Straight Up, Straight Down
The do was great fun with about 60 ladies having wine, eating nibbles, chatting and generally having a jolly time.
At the event was local jean vendor tempting us with the new season’s jeans, the sales of which they were donating a percentage to the rescue charity. All fine and good. So soon after arriving I toddled off to find the jeans, the owners of the small business were there and one of them lead me through the benefits. A patented jean that is full stretch, slightly higher waisted, stitched in a certain fashion and guaranteed comfyness.
It was at this point I tuned out. Because you see I don’t like stretchy, comfy jeans. I like jeans to feel tough and substantial, like jeans. Jeans that hold me together, not necessarily in, but together.
So I smiled sweetly, made my apologies and went back to the vino but it rather got me thinking about women and more specifically about how hard it is to cater to us wonderful gals.
You see I personally don’t like the sausage effect that stretchy jeans have on my body and if I want relaxing comfort at home I’ll pop on a pair of leggings or sweatpants. But there are many women who I know, love stretchy anything!
It’s the same with the body contouring undergarments (pioneered by the world’s first woman self made billionaire). I can’t stand them, I would rather be baggy in my bottom than wear a pair of those knickers! But again I know a lot of women who swear by them to give them the silhouette they desire.
When one thinks about chaps aside from varying heights and girths, men are pretty much the same shape. And this isn’t meant in the slightest way to be derogatory, but chaps are up and down, straight up and straight down. Occasionally one gets the odd deviant if you will, like Michael Phelps who has a body meant for ultimate swimming, but the majority of men are straight up and straight down.
Now think about us gals …. Hourglass, pear shaped, boy figure, V-shape, top-heavy, amazon, petite. I mean seriously look at all the unique shapes and physiques us ladies come in!! Apart from how fantastically amazing that is, it also gives designers a major, major headache. When is a size 12 really a size 12? Some companies have indeed begun to cater for the varieties our gender embodies, with ‘curvy fit trousers’ and right around this time of year all the women’s magazines will be publishing articles titled “the perfect bikini for every body type”.
And whilst I am here, why don't these articles actually have the real body types modelling a bathing suit, as opposed to the usual skinny-mini!?!
And it’s fantastic in my opinion it’s what makes us ladies so brilliant, our diverseness and difference. But for anyone going into fashion design it must be a nightmare. One reason SoffiaB robes are generously cut is we want ladies to feel comfortable regardless of their shape and regardless of what they may wear underneath their dressing gown.
However just the other day we had a super customer who bought one for his wife and whilst they both adored the robe and I quote “we both think it’s badass!” – I mean who wouldn’t want to hear that said about their designs, I felt like AMQ for about 2 seconds. But his wife was very, very petite and even our XS apparently swamped her. So our next collection will include a fit that caters for the extra petite ladies. Do you see what I mean?
There are some designers who don’t want to cater for every size and shape of woman and that’s fine, it’s their choice but I think they’re missing a trick as it were.
As for men’s designers pah, they have it easy! Only joking, but next tine you’re out at an event, sitting having coffee or anywhere there are lots of people have a look round and see the wonderful variety of women and then compare that to the chaps. It’s why men look at women and why women look at women.
Look Gorgeous, Feel Fabulous - Sophie