Parsons School of New York ‘Fashion Essentials’ Course Assignment
Trips to the mall can either be the highlight of my week or turn out to be the worst day of my life. Being a plus-sized women, the variety of sizes in my closet is insane. I noticed this shopping last summer that all brands create their clothes differently. I could be a size 14 in jeans at one store and a 10 at another. With any body type you don’t know what to expect walking into any store, considering the different materials and fabrics the brand uses.
For this assignment I headed to one of my favourite stores called Dynamite. I tried on a variety of dresses in a couple of their different brand lines and noticed some differences within the dresses. I learned that dresses with side or back zipper, no matter if it was the same identical material as ones with no zipper, I had to size up a couple sizes for the dress to fit comfortably. Dresses with no back or side zipper in the same material I would be the size I normally fit into at Dynamite. Secondly, I learned that various fabrics hug everyone’s body differently. For example, I was shopping with my sister and my other friend, and we all tried on the same silk dress, and I noticed that no matter what shape or size you are, the fabric of the dress caters to your body differently than someone else’s. This can be very misleading and can portray various issues for customers when shopping mentally and emotionally. Although sizes are not standard in all stores, especially different countries, this can trigger feelings of body dysmorphia and confusion for the consumer if they feel they aren’t confident in their own skin.
Body image within the Fashion Industry will always be a sensitive topic to date and although stores are getting more inclusive it will still be a challenge that will be around for a long time. I found this assignment extremely helpful because it made me think of concepts I usually don’t think of when trying clothes on at different stores.
Pardonne Mes Obsessions 