The Not-So-Secret Bigotry In Plus Sized Fashion
Why is it that the plus sized community keeps getting "shelved?" ...
by Erika Nicole Kendall
I don’t really know where to begin with this, so I’m going to just jump right in.
I remember how difficult it was to buy clothes that were appealing for women who were my size. It was rare that I could find something good in a nice department store – forget about your more upscale spots and boutiques – and was often relegated to the few stores that vanity sized up enough to cover women shaped like me without telling all of their customers that they catered to women like me.
And that, my friend, is the problem.
I happened to check out this write-up on Racked that said the following:
Maybe you heard about Saks Fifth Avenue’s plan to mix plus-sized designer offerings into the racks of their hallowed third floor [...] Maybe you also heard that Jezebel’s attempts to get a comment on this little nugget from Saks and/or a handful of the labels were pretty much in vain.
Here’s the part you might not have heard, though, at least if you haven’t spent years paying attention to designer sizing: Chanel and cohorts have been selling plus-sized clothing for a very long time, and it makes them a lot of money.
[...]
Before then, skinny young bitches didn’t even want Chanel. When they finally did, they couldn’t afford it. And, frankly, most can’t afford it now. By the time they will be able to afford Chanel or Kors or Cavalli (or marry someone who can—just sayin’), they’re not going to be so young. And they’re very likely not going to be so skinny either.
That said: These labels have been producing plus-sized garments for years. Could you imagine if Valentino, Armani, Carolina Herrera, Escada, Donna Karan and Max Mara didn’t make 12s, or 14s, or 16s? They’d be dunzo; those charity-gala-ladies-who-lunch-museum-board-members-who-”winter”-and-”summer” make up a pretty big chunk of their markets.
The issue here isn’t the fact that these clothes are being made—they very much are. It’s finding those clothes, and that one of the foremost department stores in the world is going to be stocking them alongside smaller sizes in a flagship department. And given their market, they probably don’t want to advertise it. We’re talking about women who treasure discretion and quality over jewel-crusted monogramming and, frankly, don’t want their sizes—let alone their style and their access to such styles—bouncing around the internet.
While I think this is a pretty frank take on the matter… I think that very last line is where Racked gets it horribly wrong.
We’re talking about women who treasure discretion and quality over jewel-crusted monogramming and, frankly, don’t want their sizes—let alone their style and their access to such styles—bouncing around the internet.
Trust me… that has nothing to do with why the likes of Saks and Co. wouldn’t dare advertise that they serve the plus sized community. I’ll get back to this in a minute.
From The Plus Size Wars:
In April, Lane Bryant broadcast its first television ad for its lingerie line, Cacique. A bosomy, heavy-set model parades around a bedroom dressed first in a bright blue teddy and then a series of bra-and-panty sets. Settling on some lacy underwear in fuchsia, she checks the smartphone on her vanity table and takes note of a calendar reminder that says, “Lunch with Dan.” Who is Dan? Apparently not her accountant — she merely throws on a short black trench coat and walks out the door.
Lane Bryant bought air time during “American Idol” on Fox and hoped for a similar showcase on ABC (which it never got). When Fox requested edits, the company charged that it was the victim of size prejudice. “Yes, these are the same networks that have scantily clad housewives so desperate they seduce every man on the block,” a Lane Bryant press release stated.
Believe me, those networks know their market. They know their viewers don’t want to see some big fat girl parading around in her panties… and they certainly don’t want to think about her getting laid. [insert eyeroll]
Pardon me for the sarcasm in that last paragraph, but you’ve got to admit that this is exactly how this all sounds. We, day in and day out, are fed this image of women who don’t look like us… selling us a fantasy (and a product, don’t forget that part.) 68% of America is overweight… at this point, that Lane Bryant model looks more like most of America than that Victoria’s Secret model. But still… the Lane Bryant model’s ad is shelved… and I’m still looking at thin blond girls (or fair skinned thin Black girls – can’t forget them) in jungle print panties on my screen.
Why is it that the plus sized community keeps getting “shelved?” No one wants to go on record as saying “Yes, we offer plus-sized garments for women up to a size X?” Companies that once served the plus-sized community proudly all of a sudden relegated their 16-and-up clientele to shopping online for their items. I have an answer.. I just doubt that anyone will like it.
