Did you know 67% of America’s population wears a size that ranges from 14-34? That is 67% of the country’s population that hundreds of retailers choose to completely ignore by simply not selling larger sizes.
For a couple years now, Abercrombie & Fitch has been in the media’s attention in regard to discriminating against customers and workers. There is no denying that the brand, Abercrombie & Fitch, focuses its attention to attract boys and girls who are labeled as cool, pretty and skinny. The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, thought selling larger sized clothing was not a good idea because Abercrombie & Fitch was best suited for only “cool kids” and kids with a “great attitude and a lot of friends.” Mike Jeffries resigned as CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014, but it is still clear today that there are many problems with the multi-million brand. These statements were made back in 2013 when Jeffries was still a part of Abercrombie & Fitch. Four years later, the discriminating image of Abercrombie & Fitch still remains the same.
Many children and teenagers across the country have started to see the blatant unconcern for customers who wear a size L or XL. Teenager Molly Henderson, said,
“They even hang up to a size three out and put the larger sizes on the shelves.”
Though she is able to fit the sizes that are provided on the hangers, she also says,
“That doesn’t mean I want to shop at a place that treats other people badly.”
With teenagers already self-conscious of the way they look in society, having them know that they aren’t good enough to shop at a store that their friends shop at, can make them feel even worse than they already do. Just because stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch choose to focus on skinnier costumers does not mean all stores do.
Many stores such as H&M have taken a new approach in showcasing their models. H&M has decided to have plus-sized models and they are not calling out attention to the fact that they have changed their way of advertising clothing. By having plus-sized models, customers can relate to the models more and know that people their size are also welcome in wearing their clothes.
