they can become suicidal as well as overweight?
Health and business experts follow Andrea's logic, agreeing that Torrid represents a welcome, even overdue, tap into a surprisingly underserved market. "It's about time," says Judith S. Stern, professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California at Davis and vice president and co-founder of the American Obesity Association. "Overweight and obese kids are actively discriminated against. The fact that they couldn't have cool clothing just made things worse. We've made a lot of progress."