To think size 18 is plus size and not 'hardly plus size'

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The poster, with a very large following, is saying a size 18 isn't really plus size by much, and that 'most people (in the UK), are above a Size 16?

Really? I don't know that many people above a size 16. I really don't. I know lots and lots of size 12/14 and thought that was about average? It's usually the first sizes to sell out

www.instagram.com/p/ChiDp-1Mos3/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Average is 14

I wear a 14-16 on the bottom, and a 10-12 on the top, bra is a 30 back size. BMI is 26.5.

Dunno whether this thread deems me a disgusting Obese plus size unhealthy slattern or perfectly acceptable and average. Maybe I’m half of each.

Its a meaningless term, so no definition is more valid than another. I seem to recall it was originally applied to over size 18, as at one time mainstream shops rarely stocked larger sizes than that, so 18 '+' sizes were catered for in specialist shops like Evans.
I imagine the influencer using 'not very plus size' means that size 18 is still within the mainstream for most clothes, unlike maybe a size 30, who would struggle to find her size.
Given plus sizes appear to incorporate women spanning at least 7 sizes from 18 to 30+, I can see it might be helpful to have sub categories if talking about clothes. Just as we now have the new term 'midsize' to refer to the larger end of the non plus sizes.
As for whether a size 18 woman is very overweight, well given even an 'average' size 14 now denotes a waist size of 31/32" and the maximum size for a woman's health is supposedly 31.5", it would certainly suggest so. As would be every woman with a waist size over uk 12, according to medical advice.

I don’t think it matters what is average - the population in general is becoming more “plus sized” as the medical parameters for obesity haven’t changed and they won’t with respect to what is healthy. It is a known fact that the population is becoming more obese - it’s a problem and nothing to “normalise”. Size 18 is still plus sized even if the average size in the UK is a 16.

Nobody's saying everyone below a size sixteen must be smoking or drinking.

The point is, being a certain clothes size means nothing (on its own) about how healthy you are - it's just it's easy to judge someone big.

Size 8 isn't necessarily any healthier than a size 16. There are so many other factors at play, it's just they're not visible so they're harder to be all judgy about

It's valid to raise that too much focus on body size amongst other things can lead to serious health implications including anorexia & other eating disorders.
The original post was about Victoria Beckham introducing a size 18 to her collection & there was an IG poster saying that a size 16 is totally normal. Discussions lead to wherever they go & I think it's valid to say that fat shaming isn't ok, but accepted daily without thought or challenge.

Size 16 is my "healthy" size. I'm 6 foot and have naturally broad shoulders and broad hips, all of which have a massive effect on clothing size.

I basically stopped eating at one point and managed to get down to a 14, but it was unpleasant and I was just constantly cold.

I'm proud to be huge, I like being healthy and eating normally. In fact, I've put weight on since covid and now I'm a size 20, so basically an elephant.

I'm not going to apologise if my existence offends you.

Shaming doesn't work on some people but it does on others, that's the problem. If I can buy cool nice clothes at a size 18, as I can now (not like in the 90s, etc etc) I have been known to get super complacent and don't bother losing weight. And that psychology is a problem on a population level, because we are systemically quite overweight with health care challenges associated.

But for other people, shaming makes the problem much much worse and makes it less likely to lose weight - and it's really important to respect them and their needs too. We can even flip to and from the different states though our lives - I am much more shamed and unhappy now than when I was younger and just saw it as a "kick up the arse to lose weight" as it wasn't too hard for me to do it. Now it's harder as I am older.

So how do we serve both populations- these who respond to fat shaming with a motivational desire to change and those who are harmed and injured by it? I'd say start by removing dress sizing entirely and go by measurements.

Really, with the supply chains and factories we now have, we should be able to make AI- managed made to measure clothes for each of us, at scale.

The average dress size is a 16 (irrespective of how skinny everyone you personally know may be). Therefore, anything above that average can justifiably deemed as plus size.

16 is not "huge"
Jesus

Plus size is just a made up category anyway, plus, curve, outsize, it doesn't matter what you call it, the size is still the same. Sizes have numbers like 16, 28, 12, so we know roughly what will fit. Let influencers say what they want, it is not worth arguing about, people aren't going to go and stuff their faces with doughnuts because an influencer has said 18 is not plus size, are they? I know I am too fat for my own good, health wise, and most adults are aware of the dangers.