Think about the stores you know.. and where they’re located. The stores that serve the plus-sized community with pride. They’re not at the ritzier malls. They may be sprinkled throughout the “middle America”-esque locales, but really… the proud-to-serve-you types? They’re going to be strategically placed in locations where it is believed they will do best.
Think about the prices for those stores. The stores that might vanity-size up a little to secretly accommodate a few larger sizes. Those stores that are almost always offering some $25-off-$50-purchase kind of sale. Surely, you wouldn’t see Chanel in a store like that, right? Do you even know of someone who makes a $400 sweater in a size 22?
Big girls like to be fashionable just like everyone else. She may not look the way society wants her to look – though, keep it real… a size 8 doesn’t really look the way society wants her to look, either – but she wants to look presentable, respectable, and even occasionally jazzy. The problem is that no one wants to come out and tell this fashionable big girl with money to spend “Hey, we make beautiful clothing for you… come get it.”
Why? This is so anti-Capitalist! Someone has money to spend, someone has product to sell them… and the deal isn’t going down! You know there has to be a good reason for this, right?
Why won’t Chanel and the others publicize the fact that they make plus sized clothing? Simple. Because they know damned well that there is a certain type of woman identified as being plus sized – she is poor, cannot afford quality, is so unattractive that surely she wouldn’t wear my clothing anyway, whatever… the plus sized woman simply is not respected. “Her mere presence in a store must offend the sensibilities of the average size 2… thus why other labels had to force her to resort to shopping online only. We must keep them out of our stores, so that thin people won’t think our store only caters to big people!”
To me, this is the bottom line.. and it sucks. It’s disgusting to think that a store like Saks would avoid commenting and telling the women who long to shop there “Hey, we have things for you to buy!” as a means of protecting its image – because, let’s face it… if the national concensus about plus sized women is that they are poor, and Saks is now offering clothing for plus-sized women, then this MUST mean Saks is selling the cheap crap now, right? It’s not about hiding the sizes of women who shop there. It’s about hiding the perception that Saks “services these poor, misguided, fat souls.”
Ugh, and we wonder why so many women have such major self-esteem issues.
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30 Responses to “The Not-So-Secret Bigotry In Plus Sized Fashion”
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Amen Sistah!!!
I soooo agree with you! I am a plus size woman and I was Just at off Sax this weekend at the outlet mall. I asked the young salesman did they have any salon Z merchandise there and he gave me a look like he had no clue about this mysterious salon Z and said no. The Sax in my area does not carry it they told me the closest one to me was 3 hrs away and they did not have any Chanel etc brands. I love designer clothes because they hold up well but this seek and find method to find them is very discouraging. They could make so much more money if they just offered up the clothes in stores for us to try on (cause we need to try on stuff!) and make it readily available. Big girls have money, credit cards and like to look fabulous too!
This one hit home Erika.
I hate clothes shopping with my smaller girlfriends.
1. I have one girlfriend who’s a 1X, but pear shaped. She can always find something at TJMaxx and consignment shops. She refuses to go to the more upscale stores because of the cost (we’re both on tight budgets!). This said, she religiously buys Vogue, Marie Claire, etc the minute they hit the newstands to keep up with the latest trends even though those clothes are unlikely to be found where she shops.
2. I sweat. I don’t dew, I don’t shine, I don’t perspire. Sweat forms on my brow when I even begin to think about exercise (which is why I LOVE swimming!). Let me rush into work, and I’ll be sweating for the next 10mins, long after I’m sitting at my desk. So why are most of the clothes sold at the Avenue, Lane Bryant, etc made out of polyester or some other non-breathable fabric? It kinda reinforces the image of the large sweaty sloppy gal. And let’s not get into the the horrble color choices of a lot of sizes over size 16. And what’s with filmsy, drapey tent pieces, instead of clothes with structure? Large men are fitted into suits with nice shoulders, sturdy fabrics, etc… Large women are given spandex and rayon! Like Spanx is gonna magically suck up the excess flesh into an alternative dimension…
3. I had to start sewing to appear fashionable. But the patterns don’t fit the same way, and again large sizes don’t really exist. The patterns are based on actual body measurements. So a size 22 comes out to a 30-32 on a pattern, shaped for someone who has no shape whatsoever. If you have a large bust, be prepared to leave buttons undone and wear a tank! And fabric stores that offer sewing classes often don’t know how to modify a pattern to fit a larger person.
