rage! RAGE thy name is Leish...
So I am a consultant for UnderCoverWear - a brand I've been very proud of as they create great clothes that are suitable for all shapes and sizes. however, it always irks me that in their catalogue they just have skinny models for all of the clothes and then a double page spread (sometimes not even that) of 'plus size' girls modelling a sampling of the clothes.
Now as most of my customers are plus size, and I hear at basically every party 'that looks great on her but would look AWFUL on me' and people are only ever convinced if they can try things on, I wrote in to UCW's suggestion box to complain about it and point out that HELLO, ALL YOUR FUCKING CUSTOMERS ARE DIFFERENT SIZES, and I reckon about 2% of them are size 6-8 like the frakking models..
anyway.. here is my message to them (I have to say, I am fairly peeved):
"Hi there,
I've been a consultant with UCW for over a year and I have to say these are by far the skinniest, most skin-and-bones un-undercoverwear models I've ever seen in our catalogues. The reason people LOVE UCW is because our clothes are flattering to larger women, so why are 99% of the clothes only shown on stick-figures? They look horrible, and at every party, without fail, I have someone say 'Oh that looks ok on her, but it would look awful on me'
My suggestion would be that you have the plus sized models (MORE than just 1) spread throughout the catalogue - the feisty blonde 'plus' size girl is great, she looks happy and fun, whereas the other models just look like models. The photo of the girl on the bike is awful and ridiculous.
The whole reason I got into UCW was because the clothes are perfect for larger ladies, and 90% of my customers are size 14+, it seems ridiculous that you're aiming our catalogue at what look like teenage girls when the clothes can look entirely flattering and lovely on older/larger women.
I love the clothes but am disappointed every time I get a new catalogue and see the plus size girls relegated to a double page spread. It's making me lose faith in the company that our clothes are becoming so mainstream and sometimes really only suitable for very small (and small-chested) girls.
Thank you,
Aleisha "
I got an email back just now from one of our head-managery type people...
"Hi Aleisha, thanks for taking the time to send through this feedback - it shows how passionate you are about your business. As you know our latest range was developed with strong direction from Sarah Gale from Project Runway.
Sarah's focus was to help develop a range which made UnderCoverWear more competitive - a more stylish range of clothing with a realistic price point. Sarah talks about any style working with most body shapes - and she's right.
If it feels good - then it doesn't matter your size.
Our garments are still made with colours, patterns and fabrics which look good on most women, regardless of size and age.
Overall the feedback to this catalogue has been fantastic and if initial sales are anything to go by - this will be very successful launch.
Your comment about the plus-size model not being spread throughout the catalogue is correct and deliberate. Research has shown that if you open a page of a fashion magazine and there is a picture which you feel you cannot relate to - you stop looking and just turn the page. So if we dispersed our beautiful plus-size model throughout the catalogue and you were not a plus-sized customer, this may deter you from looking at anything on that page.
This of course would result in lost sales - not a situation any of us want.
I hope I have answered your question.
I wish you every success with this catalogue - you may be surprised how well it sells. "
the bit that really REALLY pisses me off is the thing about 'research has shown that if you open a page of a fashion mag... blah blah blah"
Um. hello, aren't you doing EXACTLY THAT to the plus-size girls? What I meant was to spread them through the catalogue so that there are both skinny girls and NORMAL girls all the way through, so that EVERYONE can relate to someone on every page.. If that's your fucking logic, then surely 90% of your customers are skipping through looking for the plus sized page? fucks sake.
So anyway.
I'm annoyed. all over again and replied thus:
"Thanks Robyn, I appreciate the speedy reply, but in regards to this:
"Your comment about the plus-size model not being spread throughout the catalogue is correct and deliberate. Research has shown that if you open a page of a fashion magazine and there is a picture which you feel you cannot relate to - you stop looking and just turn the page. So if we dispersed our beautiful plus-size model throughout the catalogue and you were not a plus-sized customer, this may deter you from looking at anything on that page."
Aren't we doing the same thing to plus-size women? I didn't mean only use plus size models, I meant mix it up, so that there are plus size and skinny girls on every page rather than all (horribly, I have to say) skinny girls and just a little section for us normal sized women.
It does make my customers skip on through the catalogue and only buy things if they can try them on - as I'm not made of money, this is pretty problematic, and it makes it very difficult to support the brand when I clearly can't show that everything suits a larger figure.
I just think that UCW while trying to be competitive should also play to their strengths - and one major thing that I find people love about UCW is our range of sizes, and the fact our clothes are special and different.
