come in all shapes and sizes! This fact seems to have escaped several authors, including Martin Storey and Sharon Brant, whose Classic Knits for Real Women: Versatile Knitwear Designs for Plus Sizes caught my eye during a visit to my LYS. Shame on them, and shame on Carol Noble, who wrote Knitting Designs for Real Women (only 2 stars on Amazon--hah!), and shame on Jillian Moreno and Amy Singer, who wrote Big Girl Knits...For Real Women with Real Curves. Since when did real women come only in plus sizes? The odd thing about the first two of these books (the last has not yet been released) is that the pattern sizes actually begin at size medium (36 inch bust)--not exactly a "plus size"! In fact...the only sizes left out are small and extra small. My conclusion? I, and others like me (thin, short, bosom-challenged*)--we are being picked on here.
I do have to stop and admit that larger-sized women have taken more than their share of abuse. They don't even have a graceful term to describe themselves; while men can say "big & tall," women are stuck with the awkward "plus-sized," which makes "petite" (a term I dislike) seem almost poetic in comparison. No wonder "voluptuous" and "Rubenesque" have become popular, if somewhat coy synonyms for "plus-sized." Fine with me, as long as no one feels the need to imply that women who aren't voluptuous aren't real.
Here's an idea: Why don't we all stop judging people and their realness based on their size?--a surpassingly poor yardstick (haha) for measuring compassion, warmth, generosity, courage--all qualities I associate with "real women."
*As a biologist by training, I have to add that I breast-fed both of my children, so "real curves" do not indicate "real women" in a biological sense, either.
Amen sister!
The rueben-esque Karen.
Posted by: Karen | January 24, 2006 at 04:25 PM