I have a formal event in a couple of weeks and was dragged to Macy’s to shop for accessories. Not a plus sized woman over a size 16 in sight unless she was walking thru to another store in the mall. It’s like the saleswomen don’t see you. Well, they know they don’t carry anything over a 16 in their store, and a large sized woman in jeans couldn’t possibly afford anything there… It is very off-putting.
I’m losing weight to better my health. But I would be lying if I denied that I didn’t have dreams of buying (or sewing) an entire new wardrobe in a tight toned size 12, consprised of the current fashions seen in Vogue…
There’s that scene in the film “The Devil Wears Prada” where Meryl Streep tells Anne Hathaway that she thought she’d take a chance on hiring the “…smart fat girl” who’s a size 4. If popular mainstream fashion considers a size 4 (see America’s Next top model and Project Runway) the standard, then no… We may never see larger sizes prominently displayed on the floors of upscale department stores. There’s too much investment and mental conditioning from Madison Avenue on the appeal of Western European thinness. Pity. If they only knew how much larger women, especially Black women, spent on hair and nails they’d reconsider.
Interestingly, she seems to be a size 2 when she starts dressing more like a Vogue girl. Isn’t that telling? Why is a size 4 fat? Or Michelle Obama fat?…. I don’t think we should bother with trying to be a certain way so others think we are fit. We just have to do it for our well being, our joy of life our ability to live long. Because I know with my waist/ hip ratio i will never appear thin. And that’s ok. Hopefully one day I can put out my clothing line that doesn’t discriminate and take that excess cash they are outwardly rejecting. Shoot I could use it too!
I was just thinking about how some of the cheaper franchises also take advantage of the fact that these higher quality companies don’t publicize plus sized clothing. It costs almost $30 dollars for a tank top at lane bryant. I believe they take advantage that SOME of their clothing is higher quality than cheaper outlets. Also most of these stores sell the exact same cheap clothing for different prices. But because this market isnt in the mainstream limelight this is ignored.
Even while on my journey for better health I still want to look fashionable in quality clothing without being overcharged for having some fashion sense.
I kind of get Saks not advertising that – the salespeople there (in NYC, at least) have always been really rude to me, so I just don’t even go anymore.
While I had no idea that Chanel (et al) was/were making plus sizes, it totally makes sense. Guess I never really thought abut it. What a shame that folks allow this size-issue to cut them out of money [and at the same time, demean an awful lot of people].
Great article!
I wonder if another thing that contributes to it is the culture of “fat shaming”. A while back, I was looking through the comments of a news post about one of PETAs shocktastic ad campaigns, this one was targeting plus size women, and the number of people insisting that overweight people need to be shamed into loosing weight was staggering. We’re talking multiple thread-conversations of people giving each other advice on how to embarrass and humiliate plus size friends, partners, and relatives into “get off their fat asses and loosing weight already”. It was sickening, and I really wonder if and where this thought process manifests itself in the clothing industry.
All the dudes that I know said the chicks in the LB commercial actually look more appealing than the Victoria’s Secret girls. Not a fat/skinny thing…or a man wants a big woman thing. Just, they look healthy. Those LB models aren’t really that plus size to me. They are like a 10/12 maybe a 14. They are smooth with no rolls or bulges. They look like they work out to me…I’d KILL to look like that in my bra and panties. LOL! I heard someone say that the LB models look too sexy to be in that primetime slot…
An interesting point that was brought up in that NY Times article was that it’s very hard to make plus-size clothing because of the dimensions. A woman who is a size 8 regularly, even if she gains weight, will gain it sort of proportionally so that a size 10 or 12 will fit. But once you get into the really big sizes, like, 18 or 20 and up, the way a woman’s body deposits the fat is totally different. She might have all her weight in her hips, or her arms might get relaly big, or it may all be in the tummy. So designers would have to make several patterns for every garment in order to cater to the plus size community well. Or they could just say eff it and not go above a size 16. This is why so much of the plus size stuff you see at Lane Bryant, etc is kind of shapeless or made out of spandex. It sucks but I’m wondering what the way around this is. Are plus-size women willing to pay $400 for a sweater that is not designer? Because that is what the NY Times said it would cost to pay for all the models, all the pattern making, special fabrics and stitching, to make a decent sweater with enough variation that size 16 and up could wear it.
I personally have no inkling as a plus size to wear anything from these big name designers. They have always covertly catered to plus sizes, but never advertised. Unless it is on the “clearance” rack or reasonably priced. I will continue to shop at Century 21, Daffy’s, and Marshall’s, and Macy’s.
