Curves, Cocktails & Clothing at Akira's First Plus Size Fashion Show

Plus size model Marquita Pring / Image via http://thefashionisette.blogspot.com

Go to any grocer, book store or news stand and pick up one of the many fashion, and or, women's magazines that blanket the shelves and you'll see the myriad of gaunt women gracing the faces of these publications, with the occasional Kardashian thrown in for good measure. The truth is that even though most of these magazines give their ideal of what women do and should look like, nothing could be further from the truth. While most models and mannequins don a size zero to, at the very largest, a size two, this is pure fiction compared with what the statistics show for what real women look like and actually wear.

According to the Los Angeles Times most women in the United States average out at about 162.9 pounds and wears a size 14. Compared with the Heidi Klum's and the Marisa Miller's of the world, this is quite a bit larger. Though strides have been made recently with plus size celebrities like Christina Hendricks and Kim Kardashian becoming sex symbols and fashion icons, there is quite a ways to go before the ideal set forth on the cover of Vogue is at all in line with reality.

One step in the right direction is taking place Thursday at 7 p.m. when local fashion retailer Akria holds its very first plus-size fashion show. Models will work the runway in Akira's fashions at their newest location in Andersonville. In addition to seeing beautiful, curvy women work it on the runway, there will be free drinks and hor’dourves plus raffles all night. Women and men in attendance will be treated to sales like buy one get one half off as well as buy one get on free on all clearance items. Though this may seem like a very small step in leveling the playing field for women of all sizes, it truly is a step, or sashay, in the right direction.

Akira's First Plus Size Fashion Show, Thursday, July 28 at 7:00 p.m., 5228 N. Clark St., Free Admission

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By Michele Lenni in Arts & Events on July 27, 2011 11:30 AM

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High Heels

Identification of members of a particular team, group or political affiliations.deception involving the use of disguisesocial intimidation or reassurance by associating particular forms of dress code with functions such as religious or military activities that may be beneficial or harmful to the observer.

fergmelk

Also, since when does Akira carry so much as a scrap over a size 12?

jhop79

That was my question. I won a pageant last summer and part of my prize was a $300 gift card to Akira. I went in there knowing that they didn't have anything in my size (14), but was happy to spend money on cute jewelry and purses that normally would be outside of my price range.

It was the singular worst shopping experience I had ever had. There were maybe a dozen people in the store and at least 6 associates on the floor. I've worked retail before and know how stores like that operate and how sales people make their money. Someone was about to make commission on an easy $300 sale, except that not a single associate spoke to me the entire time I was in the store, which was upwards of 45 minutes. I watched as skinny girl after skinny girl walked in and got fawned over while I got ignored for the better part of an hour.

Well, that's not true. Their doorman said hello to me and the cashier asked how my experience was. I told her that, frankly, it was kind of awful. I knew that they had no clothes in my size, but that I was still a paying customer ( They had no way of knowing that I had a gift certificate) and that someone missed out on a sale because they couldn't be bothered to wait on the fat girl. I wasn't mean towards the cashier, but I told her that I probably woudn't be back to any of their stores because of that experience.

I hope this fashion show leads to better treatment of women like me at their stores in the future.

fergmelk

Umm... I'm sorry, but since when is Kim Kardashian "plus" sized? "Curvy" maybe, but not "plus" sized.

Renita Marjan

In the messed-up world of women's fashion, anything over a size 8 is "plus size" even though out here in the real world, it usually starts at 14 or 16.

Kaonashi

Hell, I would be happy if clothing sizes were consistent since my "size" will vary greatly depending on where I'm shopping. Down with vanity sizing!