Do we really need the term ‘plus size’?

In the digital age, there are certain words or phrases that no one likes to read online: moist, panties, iTunes update. And while our disgust towards most of these phrases is just a weird reaction that no one can really explain, there’s a phrase that our society as a whole seems to treat with equal, if not more, disdain: plus-size.

Remember when Instagram banned the term #curvy, stating that it was in accordance with their no-nudity rules (which, come on, was complete BS)? Or Project Harpoon? While thankfully an increasing amount of people – including celebrities – are celebrating body positivity, there’s still something about terms such as “curvy” or “plus size” that perpetuates body-shaming culture which can be found all over the internet.

I talked to some self-identifying plus-size women about their general thoughts on the term. One said: “It makes me feel frumpy, and I hide the screen when I’m surfing these store pages online from my partner… for some reason, I don’t want to be identified as a ‘plus size’ shopper.”

The term “plus size” is most used in the fashion and retail industry, and while more and more designers and stores are becoming inclusive, there’s still evidently an ongoing struggle. For instance, the online retailer ModCloth recently decided to get rid of the term “plus size” on their site; instead of an exclusive “Plus” section, they combined plus size clothes and non-plus size clothes (petites, talls, etc.) into an “Extended Sizes” label. In a blog post, they explained the reasoning behind their decision:

“If ‘Plus’ isn’t a separate section in our shop, then why should it be a separate section on our site? Instead of ‘Plus’ standing alone as its own category, isn’t it really a part of other categories, like maxi dresses are a part of the ‘Dresses’ category? Eureka! That’s it.”

Okay, that’s a really awesome gesture, but my question is, why the need for “Extended Sizes” at all, then? Like they said, couldn’t all dresses, regardless of size, be just under… “Dresses”? I love ModCloth, but in my opinion, they’re not really getting rid of the term “plus”; they’re just changing it to sound a lot nicer, but the implication is still there. One of the women I interviewed shared my sentiments: “Why does it need a label?”

But like I said, Modcloth’s heart is in the right place. After all, even the most confident people probably have a pang of hesitation when they enter the plus-size section of a retail store or online site. To get around this, some will actively seek out places that don’t brand certain sizes as plus-size. Someone confessed, “I try to shop in stores that don’t have a plus size section, and look for styles that are flattering among the ‘normal’ range… I am at the smaller end of ‘plus size’ so can get away with some canny shopping.”

Now, some might argue that the “Extended Sizes” is an effort to include all sizes, not just Plus, meaning it also includes Petites, for instance. Which is true, but come on, let’s face it: very few people, if any, are embarrassed or hesitant to go shopping in the “Petites” section. No woman hides the “Petite” page on ASOS if their partner enters the room.