The Plus-size of Fashion

Abstract

The fashion industry has had a long history of discrimination and perpetuating a body standard that, to many individuals, is unmanageable and unrealistic. These standards create relationships straining as well as expectations for women that dictate how they feel emotionally about themselves and shopping. These emotions are managed daily, which if not managed or managed poorly, can create negative self-identity. Looking at themes of how gender norms and expectations play into societal standards, how women learn feelings surrounding their bodies, and how managing their emotions about their bodies contribute to emotional labor; I plan to answer how plus-size women manage emotional labor while shopping. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 college women who fell under the fashion industry category of plus-size (size 12-14+). In particular, plus-size women managed their emotional labor by shopping with people in their close support groups, avoiding clothing that caused them emotional labor in the past, and avoiding using the dressing room to avoid drawing attention along with additional stressors while shopping.

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