You nailed it on the plus sized woman being perceived as poor in this society. It is a total flip of culture from most African perceptions of size. Oh well you can’t please everyone. I just wear what is affordable and looks good on me.
I’m not surprised the top fashion houses don’t advertise they sell some plus sizes. Of course they will still only go up to a certain size. Then it’s a matter of a woman who has money paying for couture.
It’s very difficult finding fashionable and better constructed plus sized clothes. Even within one store the fit and cut aren’t consistent.
It’s all very annoying on top of the mental/emotional component of being a woman in a patriarchal society as well as being a woman of size.
thanks for this!! I was talking to my boyfriend about this a while back. I was at the mall trying to find some cute sexy pajamas and all I could find in plus sizes were mumus and the like. Yet there were all kinds of sexy little shorts and tops in the “normal ” sizes.
I often have people ask me “Where did you get that?!” and they expect to hear Lane Bryant or The Avenue. I rarely shop at those stores for anything other than undergarments. Two reasons: 1. I’m still young and dressing like an old Matriarchal Usher Board Deaconness is not my cup of tea 2. I don’t want to look like every OTHER fat girl out there.
I try to tell people that plus size clothes are everywhere. Every major department store mixes larger sizes into their racks. Every major label makes larger clothes. They have to if they want to make money. So, I shop everywhere. Unless its somewhere like 5-7-9 or Forever 21. I don’t let the name of a store or lack of a glaring sign that reads “Plus Sizes Here” make the decision for me.
I do agree with what you wrote. It is bigotry, plain and simple. But then, I feel the same about major fashion houses that KNOW they make a lot of money from people of color or poorer people trying to keep up with the Joneses but do nothing to advertise to them, target them, show appreciation for them, etc. THAT is why I dont wear major labels like Prada, Gucci, Chanel, etc.
If I’m not worth the effort of your advertising, you’re not worth receiving my hard-earned money
I recommend Fashion 2 Figure. The store’s mission and philosophy is very fat-friendly and the clothing is chic, modern, well made, and affordable.
Usherboard Deaconess!!! ROFLMAOOOOOOOOO! I am a fashion student currently because I want to change some things about plus sized clothing even though I am working to get back to my original body that isn’t a plus size. However since I was a 10 now that size is called a plus size. I was a very muscular but thin person at size 10. I like newport news for plus sized staples, and you do have to get creative when looking for cute clothes. I am a designer so I can sit down an make WHATEVER I WANT. I see something in a fashion magazine, and I can make my own version of it with a twist to fit my curves. I realized how I was hiding in my clothes for a long time. The past couple of years I have made efforts to not wear baggy clothes because believe it or not I do have a shape, a waist, curvy hips and such. Though I no longer rock short skirts, and everything has to come to the knee there is alot you can do with color and a nice cut that makes you look incredibly alluring without being cheap.
Ginia Bellafonte wrote, in the NY Times
“Perhaps nowhere is the cultural confusion surrounding the larger woman more pronounced than in the clothing industry’s efforts to dress her. According to a 2008 survey conducted by Mintel, a market-research firm, the most frequently worn size in America is a 14. Government statistics show that 64 percent of American women are overweight (the average woman weighs 164.7 pounds). More than one-third are obese. Yet plus-size clothing (typically size 14 and above) represents only 18 percent of total revenue in the women’s clothing industry. The correlation between obesity and low income goes some way toward explaining the discrepancy — the recession was particularly hard on this segment of the market, with sales declining 10 percent between 2008 and 2009, a drop twice that of the women’s apparel industry over all — but it doesn’t explain it entirely. That figure has been fairly constant for the past 20 years.”
That might explain things…
I hate to sound bad about it, but being overweight is a factor in income. Studies have shown over and over that being obease does affect a womans ability to climb the financial ladder. Designers know this. There is a vanity by designers as well that they dont want their designs on overweight bodies no matter how much money they have. Being in design school and being around the industry I see it constantly. I even feel the pressure to have all the weight off when its time to graduate or I will be passed over for positions. Or will it be black tax?
