Motapa and finding clothes

Pakistan counts to become the 9th nation out of 188 countries when it comes to Motapa, people facing obesity. The study has been done by Global Burden of Disease. Everyone of these people does need clothes. However, the fashion industry is not their friend.

These people don’t fit into the exclusionary vision of certain brands, and are incorrectly assumed to spend less on clothing and accessories than the “standard” sized populace. Talking about ready made garments, the brick and mortar shopping experience is nearly nonexistent for this demographic. Often seen obese people lurking at Kaleem Market Lahore or going to “Landa” for they can not easily find clothes they could fit in.

I still remember a large pair of trousers with a poster that said “Jis ko fit, usko free” at one of the shops in Jinnah Super.

Obese people literally have to rotate. The emotional battering of trying to find new clothes - and having to try on pants that don’t fit, or shirts that stretch at the belly, or that draw attention to all the parts of a fat person’s body that he/she couldn’t stand. Shopping for clothes as an unconventional size, particularly in “normal” stores where you know their sizes are just bigger is embarrassing, it’s humiliating, and it’s depressing. Every time you shop, you come back from the experience with lower and lower self image.

Motapa for women:

Especially for the women, the reluctance to celebrate all plus size women as customers reflects Pakistan’s ambivalence and attitude towards beauty norms. Sapphire? Generation? Anyone?

Since we’re all about gender equality, I’d like to add the perspective of a plus sized man. They exist, unconventionally sized men exist. In the business world, how you look means a heck of a lot more than people like to admit. Whether you’re a man or a woman.

Motapa for men:

As a plus sized man, you skulk. You’ve probably seen the scene before where one fat guy, standing towards the back of the menswear section looking at clothes all by himself, moving piles of clothes trying to find the XXL and failing. Trying not to be noticed, not to have anyone else see him the way he sees himself right now. Never asking for help, not having the courage to bring someone to help him decide. As a fat guy, shopping for clothes is about the most vulnerable, miserable, and low you ever feel.

By the way, I feel that plus size is no less appealing than regular or petite sizes. If the apparel is designed and made properly, it can accommodate virtually any size and remain appealing. When Dove did their “Real Women have curves” ad campaign with with “real” women. I thought marketers were turning a corner. It was a huge success, but they, Dove, did even more. They wanted to find out what young girls thought of themselves when asked what it was to for example to “run like a girl”, or what they aspire to be as an adult? The results were very eyeopening, and should be looked at by all marketers. With so many woman now occupying CMO positions, I hope that how they market their products is a reflection of who their consumers are.

Here’s the thing, as a plus sized anyone - it’s not that stores don’t HAVE options, it’s that the options are bigger versions of smaller clothes. But anyone that’s been fat can tell you that plus sized is not proportional growth. Motapa is not that you become a bigger version of a smaller person. Where they are a triangle, you’re a rectangle (or a sphere), where their legs taper, you have balloons, where their ass has a tight curve to it, pants really don’t seem to like trying to hold on to yours.

The fashion industry is cruel to anyone that’s non-standard.

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