Why Old Navy’s BodEquality is Important.
When I was a little girl, I was chubby. Back then, the word fat was thrown around a lot more easily than it is today. So I was fat. My grandfather called me Jelly Belly. I had a few classmates who called me JD Hogg, a character from an old tv show, The Dukes of Hazzard, because my initials are JDH, and I was fat. And one classmate in particular told me I had “thunder thighs and lightning bolt teeth.” (The teeth thankfully were corrected by almost three years of orthodontia. Thanks Mom and Dad!) But worse than all of those things was shopping for clothes. I had to shop in the Pretty Plus section of department stores. The sections were always considerably smaller and the clothes were never exactly the same as the clothing in the section for the “skinny” girls. The “regular” girls. The “normal” girls. You just had to settle for what they had that would fit you.
At 16, I developed eating disorders. From 16 until 38, I bounced back and forth between bulimia and anorexia, and at my worst, got down to 108 pounds on my 5 foot, 8 inch frame. Eating disorders are complex mental disorders that certainly are not caused solely by having to shop in a separate section that essentially points out that you are overweight, but having to do that during my formative years certainly didn’t help. Even today, when I am shopping, those sections cause a little bit of distress. A flash of a bitter memory and a tiny nagging voice in my head. And my heart hurts a little when I see a little girl trudging through the section with her mom looking for whatever she is looking for. Not because she may be a little chubby. But because her weight is being pointed out so publicly. But that’s what we do as a society. We often publicly point out what society views as a flaw.
With Old Navy’s decision to get rid of separate size sections, a woman can just walk in and feel inconspicuous as she shops for her dresses, shorts or capris. Well, as inconspicuous as any of us can feel when we are contantly sold images of women who are genetic anomalies, are airbrushed beyond recognition, or work out for hours a day with personal trainers and have chefs. Old Navy is saying it’s okay to dress the body you’re in right this minute and that you should be able to do it without being singled out due to size.
Most women, regardless of size have insecurities about our bodies, and the last thing we should have to do is have those insecurities amplified when we shop. I personally struggle all the time with the body I have, even though it is strong, tall, and fit. My life seems to be a merry go round of gaining and losing about 15 pounds and stressing about a number on a tag in my pants or dress. Thankfully, I feel recovered from my eating disorder, though I know I will always have disordered eating patterns. Even now, those Pretty Plus sections can trigger a strange, negative response. So I really applaud Old Navy for their decision to remove a stigma that so many people feel when they are looking for clothing.
Now, we have to apply the progress to include men! I’ve often walked by the “Husky” or “Big and Tall” sections for boys or men and thought it must feel very similar for guys who don’t fall under the tall, but are, instead, a little big.
Like so many, the word “Fat” has become politically incorrect. And I’m glad we don’t casually throw that word around anymore. I will end with a thought that shows up in a lot of places. There are so many things that are worse than being fat, but in our society we act like it is a horrible character flaw. If being “fat” is the worst thing you are, you’re a pretty damn good human being.