I live in Ontario, and my husband and I went on a trip to New York state this past weekend hoping to find some stores and outlets that have beautiful plus sized clothing. I mistakenly thought that the states would have non-tented, high end, flattering clothing made of natural fabrics. I was sorely mistaken. As a young lawyer, I have found it extraordinarily difficult to build a professional wardrobe that reflects my style, and I find it infuriating that “plus-sized” and “low end” seem to be synonymous. The vast majority of plus sized clothing for women in Canada and the US is ugly and it feels disgusting.
After scouring and scavenging for days I managed to find a few shirts, and my husband (a tall slim man) came back with a trunk load of designer clothes.
Designer or not, there is a desperate gap in the market for beautiful plus sized clothing that is simply not being filled.
I was in Charleston SC this summer on vacation. I went shopping with a group of my friends (all small), and while we had a great time, the truth of your post first resonated for me there. On King Street–where all the fabulous shopping is–there was a Talbot’s and a Talbot’s Petite, but no Talbot’s Women. The saleswoman said there was one of those stores, however, out at the mall. The same is true in my hometown…Talbot’s Women is delegated out to the mall. Hey…I have money to spend…I should be able to spend it where it is convenient for me to do so. Here’s a tip…check out LeeLee’s Valise in Brooklyn. She’s online, and she has some great clothes (as seen on What Not To Wear). Sad that I have to keep such a close eye on that show just to have some fashionable clothes! Write on.
Great post, Erika. I am mystified that in this country where everyone is looking for an “untapped market” in which to make a buck, there aren’t more clothing lines or stores selling cute, fashionable, high quality clothing for plus sized women. We’re out here and we have money!!!!!
I was having this same conversation with some friends the other day, and most of us are plus-size and truly love fashion but get discouraged when shopping because of our options. One friend in particular loves loves LOVES to shop the catalogs, Romans and Catherines and even though the clothes are made for plus-size women, they are quite unflattering. I can’t understand why a catalogue that markets to plus-size women choose to make them look all types of wrong. You would think they’d understand that women want to look beautiful regardless of their size, and selling a fall leaf print square neck crop top w/ a brown background in polyester is just not appealing.
One woman I admire and always admired for her style is the comedienne Monique. I remember seeing her comedy shows in Bmore before she became a “household” name and she’d be rocking royal blue tailored custom suits w/ stilettos to match and hair as high as the ceiling. She ALWAYS looks put together. I think these companies that choose to cater towards plus-size women should remember women like Monique and Queen Latifah when they start advertising to the public. That we too want to look and feel just as confident as the size 2 woman.
I really could not agree more. Thanks for posting this!
I love this article!!! Now if the shoe designers would
cater to women sized 11 and up will be a very happy
person!
This blog article is so funny and sooo true. I cannot say how many times I have voiced my frustrations to a poor undeserving sales associate at a clothing store, whether it was Nordstrom Rack, Target, Ross, etc. For example, Target already had the summer seasonal items out with a beautiful wide variety of bathing suits to die for. Target has a great plus-sized section which offers very cute style options. Well guess what?? They only carried the smaller sizes for bathing suits EARLY, the other larger sized bathing suits would not be in until later in the season!! WHy? Not because they didn’t have enough room or the product doesn’t sell or because they don’t have anything cute to offer (because they told me to go online to get the plus sizes), they just didn’t get it – so sorry. This sends the message to me that they don’t care if I want to be just as prepared as the next ‘hussie’ to swim for the summer or get the latest and greatest gear, they could care less that I am willing to spend the ridiculous amount of $60 for a suit that should only cost $14, my money is not as important. To add insult to injury, I went to Lane Bryant assured that they would massage my injured ego by offering comparable quality suits to purchase at an even higher price (at this point I was willing to pay!) only to find out that they didn’t carry any either! Why? Because they receive only what they think will sell well based upon last years numbers…I don’t accept this either because I know how retail works. You just stock less, you don’t eliminate the product altogether. Lane Bryant told me to go online too. I refused to purchase anything online although I did go peep out the styles. Somehow I am willing to pay the mark up price if the product is in the store but if you deny me the right of experience to walk in, try on, purchase and walk out with a bag in hand, -I no longer want that overpriced product! Forget about it! (with a Vinnie accent) What I did end up doing was going to Torrid who carried a wide array of beautiful, colorful and sexy overpriced swimsuit gear that I happily purchased on the spot!
