Midsize Models

[TheLeadbetterLife]

Does anyone else get frustrated by the lack of midsize (or just, you know, normal-sized) models when online shopping?

It's fantastic that the plus size ones are actually plus size now, but everything in-between rake and very large seems to be missing. It's annoying, especially when so many of the current cuts in dresses are... challenging. I need to see them on a size 14 / 16!

We're supposed to be in this brave new world of body positivism, but the online shopping world seems focussed on extremes. There's a lot on Pinterest etc, which is very useful, but people showing off their outfits isn't the same as seeing how a specific item looks.

Toast are the very very worst for not mentioning or even showing models, the rear view of clothing, or measurements.. I have often wondered if the company are funded by a sadistic collective of 'artisanal' narcissists who enjoy watching women drool over their ginormous trousers and frocks in a sizing lottery where everyone will have to spend the rest of their lives filling out returns and wondering if the company will bother to process them.

They also have a shitty ethics score.

That said, I'm not a fan of Asos but I enjoyed their 5'4 models, it was quite bizarre seeing how I would actually look in the clothes!

Oh so many times I've not bothered ordering from Toast because I have no idea what the clothing will look like on a human, let alone a me-shaped human. Their sizing and shapes are so random, I have no idea how the garment will sit or what size to order.

When I went to their shop I spent £££, so they're very silly!

Models are there to make the clothes look good, not to show you what the clothes would look like on you. Why would they be average people?
In my case, the models would have to be short and ugly too. Is that likely to happen?

@Gwenhwyfar

Models are there to make the clothes look good, not to show you what the clothes would look like on you. Why would they be average people? In my case, the models would have to be short and ugly too. Is that likely to happen?

I don't think it is automatically off-putting to see someone of a similar size in clothes. I once bought a dress because the online site allowed customers to upload pictures of themselves in the clothes and I saw quite a short, curvy woman look really good in a dress I liked so I knew it would suit my figure. Much harder to tell when clothes are draped on skinny tall women.

"I don't think it is automatically off-putting to see someone of a similar size in clothes. I once bought a dress because the online site allowed customers to upload pictures of themselves in the clothes and I saw quite a short, curvy woman look really good in a dress I liked so I knew it would suit my figure. Much harder to tell when clothes are draped on skinny tall women."

I know what you mean, but you can't have a model that looks like everyone (unless we get our own avatars so we can do virtual try ons).

I don't think it is automatically off-putting to see someone of a similar size in clothes. I once bought a dress because the online site allowed customers to upload pictures of themselves in the clothes and I saw quite a short, curvy woman look really good in a dress I liked so I knew it would suit my figure.

I agree, & other stories and other sites show Instagram photos of people wearing the items (presumably they only link to shots where the item looks good but I don’t know), I always check as often it gives you a better idea of how the item will look.

I’ve never seen any models on Lucy and Yak that weren’t a size 8 or a size 24.

@burnt

@BurntTheFuckOut, they have slim, medium and definitely larger models. Not many older models, but they have models with bums, boobs and hips as well as the usual slender models.

This one shows lots of normal looking models

So true! Isnt the UK average a 14 or 16?

@1Micem0use

So true! Isnt the UK average a 14 or 16?

But why would a model be average? That's no what a model is.

I'm plus size and the vast majority of models on plus size clothing sites are a 14, 16 at most.

I thought most plus size models are a 14/16? Isn't that the standard size?

I guess the retailers want you somehow to be convinced you'll look as good in the clothes as the skinny models (that's how modelling works), then obviously to look inclusive they feel forced to shove in some.larger ladies.

I do agree with the OP but guess it's like when they have ridiculous adverts on TV and you wonder how it persuades anyone to buy the product.

What I don't really get is the lack of proper measurements. You wouldn't need the model's height if the length was given. It's criminal really as all the unnecessary returns are not good for the environment.

In fairness, lots of companies use normal sized people now. Most companies I shop with definitely do. The problem is that because the usual models are about a size 2, the normal sized 14-16 model looks morbidly obese. You scroll down and it says "model is 5ft 6 and wears a UK size 14" and because you're comparing her to the toothpick that is generally doing the modelling, she looks more like a size 20.

The other side of the coin is that vanity sizing by companies does nobody any favours. I'm a size 16. I know I'm a size 16. That may be the average size in the UK but I know I could do with losing a stone or two. Telling me average size= ok is not ok. Nor is telling me I'm a size 12 not a 16. (looking at you Next)

Agree op and why does john Lewis cut off the models heads;/

@doadeer

I thought most plus size models are a 14/16? Isn't that the standard size?

Well no, not these days. The plus size models on the big online / high street shops' sites are at least an 18-20, some bigger. Also, they're specifically modelling the plus size ranges, which are cut differently.

There's rarely anyone modelling the middle and upper ends of the standard ranges.

That said, I agree with pp that it's good to see more shapes and sizes on some websites. However, nothing has really changed on the big retailers' sites. They're only including bigger models because their plus size ranges have expanded, as it were. The models are wearing completely different clothes from the size 8s.

@SapereAude

In fairness, lots of companies use normal sized people now. Most companies I shop with definitely do. The problem is that because the usual models are about a size 2, the normal sized 14-16 model looks morbidly obese. You scroll down and it says "model is 5ft 6 and wears a UK size 14" and because you're comparing her to the toothpick that is generally doing the modelling, she looks more like a size 20.

The other side of the coin is that vanity sizing by companies does nobody any favours. I'm a size 16. I know I'm a size 16. That may be the average size in the UK but I know I could do with losing a stone or two. Telling me average size= ok is not ok. Nor is telling me I'm a size 12 not a 16. (looking at you Next)

I see what you're saying about vanity sizing, but that's a separate point really. It's not a fashion retailer's job to police people's health, they just want to sell clothes. It's not like the NHS is saying it's okay to be overweight. Clothing labels are meaningless anyway, there's no reason why the measurements shouldn't adjust to reflect the population.

Also, when I put 14/16 in my OP, it was only because that's my size (though I'm not overweight, just built like a Viking's brick outhouse). I would be happy with seeing models that are a size 10-12, because I could extrapolate better from that, as long as they had some actual breasts.

I agree.

The plus size models are as far from normality for many of us as the tiny size 8 but 6ft tall models. They also all seem to have small boobs, even many of the plus size models I want to see how dresses look with boobs too.

Clothes look best on the coat hanger, so the tall skinny model is the nearest shape to that.
I don't mind them using the tall and skinny models, I'm used to it. What would help is actual garment measurements, I often struggle to find leg length on a website for example. They prefer to say 'our model is a size 8 and 5ft 10'...but if I don't know the inseam that information is useless...she might have relatively short legs for someone her height, I wouldn't know.
I think they don't like putting measurements on websites because even within one product there is variation in sizes sometimes.

Models generally don't have short legs

The tricky measurements are things like armholes and torso if you are not the same shape as the type of body they design for

Many women will have things bigger upper arms or boobs than models.

"there's no reason why the measurements shouldn't adjust to reflect the population."

Well, I believe there are good reasons why shops shouldn't vanity size. If the public spoke about it, they'd have to stop. It's only good for business as long as people like you think it's OK.