On Being Fat

Yeah, you heard me. Fat. I said it - the dreaded 3 letter word that every woma- well, person hates to hear. I'm not talking about someone who wears a size 6 and needs to go up a size because their "muffin top" is showing. I'm talking about anyone over size 16.

I'm 5'4" and wear anywhere from a size 18-22 US, depending on the brand and style. There are only 2 stores that I shop at, Target and Torrid, in person. Even so, Target has a very limited supply of plus size clothes. I love Forever 21, but I can't shop there in person because they don't carry my size. I can only shop at Torrid comfortably because they sell size 10+, but they're on the expensive side.

That's it.

That's my range of clothing stores.

I'm frustrated. Aren't y'all frustrated? I want more options other than purchasing online and praying they fit and then returning the 95% of my clothes that don't fit properly or having to go to a store, like Torrid or Lane Bryant, and paying the hefty premium for plus size fashion.

I don't want to be told, "Well, you should lose some weight. Obesity is a disease." I've heard that before. No, thanks. I don't want to be stared at when I go shopping in a store, such as Forever 21, praying that they have my size and when they don't, be forced to leave.

I want more options. I want to be able to go shopping with my roommates and be happy and find things that fit me.

The fashion industry is telling me that "Curvy is Beautiful" (I'm not curvy. I'm fat.) and then refusing to cater to my size. You know what that says to me? 

Your body is beautiful, but I don't want to see it. 

And that is completely unacceptable.

I don't have a solution. I don't know what the solution is, but I do know that I will make it known by social media or telling a cashier or sending an e-mail that I want more options, and maybe that's all I can do for now.

~ Leigh

**I do understand that being fat is a concept to most. I am not attempting to make you feel less about your body if you are my size too. I'm simply trying to be honest with myself. Fat is not a dirty word. It's just me.