I’ll Take That Dress in Manatee Gray
Target has become the online target of some irate shoppers. Did you hear this story? Susan Clemens, a self-described “plus-sized” California women was outraged when she discovered that a plus size kimono dress was labeled Manatee Gray but the same dress in a smaller size was labeled Dark Heather Gray.
A manatee, for your reference, is often referred to as a sea cow.
Oops. I wonder if the person in charge of naming such things was wearing an A**hole Brown suit that day? Twitter went crazy and Target issued an immediate apology, calling it an oversight and averting an online shopping boycott.
It made me think about plus size clothing in general. I hated shopping when I was size 14. Once I got past the “ugh” of the size number I was always disappointed in the choices available. The skinny sizes had way cuter clothes, jeans especially. The shirts never seemed to work on me either.
I think it’s because the same dress in bigger material doesn’t really work with the Manatee Gray body type. Whenever I hold weight I get those attractive rolls of fat along my torso and the clingy material that looks fabulous on a size 4 just seemed to accentuate my rolls of skin.
I solved this problem by wearing the same three black shirts (one was my husband’s) and a turquoise T that said, “Jersey Girls Don’t Pump Gas” to avert shopping all together.
Most of the large T-shirts had high rounded necks, which also was a bit of a bummer. See, the plus side to being plus-sized is that it was the only time in my life (outside of pregnancy) that I had cleavage. I never found any clothes that were able to show off the girls without also revealing the jelly rolls attached to my stomach.
Sleeves were also an issue. Long sleeves are fabulous about hiding fleshy arms, but I live in Austin where the temperatures start to rise to 100 by mid-May. I solved this issue by wearing a jacket if people were around me and then taking the jacket off and blowing the car A/C to freezing until I turned my perspiring body into a Popsicle. The other patented stellar move I used (this was my go-to choice if cameras were involved) was to use my child as a baby blocker. It didn’t even have to be my child; I could hide behind any youngster. Furniture worked too.
Of course, the best solution here is to get healthy and fit into the Dark Heather Gray dress. But what do you wear in the mean time?
What about you? Do you notice a difference in clothing when you shop?
Lisa 
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I did hear about it and was deeply angered, but I’m not big on Target on their best days. The other thing that bothers me is the dividing line to what is called a plus size… Most average women are a 12 or 14 and we’re made to feel like we’re huge, when in fact that isn’t huge by a long shot. I’ve bee a 20 and I’ve been a 10 and can say that I looked pretty darned good as a 12 and am disturbed that by many standards, I was a plus size.
I hate shopping in general. It always seems like a trip to a bizarre fun house. The more expensive the store the more size 10’s I could fit into. Men don’t seem to have that moving target pant size issue. It’s just measured by waist and height.
You know that the size issue comes from the size difference between China made clothes and American made. I can get the same brand and size of three pairs of jeans at Walmart and they will fit three different ways. I go to Elder Beerman and don’t have that issue.
I wrote my own blog on the same topic. The problem i have is that I have very broad shoulders and also a large chest. I am currently wearing a size 16 (AUS) top from Target that doesnt fit me anywhere but the bust.. the rest of the top is hanging off me, but there is no way they size 12 would go anywhere near my bust. Incredibly annoying.
I hate clothes shopping!!