Thanks for your time,
Aleisha"
BLARGH. *done venting* I love you undercoverwear, but really, fucking REALLY, spread out your plus size girl, she's prettier and funkier and looks better in the clothes than a lot of the fucking tiny girls.
ARGH.
*Gone*
Now as most of my customers are plus size, and I hear at basically every party 'that looks great on her but would look AWFUL on me' and people are only ever convinced if they can try things on, I wrote in to UCW's suggestion box to complain about it and point out that HELLO, ALL YOUR FUCKING CUSTOMERS ARE DIFFERENT SIZES, and I reckon about 2% of them are size 6-8 like the frakking models..
anyway.. here is my message to them (I have to say, I am fairly peeved):
"Hi there,
I've been a consultant with UCW for over a year and I have to say these are by far the skinniest, most skin-and-bones un-undercoverwear models I've ever seen in our catalogues. The reason people LOVE UCW is because our clothes are flattering to larger women, so why are 99% of the clothes only shown on stick-figures? They look horrible, and at every party, without fail, I have someone say 'Oh that looks ok on her, but it would look awful on me'
My suggestion would be that you have the plus sized models (MORE than just 1) spread throughout the catalogue - the feisty blonde 'plus' size girl is great, she looks happy and fun, whereas the other models just look like models. The photo of the girl on the bike is awful and ridiculous.
The whole reason I got into UCW was because the clothes are perfect for larger ladies, and 90% of my customers are size 14+, it seems ridiculous that you're aiming our catalogue at what look like teenage girls when the clothes can look entirely flattering and lovely on older/larger women.
I love the clothes but am disappointed every time I get a new catalogue and see the plus size girls relegated to a double page spread. It's making me lose faith in the company that our clothes are becoming so mainstream and sometimes really only suitable for very small (and small-chested) girls.
Thank you,
Aleisha "
I got an email back just now from one of our head-managery type people...
"Hi Aleisha, thanks for taking the time to send through this feedback - it shows how passionate you are about your business. As you know our latest range was developed with strong direction from Sarah Gale from Project Runway.
Sarah's focus was to help develop a range which made UnderCoverWear more competitive - a more stylish range of clothing with a realistic price point. Sarah talks about any style working with most body shapes - and she's right.
If it feels good - then it doesn't matter your size.
Our garments are still made with colours, patterns and fabrics which look good on most women, regardless of size and age.
Overall the feedback to this catalogue has been fantastic and if initial sales are anything to go by - this will be very successful launch.
Your comment about the plus-size model not being spread throughout the catalogue is correct and deliberate. Research has shown that if you open a page of a fashion magazine and there is a picture which you feel you cannot relate to - you stop looking and just turn the page. So if we dispersed our beautiful plus-size model throughout the catalogue and you were not a plus-sized customer, this may deter you from looking at anything on that page.
This of course would result in lost sales - not a situation any of us want.
I hope I have answered your question.
I wish you every success with this catalogue - you may be surprised how well it sells. "
the bit that really REALLY pisses me off is the thing about 'research has shown that if you open a page of a fashion mag... blah blah blah"
Um. hello, aren't you doing EXACTLY THAT to the plus-size girls? What I meant was to spread them through the catalogue so that there are both skinny girls and NORMAL girls all the way through, so that EVERYONE can relate to someone on every page.. If that's your fucking logic, then surely 90% of your customers are skipping through looking for the plus sized page? fucks sake.
So anyway.
I'm annoyed. all over again and replied thus:
"Thanks Robyn, I appreciate the speedy reply, but in regards to this:
"Your comment about the plus-size model not being spread throughout the catalogue is correct and deliberate. Research has shown that if you open a page of a fashion magazine and there is a picture which you feel you cannot relate to - you stop looking and just turn the page. So if we dispersed our beautiful plus-size model throughout the catalogue and you were not a plus-sized customer, this may deter you from looking at anything on that page."
Aren't we doing the same thing to plus-size women? I didn't mean only use plus size models, I meant mix it up, so that there are plus size and skinny girls on every page rather than all (horribly, I have to say) skinny girls and just a little section for us normal sized women.
It does make my customers skip on through the catalogue and only buy things if they can try them on - as I'm not made of money, this is pretty problematic, and it makes it very difficult to support the brand when I clearly can't show that everything suits a larger figure.
I just think that UCW while trying to be competitive should also play to their strengths - and one major thing that I find people love about UCW is our range of sizes, and the fact our clothes are special and different.
Thanks for your time,
Aleisha"
BLARGH. *done venting* I love you undercoverwear, but really, fucking REALLY, spread out your plus size girl, she's prettier and funkier and looks better in the clothes than a lot of the fucking tiny girls.
ARGH.
*Gone*