The Bloomingdale's in my neck of the woods (Mall of America) is no longer going to carry Eileen Fisher in women's sizes. The Eileen Fisher Rep told me that her numbers are always on target, but that the powers that be are unhappy that the line does not sell well at the regular price. In other words, the volume is there, but they sell more when it's marked down. The Rep is heartbroken and lobbied hard to keep carrying women's sizes, so kudos to her for trying!
My thoughts on this? I love Bloomingdales and I shop there often as it's one of the best options I have in Minneapolis for fashion-forward clothes in my size. But this bothers me a great deal. As I came up the escalator on Saturday, I noticed that the Eileen Fisher department in missy and petites is as large and beautifully presented as it always has been. Quite honestly, it feels like once again plus size women are held to different standards. Why couldn't Bloomingdale's do an Eileen Fisher department that carries all women's sizes from petite to plus, and provide a wide array of choices in ALL sizes? I have to walk by a large missy and petites department with numerous stands and rounds and mannequins, and then I get to the women's department where I'm expected to get excited about two T-stands of limited merchandise choices. Then I'm punished when I don't take the meager offering. I learned recently that while clothing retailers have not provided fashionable and quality clothing in plus sizes for the past fifty years, we do know that this is changing so now the retailer's expectation is that we are going to snap to attention and be thrilled to have what they put out there. This has not been the case. We've been so conditioned to NOT have options and in so many ways, we still really don't. We're being hesitant and careful. We're still choosing retailers that either specialize in plus sizes or designers who totally embrace their plus size customer. Sometimes it seems so simple to me. Do any larger retailers actually have plus size designers or buyers on staff? We are still the bottom rung of importance in most department stores and if you don't think this is true, I dare you to walk into any Target store and tell me the plus size women's department isn't crammed full of clearance racks from the rest of the clothing departments. We obviously don't rank very high.
So here is my tough love. I think many of us look at our current body size as temporary so in some ways we are part of the problem. Are we refusing to buy clothes on the basis of "I'm losing weight..I'm on a diet...I can't buy clothes right now."? I worked in a major plus size clothing retailer and I cannot tell you how many times I heard these words when trying to help someone find clothing that fit them and that they liked. The accepted mind set is to think "I'm losing weight, this is temporary, so why spend money on clothes now?" Or even worse, to say "these will be my fat jeans until I'm down to a normal size." Ye gadz. What kind of message are we giving ourselves then?
We're our own worst enemy.
What's the answer? I venture once again that the only way retailers and designers are going to change is if we do. I challenge us to dress for our current size. I challenge us to adore ourselves enough to buy the most beautiful and stylish clothing we can afford and to feel great and deserving in what we wear. I challenge us to invest in fantastic pieces that will enable us to build a wardrobe that we love when we open the closet in the morning. I challenge us to not put off buying clothing thinking "I'll just wait until I lose another 10..20..30...100 pounds..." because it's this mindset that has us putting our entire lives on hold. That's not living, and frankly, if you are losing weight - consign or donate your old clothes and treat yourself to new ones. It's not rocket science and there is no reason why you shouldn't feel great at any size. Live and dress for today.
As for Bloomingdale's at the MOA? If you are a customer who wears and purchases Eileen Fisher, let them know you're unhappy. If we are silent, nothing will change. And as an FYI, stores in the Twin Cities area that do still carry Eileen Fisher in women's sizes are Macy's at Southdale and Nordstrom at the MOA.
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