There is a wonderful article I just read today that inspired me to write this column. Check it out at:
https://www.yahoo.com/style/plus-size-model-fashion-industry-style-michael-99057667668.html
I cheer on the author of this article! I can tell you from experience that it is truly hard being plus sized. Though there are some stores that sell clothing in our sizes there aren’t many that understand our fashion needs or desires. Just because we’re larger doesn’t mean we want to wear tents- we want to look and feel sexy too! Sadly, it seems you need to earn a substantial amount of money to buy anything out there that looks half way decent. Plus-size clothing is not cheap. You will never find a plus-sized woman walk into a thrift store and buy a beautiful, never worn dress for $5 but you might find a thinner woman doing so.
My dilemma doesn’t stop with finding decent clothing- oh no- I also have the ‘plus-size’ calves. As a result, I just can’t go into any store and buy a pair of boots off the shelf like everyone else can. I have to shop at traditional plus-size stores to even have a chance to wear semi-decent boots that cover me. Now….if I could only find a store (not online) that sells over the knee boots in my size…. I would love that. I’ve always thought those were sexy but have never been able to find them—- for me.
I always hear stories of how plus-sized women have been maltreated by others. Unfortunately, I have not escaped this plight. Two occurrences in the past come to mind: one where a rude sales clerk told my mom and I that we were in the wrong section of the store and that we needed to go to the ‘Ladies’ section and another where a customer told her son (right next to me) that the food scale was for people who couldn’t control their portions. She then gave me a scathing look. Talk about rude!!! Unfortunately these occurrences happen all the time to plus-sized women. Apparently we are an easy target for the narrow-minded. It is very sad in this modern day that larger women are not seen for who they are but for what size they are.
Surprisingly, I noticed this inequity in the world of romance books. Though I have noticed recently that the word is getting out and that they have a classification for books with larger women (BBW), unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a wide selection of books in this classification. Fortunately, for me, that is a good thing because all of my heroines are plus-sized women with real-world issues. Yes, my heroines are strong, independent, smart, and most of all- fiery but they are also unsure, a bit insecure about their weight and their worth though all remain open to love and commitment. Each one finds her ‘knight in shining armor’ in different ways.
My first book (a sizzling paranormal romance) to honor big beautiful women everywhere debuts on October 24th. Josh, a wolf shifter finds his true mate, Tamara and will stop at nothing to woo her and make her his mate. Nightfall will be available in E-Book and paperback. You can purchase your copy through Luminosity Publishing at http://luminositypublishing.com
TK Lawyer 