The last seven days in the world of plus size fashion can certainly be described as eventful.
It seems that the buzz term of ‘plus size’ is veering round corners at a hundred miles an hour right now with everyone wanting to jump on board.
While last week we found ourselves on top of our soap box calling for an end to the #droptheplus campaign, this week we found ourselves defending our patch once again to what it seemed like every major news outlet.
A documentary on UK TV, ‘Plus Size Wars’, featuring some of the industries most well known bloggers, model agents and models exploded onto channel 4 and literally tipped the world upside down.
From there things spiralled out of control as TV panelist and former pop singer Jamelia voiced her desire for clothes above a size 20 and below a size 6 be removed from larger retailers and served only in specialist stores.
If you thought Kim Kardashian broke the Internet…. well Jamelia took a blowtorch to it!
The press erupted, as did social media and all credit to Jamelia despite the clear intention ITV had of making her apologies on GMB, the poorly informed panellist stuck to her guns.
Thanks to Jamelia we spent the day yelling with Samantha Brick about sleep apnea (yup us neither) and chatting to the for once rather lovely Roberto from BBC3 Home Counties. Before nipping over for a stint in Channel 5 news!
We are still very far from having a clearer and balanced understanding of how to treat each other with respect and how a complex issue of health, both mental and physical in relation to size and body image is still being drastically skewed by the media. These blanket comments and attention grabbing statements are just sweeping remarks that have no place for discussion both the real issues and real people.
If social campaign #wearethethey has shown us anything this week, it is that it is time to stop focussing on figures and statistics, it is time we dealt with people. Those with thoughts and feelings, stories and journey’s, bodies and souls that deserve to be celebrated, encouraged and inspired whatever their size.