Elegant Plus Magazine

I and the ElegantPlus.com staff have been watching with great interest the story of Canadian Beautiful Magazine’s launch. While the web seems to be proliferating plus size fashion sites of late - some running fashion editorials and beautifully photographed fashion spreads - there is something about a thick, glossy high end fashion magazine with weighty pages filled with glorious images that says “we are here”, “we are beautiful”, “we are noticed”, “we are important”.

Figure Magazine - owned and dominated by Charming Shoppes - has tried to fill the void since the demise of the much celebrated Mode Magazine, but it has a commercial, rather than high fashion feel to it along the lines of the also now defunct BBW Magazine. I don’t knock a more commercial feel - it has its place too, and realistically serves most of us. But high fashion is notorious for attitudes like “women should fit the clothes” and “you can never be too rich or too thin”. It is perhaps the most difficult bastion for size acceptance to scale.

A good case in point - I’ve recently had some behind the scenes discussions with a British luxury designer who sells in places like Harrods in England. While they’ve had great success educating the Harrods selling floor to the merits of their plus collection, they’ve met a brick wall in the form of US luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman who refuses any of their larger sizes but is happy to carry their straight size range. While Saks and Neiman Marcus do carry high end designer clothing in extended sizes, they don’t market these offering much and tuck their larger size apparel away in less visible and cryptically named sections like “Salon Z”. I’ve actually wondered for what the “Z” stands. Zaftig? The last letter of the alphabet meaning we zaftig women come last? I wonder. Their refusal to partner with plus oriented sites such as ours also raises some suspicions. Too visible? If Beautiful Magazine is able to land advertising with high end retailers like Saks and Neiman Marcus and the brands that they carry, then that suspicion will be put to rest. The skirmish with the advertising world recently publicized by Beautiful Magazine however suggests this is going to be an uphill battle.

As an art historian type with a penchant for textiles, I also enjoy frequenting the high end juried craft shows like the ones put on by Paradise City . Many of the textile artists I encounter in places like that have no such hang ups about sizes as one sees in the upscale fashion world, and their price points are often as high or higher. Then there must be a market with people who have money! Glossy publications like Fiber Arts Magazine and Belle Armoire are another wonderful place to find the work of these artists and how to contact them. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if Beautiful Magazine were able to produce truly plus size fashion spreads with a Voguesque luxury feel, while beating the fashion industry at its own game and supporting practicing artisans? I wonder if this is something they’ve thought about….. Meanwhile, it’s a tip to the rest of you. Want some unique, luxury items? Check out those fiber artists.

So with great anticipation, we await the launch of Beautiful Magazine, hoping that it will live up to its promise , stay true to its values, and still be able to financially beat the fashion and media Goliaths.

Editor’s Addendum September 8, 2005: After the publishing of this article, Saks Fifth Avenue made a formal partnership offer with ElegantPlus.com. We are very pleased to be working with this luxury fashion retailer and applaud their willingness to work with a plus size website.

Unfortunately Beautiful Magazine has yet to distribute its first issue promised back in July, and we are afraid the advertising skirmishes and financing are proving to be more challenging than they bargained for. Let’s hope they make it and fulfill their promise!