A Question of Size
As we discussed in a recent article entitled “Leading the Way”, New York based department store Saks Fifth Avenue has announced that they will soon add a selection of plus-sizes to their designer lines.
This ongoing campaign for the hearts, minds and purse-strings of the ‘real’ woman has taken another turn as not only have Saks gone beyond the size 14, designer Marc Jacobs is reported to be in the process of creating a “plus-size line”. This news surfaced on the Twitter page of Jacob’s associate Robert Duffy, in an attempt to gauge public opinion on such a move.
So, is this best viewed as a bit of a stage whisper? Duffy has tried his best to test the waters without actually committing the label to anything. He has admitted that the garments they released in a US size 14 or 16, a UK 16 or 18, had not performed well. That comes as little surprise to us as it seems to be approached as an afterthought. For starters, no-one likes the phrase ‘plus sizes’. They’re just ‘sizes’ and fit is the important thing. Regardless of the size, looking good and feeling comfortable is all about finding the right fit for you.
The question of sizing can be a confusing one, that’s why we introduced the Gray and Osbourn Sizing Guide. This allows you to make quick and easy comparisons between our designers’ sizes. We all know our size and body shape better than anyone else. With that, we know that to one designer we might be a size 14, to another we’re a size 12 and another we’re a size 16. It’s about being comfortable though, not pigeonholed. So, if you want to make a comparison between Basler and Betty Barclay’s idea of a size 14 or be sure that Michele classic fit trousers are going to be long enough, take a look at our guide.
Gina Bacconi, Michele and Gray & Osbourn’s own label have lines available to a British size 26. Many of the designers in the Gray and Osbourn stable have lines available in sizes 8 to 24 or 26. Essentially, size is a matter of choice. Our sizing guide gives you all of the information you need to make an informed choice about the right garment. Regardless of size, fashion is about looking good and feeling comfortable in what you’re wearing, not the number that’s written on the label. It should be all about finding the right fit, not fitting the right size. That’s because, regardless of what you might be inclined to believe from the media, there is no other ‘right size’ than the one that fits you. A Basler size 14 has a bust measurement of 36 inches; a Betty Barclay size 14 has a bust measurement of 37 inches. Which is the right size? Well, you’ll know better than anyone else.
