When you're plus-sized, Halloween can be downright scary. It's not the ghosts and ghouls I'm talking about, but finding a costume. It seems that whoever makes costumes thinks that nearly everyone who is female wants to be a "sexy" version of something -- and they make the costumes based on that.
Every year I have a hard time finding a costume that will cover my butt, my boobs and my arms. It's October, people, and I live in Connecticut -- it's cold. I usually spend hours searching for a costume I like and that will work for my body. In fact, after being told I was too fat to be a princess years ago, this year, we made a princess costume that I could wear and feel like a real princess in -- all while at Disney World's Mickey's Halloween Party. (By the way, anyone can be a princess!)
While I was looking for something less poofy and easier to trick or treat in, I took a quick look at Walmart to see if they had something I could use. I was searching Halloween online and I found a bunch of costumes. Some even appropriate! All I had to do was to look for the: FAT GIRL COSTUMES
Yes, you read right. Look at how Walmart categorized the plus-sized costumes:
Really, Walmart? Is that how you feel about a good portion of your customers? Major retailers have always shown that they do not care about their plus-sized customers. Their teeny tiny plus-sized sections -- maybe four to five racks of clothing if you are lucky -- show that the approximately 67 percent of Americans who are "plus-sized" (and their money) aren't important enough for them to carry a decent amount of stylish clothing. Still, to be called "fat" on the Walmart website shocked me.
Calling people "fat," Walmart, isn't a trick, or a treat. It's an insult, and another reason not to shop in your store.
*Update: Walmart has apologized for their gaffe, telling The Huffington Post in a statement:
"This never should have been on our site. It is unacceptable, and we apologize. We are working to remove it as soon as possible and ensure this never happens again."
I'm still never shopping there again. I shop at places that make it clear they value me and my money. Most plus-sized sections are hidden in the back of the store, with one or two lousy racks of old lady clothes. Newsflash: Just because we wear a size bigger than a 10 does not mean we all need or want to wear mom jeans, crazy prints or all black. Finding clothing that I like as a plus-sized teen is hard. Finding a place to buy it is harder. I found five good places to get plus-sized teen clothing, and I spend my hard earned money there. I'll never shop at a place that makes fun of me.
Originally posted on my blog: Losergurl.com