Rant about "Plus Size" clothing

I am a full-figured woman in my 20's. Most of the time I am comfortable with my body, but I always get a little jealous of those skinny little nothings who get to wear the trendy "Juniors" clothing. And what do full figured women like myself get to pick from? Usually 2-3 racks of overpriced granny clothing. If I wanted to look like a granny, I'd go to a thrift store or ask for hand-me-downs.

Most estimates place the average dress size of an American woman at size 14-16, so why haven't clothing companies caught up? HELLO, BIG IS BEAUTIFUL TOO! There are some stores that specialize in "Plus Size" women's clothing, but again, most of them sell clothing designed with older women in mind. (One notable exception is Lane Bryant. Bless you, Lane Bryant, and your tastefully modern "plus size" clothing!) Additionally, in most cases if you are able to find trendy clothing in a larger size, it doesn't fit right, because so many of today's fashion trends only flatter the thin or athletic builds. It is so aggravating! And this is just regular clothing, I haven't even talked about swim suits yet! Many (and I would even venture to say most) women despise swimsuit season because going around half-naked is really uncomfortable for some people. It's even more uncomfortable if you can't find swim wear that fits well.

Alright, this rant is almost over, but I still have one more point to make. Why is it that most "plus size" clothing is also made for "petite" women? SERIOUSLY!? It's like clothing makers assume if you're "plus size" you must be short to compensate. What is that about? I have to special order pants from companies just so that they come down below my ankles, and of course that adds an additional charge. All I'm saying is that if men's departments have "Big and Tall" then why can't women's departments?

Well, that was quite a rant. I'm sure there's more I missed, so I'll make a follow-up post when I think of it. Also, I'd like some reader feedback. I'm curious what term you prefer to define "plus size" clothing as. Some companies call it "Womens" while others call it "plus size" or "full-figured," so what do you prefer? Please leave your answer in the comments!

Thanks for reading!