Shape of a Century

I've been thinking a great deal about my own changing shape as a result of these final days of pregnancy and noticed some similarities to the above iconic line drawings.

I'm currently teaching a class on the history of advertising in America and we just wrapped a unit on the glamour industries who marketed beauty and fashion to women in the twentieth century. As an introduction to the unit (during which we read Joan Jacobs Brumberg and Kathy Peiss) I went over some iconic decade-specific trends in clothing that, according to Brumberg encouraged women to prioritize (or turn into "projects"/works in progress) specific parts of their bodies based on what was emphasized as most desirable. It was interesting to take students from the "trends" of the Gilded Age all the way through the emergence of bikinis and bare midriffs.

One of my favorite aspects of the subjects I teach is that process of defamiliarization, during which the masked ideological curriculum embedded into the mundane or the taken-for-granted can be revealed through a process of historiography. To expose that ideological power can be amplified via perceived innocuousness and has purpose as well as influence is as challenging as it is rewarding. We talked about the Gibson Girl, the flapper, military influences on clothing, the New Look, mini skirts, and more. So when I came upon this infographic from the UK brand, Marisota, I had fun comparing their abbreviated history of how notions of beauty have shifted with fashion and popular culture to my own visual lecture presentation. You can see it Marisota's infographic well as their accompanying narrative after the jump.

Hypothetical Shopping: Marisota

Being a curvier blogger, I often receive reader inquiries from women with similar shapes about where to shop. Granted, I'm not an expert and I have a broader notion of what can count as dressing to flatter. But I am a person who believes that style should be democratic and individual, regardless of body shape. It is challenging when so many stores don't carry fashionable and affordable clothing in extended sizes. Although I might personally wear a "straight size," I still feel strongly about knowing which retailers offer cute and versatile clothes for women of all sizes. One thing I've noticed is that e-commerce in the UK offers a much more diverse selection of options.

That's why I was thrilled to be contacted by one such retailer with the request to be featured on Consume or Consumed. Marisota plus size women's clothing is based in the UK and accommodates a range of styles and budgets. I had such fun hypothetically shopping their site in preparation for the holiday season.

They sell all types of clothing, shoes, and accessories. One thing that really impressed me was the acknowledgment through their Voluptuous line that bodies are distributed differently. Two people might wear the same numerical size but have totally different shapes. To attend to this diversity, Marisota sells garments that are designed to accommodate various bustlines. Shoppers can pick their regular dress size then sub-select between the appropriate range of bra cup sizes. The blue dress with the sweetheart neckline is one such piece that can be purchased based on cup size. It's a genius idea that I wish more women's clothing manufacturers would consider!

New customers receive 20% off of their first order. Unfortunately, at this time Marisota only delivers within the UK. I hope that US retailers recognize that this is an under-served market of shoppers the way that UK retailers already have!