Let’s face it… there is still much prejudice against plus size women. It’s a mission getting the perfect dress that doesn’t make you look older, that hides your bulges but manages to show off your femininity in a nice seductive way.
Brazilians with heavy hips and buxom busts share the same frustration when shopping for clothing that suits their voluptuous forms – not everyone has a bikini-perfect body.
“If I go to a mall where there are 300 to 400 shops, I will walk and walk and still be unable to find a dress in my size,” said Renata Poskus Vaz, a journalist who blogs about plus-size fashion says, “It's sad and annoying!” Can you relate to her frustration?
In Brazil, half the population is overweight yet stores promote clothing designs for thin and sculpted bodies, excluding curvaceous women who want to wear the styles they see paraded at events such as Sao Paulo Fashion Week.
To counter this, there are specialty shops that sell plus size jeans, evening wear and lingerie. To top it up more women are speaking out, advising each other on plus size style.
Slowly but surely curvaceous women in Brazil are being accepted as part of the fashion society members. No more stopping to check whether someone’s looking, as you enter that plus size store.
Thalita Arruda, the 23- year old "Tamanho GG" (XL size) blog creator says, “‘Fashion' was founded by aesthetics that are not the same as 'plus fashion.' But, thank God, there are professionals who are adapting for us strong women.”
Against the skinny model stereotype
Under this new standard, 10 Brazilian brands specializing in sizes 10 and up presented their new collections for next season at the fourth edition of Plus Size Fashion Week. Forty models flaunted these plus size designs emphasising the great lines and strong colors.
Iveraldo Junior, chief of marketing for the Exuberante label says, "We are presenting a collection that plays with the Latin world, with hot and sensual colors that move.”
Brazil plus size women are winning the fashion battle but many women around the world are still struggling and land up opting for styles that make them look bigger.
Debora Lima, a 21-year-old blogger for "Tamanho GG", said that it is still difficult to find plus-sized clothes, but that does not stop her from experimenting with new looks and sharing them with other women on her website.
"We are going to show the world that we, the bigger women, the plump and the not-so-plump, can dress well and make our difference," she added.
Are you a plus-sized woman? Do you have trouble finding clothes that suit your body in stores? Share your style qualms with us below.