A friend of mine wrote this on a fatblog - you might be interested in her opinion :
This whole plus-sized model thing really gets to me on a number of counts.
Firstly, quite often, a plus-sized clothing manufacturer will say they tried using proper plus-sized models in their catalogues and that it adversely affected their sales. From this they deduce that fat women prefer to see skinnier, "aspirational" role-models, electing to bullshit ourselves we will look just like they do in the clothes on offer. Personally I do want to see what a garment is going to look like on me, especially if I'm considering buying it online. But, much as it pains me to admit it, I also think those plus-sized manufacturers may have a point.
Fashion shoots aimed at non-plus-sized women always feature aspirational images ? granted they make most women, regardless of size, feel like absolute shit about themselves, but they are nonetheless the norm and we've all been brainwashed to accept them as such. My theory is that there is such an enormous gulf between the aspirational imagery routinely used to tempt non-plus-sized shoppers and our own fat reality that despite saying we want to see our own likenesses in fashion shoots, many of us don't handle that reality too well. It's too radical a jump and it shocks us; possibly even confounds the sense of freakishness that being largely ignored by mainstream fashion imbues us with. (Though it could also be that most of the clothes are unimaginative and unflattering and once we clock ?em on a plus-sized model we?d rather save our money).
Secondly, the defence given to justify the use of models who look like Belsen victims is because the mainstream manufacturers tend to make up and supply samples for fashion shoots in exceptionally small sizes. (This puny justification is invariably presented as if it?s a personal decree from God and therefore inviolable, despite the fact it sets an unhealthy and unrealistic precedent which sends women the world over completely doolally. But I digress). I imagine that where plus-sizes are concerned, the same rule obtains; if a plus-sized manufacturer starts at a size 12 or 14, then that?s the size their samples will be. Ergo that?s the size the model will be. Now, one might think that, given the market they are serving, and the market research one assumes they must do, plus-sized clothing manufacturers would care enough about us to do challenge this sorry state of affairs. But here?s the kicker: I have a friend who is a specialist in plus-sized marketing and she assures me that the majority of US plus-sized manufacturers, including incidentally, Lane Bryant...are either run by non-plus-sized folk or part of multi-conglomorates run by non-plus-sized folk. Which certainly explains the grudging attitude and lack of imagination used when designing for us.
The fashion industry simply doesn?t welcome plus-sized people ? as consumers or practitioners; think ?The Devil Wears Prada?. It?s comprised of skinny-arsed women and skinny-arsed gay men talking amongst themselves. It?s virtually a closed shop. If anything is ever going to change, we need fat designers, stylists, photographers and make-up artists; we need plus sized art directors and manufacturers, never mind plus-sized models. In short, it is up to us to effect the changes ourselves.