I get your point. I think it is twisted. At the same time, how is this any different than the size 0 models njoying copious buckets of KFC, double whoppers with cheese and dairy queen sundaes–they are also on everyday, all day in comercials. Not to mention, I just saw a movie last night where the husband who in real life is 45 and his on screen wife’s real is age 31. However, instead of writing that fact into the movie, the story was written so for us to believe that they are the same age and went to college together. When it comes to women–unfortunately, no one wants to tell reality.
And this is why I make my own clothes! They are well made, stylish and fit my body appropriately.
I was a “plus size” model at 5’11″ and size 8. Because I’m curvy and have a butt, I wasn’t getting work at a 4, so I put on weight to get work. I got LOTS of work. It helped me pay for my bills while I was in grad school, plus it was really cool not thinking about my size. The “girls” at “size 14″ were the largest ones in all the plus size work I did. I don’t recall seeing any plus sized models over a 16, really. 15 years later I’m about a 10-12, and from what I see, plus sized models still aren’t much over what they call size 16. So I’m really not sure what “plus sized” means.
Sizes aren’t standard, cause H&M in San Francisco last month put me into a 16 and it was tight, but Gap put me in an 8 and it was perfect. I think that this whole thing of sizes is ridiculous. It’s just a number they sew into the clothes. If you feel good, are healthy and fit, cholesterol, bp and the rest are good, then what’s the difference between a dress with a tag saying 16 and a dress with a tag saying 8? Really? My closet has stuff marked 4 that fits and stuff marked 18 that fits.
As far as I’m concerned there is no love for the plus size women at any of these places. Anytime you try to sell me something on a model that has no butt, no gut and no rolls like I do what does that tell me. I keep hearing that “we use industry standard size 14 models.” Ummm hmmm and if I wear a size 20 and I’m round and she’s flat how will I know what that item is going to look like on me.
So very true. Looking fashionable as a plus sized gal is darn near a full time job. Even the middle of the line stores don’t make it easy. My local Macy’s has a decent plus sized section that is literally in the back, in the corner, in the dark. It’s not even on the same floor as the rest of the women’s wear, it’s in the basement behind housewares and appliances. I kid you not.
When Target did that much hyped Missoni line they had over 400 items throughout every department in the store, except plus sizes. Yup, it was better to cover a paper clip in the infamous zig zag stripes than sell a single blouse to a fatty.
I won’t even discuss what it’s like to find plus size workout out athletic gear.
Okay ladies, I think the article is dead on! It took me years to find clothing I enjoyed, and ultimately realized that while I love Chanel’s and other designers mentioned style, I’m tired of fighting them and hiding in the back corner of the store!!! There are at least two major brands/ designers that not only design for us, but respect us. Sorry, I know this sounds like a sales pitch, but I decided to spend my fashion dollars at places that cater only to me. If you are not familiar with them check them out:
Marina Rinaldi (Max Mara): believes we are all sexy and cuts wonderful, Italian made, beautiful fashion. Their flagship store is on Madison Avenue in NY – just don’t trust their seamstresses; I had two bad experiences and at >$300 an article, that’s inexcusable!
The second is Anna Scholtz – go Anna for having dazzling prints and cutting to show off polished curves. Her designs don’t flatter my figure all the time (I’m very peary) but damn, I size 20 friends with different shape who rock her clothing (not to mention Scholtz herself, a size 24 fed-up with all this). She designs ONLY for us. She has her own boutiques all of the world, except for the US because she can’t get backers, though there is one store in New Orlean’s that carries her line called the Voluptuous Vixen. If you can’t get to New Orlean’s, they are going to have on on-line purchasing site in the coming months. If you are interested in Scholz’s designs try her webiste, Volutous Vixen and boycott Saks and Nordstrom’s, who deign to carry her, but only on-line. I can’t believe I live in NYC and only Marina Rinaldi caters to me and my lucky find in New Orleans!
The comments here are more illuminating than the article it was based on because you have one commenter talking about quality plus size clothing and mentioning the store Fashion 2 Figure and then you have another poster recommending Marina Rinaldi and Anna Scholz! Wow Anna Scholz is only about 20 times more expensive than Fashion 2 Figure . . .
Problem is people have different ideas of what quality is but I tend to agree with Lise. To me it is better to buy a really high end quality item than have 10 “lesser items”.
The problem is you can buy cheap synthetic fabric all day long for a few dollars a yard but more natural fabrics such as a nice cotton or silk are going to cost 5-20X more than the cheap synthetic stuff and there are just too many people who cannot pay and/or will not pay what those garments would cost.