NZ not ready for plus-size fashion

A new campaign by a beauty giant designed to promote body positivity is not convincing two women who advocate for plussized ladies.

On Friday, Dove launched a new series of images shot by Mario Testino. It doesn’t feature models, and the images are presented without retouching and with the approval of the women.

That series of ads was released days after Nike expanded their plus-size offering significantly, releasing 85 new items in sizes from XL to 3XL.

The new commitments from Dove, Nike and Farmers to use curvier models comes ahead of next month’s New Zealand Plus Size Fashion Weekend, whose organisers say it is the first such catwalk show dedicated exclusively to ‘‘women with the deeper curve in their hip’’.

Dr Cat Pause, a fat studies researcher at Massey University, said while it was important people of all sizes could find clothes that fit, it did not mean attitudes towards accepting fat people were changing fast enough. New Zealand remained largely ‘‘antifat’’.

The inclusion of plus size models or bigger sizes were market-driven.

‘‘Dove and Nike’s ads don’t speak to me,’’ she said. ‘‘The kind of models they use are still ‘acceptable fat’ and body shapes. They rely on mostly white, hourglass shaped woman.’’

Plus-size fashion blogger Meagan Kerr said there remained a disconnect between marketing, and reality. ‘‘Even the speciality plus-sized stores, the models they use are on the very smallest plus size, size 14 not 27. Occasionally they’re not even plus-sized.’’

It was common for non-plus sized woman photoshoot models to wear padded clothes or clothing that was clipped back or altered to fit them, Kerr said.

‘‘More than sizing, Nike plussize products are crafted specifically to fit and flatter her form, whatever her size,’’ vice president of women’s training Helen Boucher said.

Yvonne Chen, head of Auckland University of Technology’s fashion department, said the plus-size market in New Zealand was growing.

‘‘Body shapes have changed so it’s also about changing people’s mindsets,’’ she said. ‘‘Then the designers, retailers and manufacturers will have confidence that there is a demand, and will produce appropriate sizes in their standard collections.’’