Can't believe that women's dress sizes still mean something objective.

Shop selectively enough and you can be practically any size you want. It's unregulated.

Snag is obviously talking to its own customer base and that tends to be on the larger end of the scale. I was in one of their Facebook groups for a while and there were people complaining their sizing doesn't go big enough - their largest size is up to 36... Surely there comes a point when someone would think the best way to fit into clothes is to lose weight if size 36 is too small? That's hardly fat shaming, it's about recognising reality.

Context is everything. The original Instagram post was regarding VB doing a "plus size" clothing range that goes up to size 18.

In that context I agree with the Instagram post. 18 is at the lower end of most plus sized ranges, not the top. In most high Street shops size 18 is available in their normal range of clothes.

The post is not saying anything about health. Just that larger women exist and should be able to buy clothes.

But it can be quite difficult mentally to read some of this comments about size 16s. Which is why it can sometimes be difficult to justify eating.

Especially when clothing manufacturers make clothing that seems to assume everyone over a size 16 is morbidly obese.

Anyone know where I can get size 20 clothing that's figure hugging, rather than baggy round the stomach area?

On another thread, giving the reasons why people decline invitations, the reason for that is they are ashamed of their weight. personally I couldn’t understand that, as I’m a size 18 and it doesn’t stop me.

but, looking through this, and seeing the horrendous judgiepants around being overweight, I can see where the shame is coming from

You define don't want to promote underweight either. Surely it's about accepting body sizes are different? And health within this is nothing to do with body shape or natural size. We shouldn't be pushing children to be skinny

I thought Victoria Beckham's range would use US sizing as that is where she as based. I think they size differently, and their famous size 0, for example, is a UK size 4. In that case, size 18 would be the equivalent of a UK size 22, I think? Surely most posters can agree size 22 is plus sized?

Normalising unhealthily weight because people are big and proud isn't right its not fat shaming. My dm might feel as many do that she's being fat shamed but the reality of it is she had a heart attack aged 52 followed by a double heart bypass and valve replacement, has mobility problems, back problems, Insulin diabetic. These are all health problems which have contributed to being obsese her dress size tanged from 18-20. It's not healthy. My dm gets upset when her size is suggested as being a factor of her health issues.

I don't know why I do this to myself.

I am one of the bigger people I know at a 16/18 and short. I am not obese because of medical issues, I just eat too much. I have spent my life since I was 14 trying to be 'better' ie thinner to get a boyfriend, to look good, to be 'healthy' because I constantly subject to value judgements. It's exhausting and this thread is an example of why. Fwiw I grew up in a family of active sporty people who ate well. None of them are overweight and I am. Why is that?

I don't understand why it matters if a size is a plus size or not. It is what it is. Overweight and obese people know they are overweight/obese. My skinny daughters know too much processed food is bad for them but it's bad for their teeth and their gut health more than the size of their arse.

This is so unkind and all the faux 'I see nothing wrong, it's not our fault fat people are fat' posters are horrible.

And what about those for whom a size 18 doesn't mean they need to lose weight? Do they just not get to wear cool clothing because they lost the genetic lottery?

I'm in favour of all styles being available at all sizes. Yes, that means provocative clothing in children's sizes (because some people are that size), and fashionable clothing in large sizes (because some people are that size). Choice is good. Or at least offer a tailoring service.

Is everyone below the average "minus sized" then?

We are always told size 16 is average but I'd be interested to know what the average size is by decade of age. Perhaps not everyone, but most of the women in my family are bigger sizes at 40+ than they were at 20, so it's a bit disingenuous to talk about average size across all women when we know (even if some people deny) the affect if menopause and age on weight (not saying it's inevitable or affects everyone).

The obsession around clothes sizes is ridiculous to be honest nobody needs a label of 'plus size' or 'petite' or whatever else anyone wants to call our bodies when they don't fit the designers idea of perfect. I am a size 8, I weigh 8st 8 and I'm STILL in the higher end of healthy for BMI and essentially being told to lose weight by the NHS, and it's hard, it's not enjoyable and there will be women who are bigger than me who look amazing and are healthier than I am. So whether or not a number of a piece of clothes classes as plus size or not is less important than how someone a) feels about their own body and b) how healthy they are (as determined by a doctor not a stranger on the internet). The only thing 'plus size' is designed to do is cause someone to feel bad about themselves.

I think we call those people "people who shop at Brandy Melville"